Infosys Limited

As winter's grip tightens, the harsh reality for many becomes a struggle for survival. For those experiencing homelessness or lacking adequate shelter, the biting chill can be particularly devastating. Recognizing this critical need, the Hyderabad CSR team embarked on a heartwarming initiative – a Blankets Donation Drive. Motivated by the spirit of compassion, a dedicated group of 30 volunteers stepped forward. Their commitment extended beyond simple donations. These volunteers actively participated in the distribution process, braving the cold winter nights and traveling across Hyderabad. Their unwavering dedication ensured that the blankets reached those who needed them most, traversing long distances to deliver warmth to the underprivileged. The team's selflessness offered a vital lifeline. 300 blankets were distributed across a week across hospitals, old age homes, orphanages and citizens resting in the footpath that provided much-needed protection from the cold. This act of kindness not only provided physical comfort but also served as a powerful symbol of hope and humanity. The Hyderabad CSR team's initiative exemplifies the power of collective action. Their dedication to bridging the gap for those in need serves as an inspiration to all. Through this successful drive, they ensured that a significant number of Hyderabad's most vulnerable residents could face the winter with a little more comfort and dignity.

In the heart of our community lies a group of resilient souls, children whose bright minds are eclipsed by the shadows of poverty. Their parents, toiling tirelessly as laborer’s, strive to provide the basic necessities, often sacrificing their own needs for the dreams of their offspring. As a new school session dawns upon us, over 100 underprivileged children in our local government school face a daunting challenge – the lack of essential stationery supplies.

For these children, a simple notebook, a pencil, or a set of crayons are not just tools for learning, but symbols of hope, opportunity, and a chance for a better future. Yet, amidst the daily struggles, these essentials remain elusive luxuries, their absence threatening to dim the flickering flames of ambition within these young hearts.

Imagine the joy in their eyes, the spark of excitement as they receive their very own stationery kits, a gift not just of pens and papers, but of possibility and promise.

Vijnana is a decade old program that runs weekend classes for school children under the academic track of Sanjeevani. Vijnana volunteers have been successfully conducting weekend classes at various government schools and selected institutions for students coming from weak financial backgrounds. Key highlights of the program are:

Classes in communicative English, career guidance, know-how of computer programming and talent nurturing sessions
Sessions on observational astronomy, dental awareness, etc.
Around 200-plus students benefitted through Vijnana classes every year
Vijnana students achieved an impressive 100 percent pass rate in the 2019 board exams
Study tours to ISRO campus, printing press and Infosys campus have also been conducted for Vijnana students

Over the past decade volunteers of Pune Development Center’s CSR club Sparsh – A Healing Touch have been conducting a blood donation camp every quarter in the campus. In the last few quarters they have been successful in collecting an average of 1,200 units in each camp. A core team of volunteers consisting of about 10 members plan these camps meticulously and execute them flawlessly by ensuring volunteers are available during the entire duration of the camp guiding employees, helping them be at ease during the process, etc. There is also a diligent process followed before any bank can be invited to the campus. All of this is run by a team of core volunteers. Over the years the team has established a close relationship with most of the renowned blood banks in the city and in several cases have procured blood units in times of need from Infoscions and their friends and family. In fact, in some cases they have also been instrumental in procuring blood units for patients in other cities via the network of blood banks that they are a part of.

The CSR wing of Pune Development Centre, installed a 1,000 LPH reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant with an ADU system at Godumbre village, in Maharashtra, India. Having received requests from three villages in March 2017, the team conducted multiple visits to the villages to evaluate the necessity. Volunteers also interacted with village officials and decided to set up the RO plant in Godumbre. They were supported by villagers in the effort. The plant has benefited over 3,000 villagers and has been operational since August 2017. The cost of installation of the water treatment plant was INR 4, 19,241. Sparsh donated INR 3, 69,241 while the village governing body bore INR 50,000.

The benefits of the RO water treatment plant were evident when the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water reduced from 300 to 15-16 mg/liter. Villagers, especially women, expressed gratitude to Infosys, explaining how the plant had reduced stomach and kidney-related ailments.

Sanjeevani, the employee-driven CSR wing of Trivandrum Development Center organized a visit for the students of Government High School, Sreekaryam, and Fort Mission Girls High School, to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). Sounding or research rockets are usually launched from VSSC on the third Wednesday of every month for scientific purposes. To enthuse the public about space, visitors are allowed to witness the launch. Team Sanjeevani along with 64 students and a few teachers reached the center to witness the launch of sounding rocket, Rohini. Later, the group visited the space museum situated on the premises. Various artifacts and visuals of the Indian space program, besides rocket and satellite models, were on display. Students were delighted to see miniature models of rockets, satellites, and satellite launch vehicles (SLV).

Towards the end of the visit, a short film on the Indian space program was screened. The students watched this inspirational film with much interest. This was a great way of broadening the horizon of these young students about space.

The Hyderabad DC CSR team embarked on a crucial initiative to address the needs of underprivileged students in government schools and colleges, Orphanages across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This region witnessed a significant demand for school supplies, with requests pouring in from various locations. Recognizing the importance of education and the challenges faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the team prioritized these requests. Within a dedicated timeframe of four months, a successful school bag and stationery donation drive was organized. The distribution spanned across the interiors of both states, ensuring that students in remote areas had equal access to essential learning tools.Notably, our dedicated volunteers played a pivotal role in this process. They served as the backbone of the initiative, ensuring that 1250 students received school bags and stationery kits. These donations brought smiles to the faces of young learners and empowered them with the resources needed to pursue their academic goals. The Hyderabad DC team is committed to fostering a culture of learning. Building on the success of this program, they are already planning a similar school bag distribution activity for the upcoming academic year. This ongoing commitment demonstrates their dedication to bridging the educational gap and empowering future generations.

Every year during National Girl Child Day, the Trivandrum Diversity and Inclusion group, SOUL conducts motivational and career guidance sessions for select batches of girls belonging to destitute homes and from under privileged backgrounds, to motivate and nurture them. We also invite them to the Infosys campus to give them a feel of a professional environment encouraging them to dream big. This year too, the SOUL team conducted the program inviting 35 students from Sree Chitra Home to the campus. They were given guidance on education and overall development, and various competitions were conducted to help them express their creativity along with a fun-filled campus tour which let them explore various facilities on campus. The volunteers were enthralled to see the enthusiasm and address queries from the students enquiring about career paths to join organizations like Infosys. SOUL volunteers also organize a series of follow-up programs to keep them motivated.

The CSR wing of Infosys, Chandigarh is trying to improve the health of the disadvantaged through a program called Jagriti. Arpan conducts weekly awareness drives called chaupals in Shastry Nagar. The motive, to ensure that malnutrition and other health-related ailments do not hamper the education of the students in the Arpan Education program. This program has improved the overall attendance in the class room.

This initiative covers:
Maintaining hygiene: Programs covering menstrual hygiene, home hygiene, disease prevention such as malaria, dengue, etc. were conducted and impacted 100+ families
Developing slum areas: This resulted in the placement of mobile toilets which benefited 2000+ families
Providing safe fuel for kitchens: Was a 3-month long program to sponsor economically weaker sections with LPG cylinders and fuel systems. Over 15 families were benefitted by LPG connections
Increasing penetration of govt. schemes: Regular awareness drive on various government schemes such as the Ujjwala Yojna, vaccination programs, etc. were provided
Another feather in Arpan’s cap was the creation of the Shakti Club (Women Club in Shastry Nagar). For the last six months, its focus has been to create awareness on menstrual hygiene and safe disposal of sanitary pads.