Tata Volunteering Week 18 Volume No. 05        Skill Up Tata Communications      A recent survey says 70% of young Indian professionals lack mentorship. About 57% of the young professionals surveyed agreed that they do not have the right connections to find a mentor. Skill Up- a initiative by the volunteers of Tata Communications provides knowledge of the working environment and the telecommunications sector to students from various colleges. This initiative has proven to be helpful for students to prepare for a career in the telecommunications and IT industry. It was taken up, onsite as well as virtually by the various units of Tata Communications over the past weeks to support more than 200 students.     Dream School Tata Communications      Volunteers of Tata Communications across cities helped transform government schools in their locations. With the intent to create the best learning environment for a child, they changed a basic brick and mortar establishment into a holistic infrastructure. The volunteers over the past week engaged in various activities such as cleaning, painting and beautifying the school premises, classrooms and corridors, etc. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Mumbai 251 5000 Chandigarh 40 2500 Gurgaon 93 2500 Pune 216 3100     Beyond Barriers Tata Communications      In last couple of years through GEVP the volunteers of Tata Communications across cities have been able to support more than 25,000 specially-abled individuals. Various activities like recording an audio book, sign language workshop, tactile book, blind cricket have been organized in the past. This drive week they stepped up and physically built wheelchairs for them, and helped them steer through their dreams. Through activities specially curated for physically challenged people, they aimed to support the social inclusion of 600 Persons with Disabilities through mobility aids, inclusive public spaces and inclusive sports. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Equinox 84 15 Karuna 168 20 Delhi 75 10 Pune 76 15 JTP 100 20     Seeds of Change Tata Communications      To compensate the loss of natural forest over the years and focusing on the conservation of environment, the volunteers of Tata Communications across different locations conducted an activity of preparing seed balls. These seed balls are an assortment of marble-sized spheres that are made of clay, the Earth, and seeds. They believe, these seed balls are an easy and quick solution to reclaim the lost green cover of our environment. Volunteers helped collect seeds that helped restore the soil quality while enriching it. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Pune 209 1500 Whitefield 75 1500 Chennai 102 1500 Kolkata 60 1500 Lucknow 32 1500     Tools for Schools Tata Communications      Volunteers of Tata Communications from different units engaged in constructing benches, desks and notice boards to be given away to schools for underprivileged kids. Unlike private schools, productivity and learning capabilities at government schools are weighed down by a lack of basic furniture. With Education as one of the key priority areas, more than 300 volunteers strived to improve the educational capabilities of children from underserved communities. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Equinox 130 2500 Pune 275 2500 BKC 125 2500     Zootopia Tata Communications      There are about 350 animal collections in India, visited by more than 50 million people annually. Learning about the wildlife, can be quite interesting but visiting them can have a lot of positive impact on children. With education as one of the key priority areas, volunteers across Tata Communications strived to improve the educational capabilities of children from underserved communities. These children have minimum or no access to the all-round development in education, hence taking them to visit a zoo was the best way to for them experience the things they learn in class. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Mumbai 136 145 Pune 108 75 Chennai 86 75     Toys for Joy Tata Communications      Every child loves to play with soft toys, however, not every child gets to play with one. Volunteers of TC from different units, made soft toys to distribute to underprivileged children who don’t have access to plush toys. Through this gesture, the volunteers have contributed to making the childhood of many children, a happy one! Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Gyaanpeeth 75 75 Whitefield 60 60     Plant a Tree Tata Communications      Trees are the reason we're able to support life. Apart from oxygen, our lifeforce, they've also blessed us abundantly with food, shade and materials to build our homes and medicines. Deforestation is on a deadly rise and they face a threat that could be costly to the entirety of humankind on the planet. In alignment with the new CSR strategy, volunteers of TC across cities initiated a tree plantation drive. Location No. of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Ahmedabad 60 1500 Bhopal 19 600 Jaipur 30 1500 Patna 30 600     Sensory Garden, Delhi Tata Communications      Blindness not only limits the person’s ability to function and access seemingly easy tasks but also brings significant challenges. 75 volunteers of TC, Delhi created a garden where visually disabled children could use their sense of smell, touch, taste and sound to navigate around the garden and enjoy a walk. This sensory garden can greatly enhance their quality of life which lays emphasis on the remaining senses, bringing back some joy into their lives.     Barter Challenge, Pune Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC, Pune used all their skills and techniques to barter their way to charity. This activity involved small teams of volunteers, with each team provided with 100 Rupees. With this amount they could buy and barter goods and products of increased value. These products in turn will be donated to shelter homes, underprivileged schools and orphanages.     Donation of School Supplies Tata Communications      TC volunteers collected school supplies to donate to students belonging to various schools in the Ocean County Shop-rite locations. This gesture is to encourage students as they go Back-to-School.     Paris Office Drive Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC, Paris helped refugees by preparing and distributing meals and grocery kits to them. They interacted and had social cohesion with these refugees, to support them to rebuild their lives for their well-being and inclusion.     Canoeing on the River – Collection of Waste Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC conducted a cleanliness drive of a nearby river. This was a 2-part activity, wherein they worked as a team to pick up the waste and to keep it from entering they waterways and impacting on local flora and fauna.     Habitat For Humanity Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC assisted veteran homeowners on a project involving yard work.     Audiobook Recording – USA & India Tata Communications      In last couple of years through GEVP, the volunteers have been able to support more than 25,000 lives through various activities like recording an audio book, sign language workshop, tactile book, blind cricket was organized for people with disability. This DRIVE Week volunteers of TC from USA and India, worked as story-tellers to create audiobooks for visually challenged children by recording stories for them along with their family members.     Rural Routes (Pani Panchayat) Tata Communications      India is facing an acute water crisis right now, with over 600 million people unable to find water for their daily needs. With the launch of the new CSR strategy, volunteers of TC from 2 units had an opportunity to engage with Pani Panchayat, a voluntary group of farmers, engaged in a collective management of surface water and groundwater.     Sports to Inspire, Mumbai Tata Communications      This DRIVE Week, volunteers participated in a very special cricket and football match with the visually impaired players who in spite of their limitations did not lack the spirit of true sportsmen.     Day With Elderly Tata Communications      Elderly people living in nursing homes feel the sting of loneliness and isolation, which sometimes leads to chronic depression. Volunteers of TC visited an old age home and interacted with elderly people by engaging in games, singing and dancing.     Drive for Blood Donation, Clothes Donation & Cleanliness Tata Communications      Volunteers of Tata Communications organised various drives, which includes blood donation, clothes donation and a cleanliness drive to support communities and protect the environment. Drive Type Beneficiary Type No. of Beneficiaries Blood Donation Adolescents, women, children, and the elderly, with emphasis on prevention and care of non-communicable diseases in rural areas 2000 Clothes Donation Homeless people 100 Cleanliness Drive Locals 100     DRIVEATHON, Chennai Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC, Chennai participated in a marathon that is linked to their carbon footprint. While they ran to offset their carbon footprint, they also helped create awareness on the environment. They gifted young children eco-friendly stationery too.     Cleanliness Drive- Madrid, Valencia, Australia & Cochin Tata Communications      Every year, our parks, beaches and natural environments are facing an increased amount of plastics and garbage in general that affect wildlife. Volunteers of TC helped clear these areas to enable nature to thrive as intended. Location No.of Volunteers No. of Beneficiaries Madrid 10 500 Valencia 4 500 Australia 10 600 Cochin 33 1500     Food For All Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC from London and other units came forward and helped prepare healthy and enriching meals for many.     Waste Reborn- Recycling old T-Shirts Tata Communications      Volunteers of TC used their creativity to upcycle cloth bags from old t-shirts.     Miyawaki (Urban forest) Tata Communications      The Miyawaki method of afforestation was adapted by the volunteers of TC to promote a greener environment. What makes this renowned method so efficacious is its ability to ensure 10x faster plant growth and a plantation that is 30x denser than the traditional methods of growing forests. The secret to achieving these incredible results lies in planting dozens of native species close to each other. This leads to the growth of a forest that can become maintenance-free after the first two years!     Tree Plantation, Chandigarh Tata Motors Finance      Volunteers of TMF recently organised a tree plantation drive. They planted various saplings along the Govt Roads and Parks.     Quiz competition for high school students, Jamshedpur Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure      TATA STEEL UISL DE & TP volunteers organised a quiz, debate and a knowledge sharing session. This was conducted for the 10th and 11th grade students of Utkramit High School, Jamshedpur. They also distributed prizes to the winners, and the volunteers spent quality time with the students.     Interacting with tribal youth Tata Motors Ltd.      Volunteers from Tata Motors along with their family members went to Sakwar to engage with the tribal youth of Ramkrishna Mission. Motivational sessions, fun based learning, tree plantations and wall painting activities were conducted. Volunteers also educated them of philanthropic work i.e., basic education of children, health check-ups, women empowerment and provided vocational training to them.     Engineers Day Celebration Tata Chemicals      TCSRD, CSR/CD department of Tata Chemicals organized the Engineer’s Day celebrations for Model School of Dwarka students. Volunteers got associated with 8 high schools for preparing science models. An inter-school competition was held where 10 students per school were invited along with the models they’ve prepared. This activity was to encourage and support the future engineers.     Animal Nutrition and Healthcare Program Tata Chemicals      The animal nutrition and health care program was organized at Balamukund Gaushala, Mithapur. In this initiative, volunteers prepared 1 ton of nutritious laddos for 200 ill cattle.     Beach Clean up Tata Projects ltd.      On the occasion of International Coastal Clean-up Day, TPL volunteers and their family members joined hands to conduct a cleanliness drive at the Versova beach with Afroz Shah Foundation. They collected garbage around the region to beautify and protect the beach from further pollution.     Trees Plantation Drive Tata Power Solar      Senior leaders from Tata Power Solar extended their support for a greener environment by holding a tree plantation drive in Bangalore. Mr. Ashish Khanna – CEO, Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited, Mr. Ashwini Kumar Patil – Chief, O & M & Head CR&S, CEO, WREL, Mr. Behram Mehta – CFO, TPREL, WREL & HEAD - CR&S, and Mrs. Anupama Ratta – Head, HR along with employees of Tata Power Solar and TPREL were involved in the activity.     Plantation Drive Tata Power - Delhi Distribution Ltd.      To promote biodiversity, a firm organised a tree-planting effort at Delhi University's Khalsa College. Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO along with employee volunteers took part in the drive. A tree-planting drive was also organised at Delhi's village of Dhakka's Sarvodya Kanya Vidhyalya, where professors, students, and staff members planted saplings of Ashoka, Neem, Kadam, and numerous other trees. 45 employees visited the government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Delhi's Rohini Sector to plant neem, guava, jamun, and mango trees along with kids and principal. The students also had created posters and slogans.     Blood Donation Drive Tata Power - Delhi Distribution Ltd.      General Public and DDL employee volunteers arranged a blood donation drive under their Sanjeevani programme in collaboration with Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). The drive was conducted in support of thalassemia affected children.     Awareness session on safety at home Tata Power - Delhi Distribution Ltd.      The Tata Power-DDL Corporate Communications team hosted a home safety seminar for VTC recipients. Beneficiaries received instructions on measures and safety precautions to take in the event of a fire. The VTC recipients praised the Tata Power-DDL team for educating them on the subject.     Session on Environment and Biodiversity Tata Power - Delhi Distribution Ltd.      At the Timarpur Vocational Training Center (VTC), senior Tata Power-DDL officials held an awareness programme for the beneficiaries on environment and biodiversity. The discussion was on using natural methods to solve problems as its proven to be the most effective way to improve human well-being, combat climate change, and save the environment. The lesson stressed on how crucial it is to preserve mother nature because she is under danger.     Session on Soft Skills Tata Power - Delhi Distribution Ltd.      Senior Tata Power-DDL officials educated students at Inderlok VTC on the need of developing soft skills. The distinction between a CV, resume, and biodata was the main topic of the training session. The training programme included instruction on proper interview etiquette for the pupils to learn. Also covered in detail were advice and procedures for attending interviews. Effective responses to a few ‘often asked questions’ were also presented. The programme ended with student’s feedback.     Blood Donation Camp Tata Power Renewables Energy ltd.      Volunteers of TP Renewables Energy Ltd went to Galiveedu, Annamayya district AP for a blood donation drive along with a nearby medical unit. The volunteers believed that by donating blood, we can save many lives. 43 blood units were collected with the aid of our volunteers.     Breast cancer screening camp Tata Power Solar      Tata Power Solar volunteers conducted a breast cancer screening camp for the housekeeping staff. The screening was conducted with the support of electronics city industrial township authority and Rotary NGO in Bangalore. 80 beneficiaries were included in the screening.     Domestic safety session for community Tata Metaliks      A domestic safety session for the community stakeholders was conducted in Raipara training hall. The session included instruction for using gas cylinder and electrical safeties. Road safety and tips on daily routines were also initiated to the community.     Session on environment and sapling distribution Tata Metaliks      Importance of multi-cropping, environment conservation, bad impact of deforestation and water savings are some of the important topics of the world. Session on these topics were held by volunteers of TM. Importance of crop diversification was also educated. Timber plants were also distributed to the needy families of the Leluakola village.     Session on personality development and interview skills Tata Metaliks      An online session on grooming, personality development and preparation for the interview was held for the trainees of TATA Metaliks development centre. It was instructed by Ms. Juhi Mishra, Chief HR. She told them about the Do’s and Don’ts of interviews with some examples. Demonstration on etiquettes were also given to the participants. Doubts of the participants were cleared during the sessions. It was an informative and interactive session all together.     Seed-ball throwing activity Tata Metaliks      Employees participated in a seed-ball throwing activity to help the village of Ajabpur become greener. Seedballs hold fruit and forest tree seeds and that, when it rains, will allow those seeds to germinate through the soil. To encourage the greenery, the staff members engaged in this activity close to the river.     Tree plantation drive Tata Metaliks      Workers participated in a plantation drive. Some financially weaker households received saplings of sheesham and mahogany, which would generate income for them in the future. The community people were educated and instructed to take care of plant and monitor its development.     First Aid Training Rallis India Limited, Lote Unit      Volunteers from Rallis India, Lote Unit provided first-aid training to contractual workers. Instructions for first-aid usage and shifting the person to the hospital were provided.     A Visit to Kamla Mehta School for Blind. Rallis India Limited      Volunteers from Rallis India, Mumbai went to Kamla Mehta School for the Blind and engaged with the children through dance and art classes. Volunteers assisted youngsters in crafting with a teacher's assistance and also taught them the fundamentals of computers.     Fancy Dress Competition Rallis India Limited      Volunteers from Rallis Mumbai organised a fancy dress competition for young women in rural communities close to Murbad. Participants confidently displayed their outfits. Based on their level of confidence, presentation, and communication, volunteers choose the top three outfits.     Industrial Safety Awareness program Rallis India Limited      Volunteers from Rallis India, Dahej held an industrial safety awareness program for children in government ITI. The volunteers guided the children through the program. Some precautionary videos and presentations of road accidents were shown to improve the awareness on road safety, traffic rules, speed limits, valid licences and documents.     Health & Hygiene Awareness Program Rallis India Limited      The factory medical officer and volunteers arranged a personal hygiene and sanitation awareness session for young boys of Primary School, Dahej. Children were instructed on how to maintain personal cleanliness and health.     Diya Decoration Program Rallis India Limited      A Diwali decoration event was arranged by volunteers from Rallis India Limited at a school for kids with mental disabilities. The students at this school created diyas and set up a booth. Volunteers delivered supplies and assisted them in decorating diyas. These kids were also offered breakfast.     Mehndi Competition Rallis India Limited      A mehndi competition was held for the girls at the Primary girls' school. Fifty girls participated in the workshop with enthusiasm and displayed their artwork. The five top mehndi artists received encouragement from our volunteers after receiving awards.     Food Distribution Program at Old Age Home Rallis India Limited      In Rallis Ankleshwar, volunteers planned a one-time supper at a nursing home for the elderly. The beneficiaries were overwhelmed as their family had come to visit and they spent quality time with them.     Cleanliness Drive – MIDC Road Rallis India Limited      To clean roads and make them free of undesired objects, MIDC Lote cleaned the roads next to the factory with involvement of in-house workers and volunteers.     Blood Donation Drive Rallis India Limited      Volunteers participated in a blood donation camp in Parshuram hospital, Lote. The camp catered to the locals of Chiplun and nearby villages. The objective of the camp was to encourage volunteers to donate blood and save lives.     Let’s make it TOGETHER Tata Teleservices      Volunteers from Tata Teleservices with the assistance of The Blind Relief Association Delhi (BRAD) participated in a variety of tasks for their upcoming Diwali Mela, including painting diya, creating candles, and making paper bags.     Beach Cleaning Drive Tata Chemicals     Volunteers from the TCSRD, CSR/CD department of Tata Chemicals, and Indian Coastal Guards conducted a beach cleaning programme. Volunteers, staff members, and family members took part in the event's coastal cleaning activities.     Teachers Day Celebrations Tata Consulting Engineers      Volunteers of TCE across Noida and Bangalore, planned and celebrated teachers at nearby govt schools. Volunteers helped the children in preparing greeting cards. Children also wrote poems and notes expressing their gratitude towards teachers. Children performed songs and dance for their teachers. Volunteers organized fun games and activities for the teachers creating a fun and frolic environment for the teachers and students.     An awareness session on Health & Hygiene Tata Consulting Engineers      An awareness session for the children of the Aashram about health and hygiene was conducted by the volunteers of TCE. Children were also made aware of the importance of clean water and its conservation.     Cleanliness Drive Tata Consulting Engineers      Volunteers of TCE organised a cleanliness drive to clean up nearby areas and to maintain the serenity of these places. They collected all the waste and also segregated them basis their type. Site Location No. of Volunteers Heritage Site- Assam Sivasagar Sivadoul (Heritage Temple) and Sivasagar Lake (Waterbody) 8 Sivasagar BAVP Multi-Specialty Hospital 8 Mumbai Dadar Chowpatty 48 Trivendrum On Site 4 Chennai Chennai Beach 6     *This update covers only some of the activities undertaken by companies. www.tataengage.com