Amidst rising Covid-19 cases, PNB MetLife Insurance Company draws back the focus on personal hygiene and safety, especially among adolescent girls and women as they display a heightened need for specific health and hygiene services.

Together with LittleBigHelp India Trust, its NGO partner in the East, PNB MetLife is distributing 1,000 hygiene kits containing items like masks, handwash and detergents to vulnerable adolescent girls and women in the Bidhan Nagar area of Kolkata. Ashwin Kumar Jha, Chief General Manager (Field General Manager’s Office) of Punjab National Bank, the bancassurance partner of PNB MetLife, will distribute these kits to the beneficiaries.

The initiative targets residents of some of the area’s lowest-income areas, viz: Sree Krishna Colony, Dakshindari, Gulermat, Dhoparmat and Basanti Colony, and is designed to raise awareness of the day-to-day hazards and good hygiene practices to protect their health and wellbeing.

The collaboration with LittleBigHelp India Trust signifies the growth and expansion of PNB MetLife’s CSR initiative – Damini into the eastern region of India. Damini is based on the idea of supporting and empowering girls on their journey to womanhood. As one of the largest social welfare institutions in West Bengal, PNB MetLife has joined forces with LittleBigHelp India Trust to extend Damini into West Bengal in an effort to create better opportunities for vulnerable children and women in the Region.

Nipun Kaushal, Chief Marketing Officer, PNB MetLife, said, “Underprivileged women and girls face a multitude of health and other challenges at the best of times. Now with a global pandemic, this group will require additional support to thrive. PNB MetLife’s CSR initiative, Damini, was created to address the unique challenges girls face in their journey to womanhood and position them for lifelong success.”

Ashwin Kumar Jha, Chief General Manager (Field General Manager’s Office), Punjab National Bank, the bancassurance partner of PNB MetLife, said, “I am humbled to be part of this project. PNB MetLife, through its CSR initiatives, has always focused on empowering girls by supporting their educational endeavours and providing them with opportunities to grow thus propelling them towards a brighter future. This drive will shift the focus and conversations towards the health and hygiene of young girls and women at a community level. Tackling issues such as this will ensure that they are provided with a nurturing environment to evolve as more empowered citizens.”