I have been participating in CSR activities in Bengaluru, my home city, for two decades now. Presently, I am engaged with two prominent (NGOs) in India – Bhumi and Team Everest.
I began working with Bhumi to facilitate children’s admissions to schools under India’s Right to Education Act, which mandates free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 to 14 years. This 6-month-long process involves assisting parents in filling out forms, ensuring a seamless admission process, and following up with schools on the children’s educational progress. I was able to successfully secure admissions for more than 25 students in 2021 2022 and 18 in 2020. The impact of our efforts is evident as we can provide children with access to education, utilizing government scheme benefits without any additional fees or intermediaries involved.
This initiative is listed on Deed, a platform through which we could share this campaign with other Kyndryl employees, thereby facilitating managers to allocate additional time for such activities. As volunteers, Kyndryl’s flexible leave policy allows us to adjust our shift timings based on our requirements. This ensures a seamless balance between our volunteering projects and work tasks without any conflict.
I am engaged in two projects, Bridge and Speak Out, with Team Everest. These projects involve mentoring graduate students from underprivileged families. We help them improve their interpersonal and communication skills, personality development, industry knowledge, and understanding with the support of corporate and NGO sponsorships. I have been involved in this initiative for over 4 years along with some of my colleagues from Kyndryl.
We stay in touch with our students through the NGO, check on their progress after 13 days, and offer any necessary support. The students can also reach out to us through the NGO if they require additional guidance.
Kyndryl recently launched a campaign around problem solving for students and several employees are involved in it. Both Everest and Bhumi are closely tied to the Government of India and its initiatives for the underprivileged. I have also been associated with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and have participated in Kyndryl CSR initiatives in Bengaluru like the Plant a Tree initiative, the Green Pedals initiative, and the GOODERA Tactile card for the welfare of specially-abled kids, among others.
I learned that it’s not about how much you possess, but rather how much you are willing to share. In 2020, when we were distributing food items around our area during the COVID-19, we fell short of packets. An elderly lady noticed this and insisted we divide her packet into two portions and give one to another family. It was a moment of great realization for me and I wish all of us could think like her to make the world a better place.
