Mumbai, 21^st August 2021: Swades Foundation, the organization that has been leading the rural empowerment in Maharashtra, mobilized INR15 Cr to provide critical medical equipment to Mumbai, KDMC and rural COVID facilities in Raigad, Nashik, Nagar, Kolhapur, Sangli & Solapur. On 21st August, 2021, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Uddhav Thackeray handed over the equipment to the representatives of COVID facilities. Swades Foundation mobilized funds to procure Ambulances and vital equipment like, Ventilators, Jumbo Cylinders and other medical support material that would aid the centers to strengthen their efforts against COVID-19. Noted corporates such as Aker Solutions, Bank of America, Boehringer Ingelheim India, Course5 Intelligence, DuPont, Motilal Oswal Group, Oracle, Sony Pictures Networks India and Trafigura, partnered with Swades Foundation for this initiative. 

                                 Speaking on the occasion, Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder, Swades Foundation said, “At Swades Foundation our vision has always been to empower people with the right tools that can yield irreversible change that is required for the betterment of the society. With this clear vision, we worked towards identifying and putting together critical medical equipment that would help the medical fraternity in their efforts in battling COVID-19. We are thankful to hon’ble chief minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray for his time and handing over the equipment. Swades Foundation will continue to focus on rural empowerment and improving quality of life for the lesser fortunate and we will work closely with the local authorities to bring this to life. We are also thankful to the donors who have supported us in this journey.”

                           Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Uddhav Thackeray said, “The work that Swades Foundation is doing is commendable and we are happy to see the thoughtful gesture that the organization has made today. The government is committed to the wellbeing of all its citizens and we will continue our efforts in completely eliminating COVID-19 from Maharashtra.”

                              Swades Foundation has been a pioneer in rural empowerment and has led some critical missions like providing support during the recent Raigad floods, mobilizing funds to support the state’s fight against the pandemic and strengthening employment options in rural Maharashtra during the reverse migration that set course owing to the pandemic. Apart from these, Swades Foundation has supported migrants who were on foot to their respective homes with cooked meals, provided medical and food kits to the Adivasi community in the Raigad region among other notable achievements. 

                          As part of this drive, Swades Foundation along with its donor partners has provided 14 Ambulances, 37 Ventilators, 487 Jumbo Cylinders, 159 oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment such as thermal scanner, N-95 masks, triple layer masks, PPE kits, pediatric ventilators, multipara monitors, portable X-ray machines and ICMR recommended antigen testing kits.