Corporate leaders join Oxfam' fundraising walkathon for migrant workers

The ongoing pandemic is in a way a litmus test for humanity On one hand it has unsparingly widened social and economic faultlines and laid bare cruel inequalities and on the other shown us that we are at our best when we stand up for and by each other During the lockdown while thousands of vulnerable and hapless Indian citizens described as lsquomigrantsrsquo in their own country walked thousands of miles to reach home there were many others who watched in dismay and horror and resolved to do their bitStories of impromptu community kitchens fundraising drives by citizens and generosity of transport companies also emerged to remind us to look for the good that prevails when all seems lostIndias corporate sector watched too and many of its celebrated leaders decided to join Oxfam Indias fundraising walkathon in support of migrant workers Not only did they decide to participate in the 2020 virtual Trailwalker challenge but they also motivated their teams to join What emerged was a mosaic of goodwill that grew beyond routine gestures of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR We share a few heartwarming stories featuring some of Indiarsquos most respected corporate chiefs and their thoughts on being part of the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge1 Sunil Bhaskaran CEO and MD AirAsia India Sunil Bhaskaran may have not addressed the media about the value of virtual networking observing millennial startups running a successful aviation company and brainstorming ways to navigate the pandemic as a leader but he was busy finding ways to make a difference to others Struck by the devastation suffered by migrant workers during the lockdown he decided to join the virtual edition of Oxfam Indiarsquos Trailwalker and says I feel immensely excited to be able to offer my support to Oxfam India as they dedicate this yearrsquos fundraising walkathon to those who walked on foot for thousands of miles AirAsia India along with certain individuals government and nongovernment organizations launched the Umeed Ki Udaan initiative a few months ago to fly stranded migrant workers back home to be with their families during the lockdown That the migrant workers who feed our economy with their toil have been marginalised to this extent was a collective wakeup call that cannot be ignored I could not have just let this time go by without doing something to show my support for them and I am proud of the Allstar AirAsia India employees team for having joined me in this journey towards uplifting the lives of the lesser privileged2 Atul Shinghal Founder and CEO of Scripbox While helming a major digital financial service that envisions helping millions of families achieve financial freedom Atul is aware of disconcerting grassroots realities and the impact being empathetically proactive has on human lives As a fitness enthusiast and passionate change maker Atul enjoys taking up the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge and is often accompanied by his family This year given the urgency of the cause he also encouraged his colleagues to participate and do their bit for migrant workers Thanks to him more than 20 employees from Scripbox registered within two days to take on the challenge that had to go virtual this year due to the pandemic As he says ldquoIn an ideal world we would not need to see so much inequality right before our eyes Those of us who can must do something I am glad Oxfam gave us the opportunity to show up as a team to help our migrant workers We hope to do a lot more in the times to comeShanthi Padmanabhan is the Country Head Customer Success at Salesforce India3 Shanthi Padmanabhan Country Head Customer Success at Salesforce IndiaThis Chennaibased corporate leader clocked 100 kms in 10 days in solidarity with migrant workers and completed the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge in style Committed to the walkathon despite her busy schedule Shanthi rose early every morning and walked for about 4 kms She also took all her work calls while walking and the last lap for the day was completed in the evening on her terrace while listening to podcasts and music 6037 of the employees in her team are now dedicated Trailwalkers thanks to her As she says For me finding a larger purpose in what we do is very important In 2020 I had set a target of completing at least 56 hours of voluntary service for every member of my team in line with Salesforce Values Then came the COVID19 onslaught and the tragic mass migration of workers When Oxfam India floated the first edition of the virtual Trailwalker to help these workers I decided to sign up and so did several members of my team Doing 100kms in 10 days seemed insurmountable when I began But motivating each other as a team albeit virtually and drawing inspiration from the images of the migrant workers helped us pull it off4 Paul Dupuis MD and CEO Randstad India That Bangalorebased global citizen Paul Dupuis heads a Human Resources HR company is not surprising For him all humanbeings have equal value and unfathomable potential A thinker and a corporate philosopher Paul is somebody who wants to not just excel in corporate boardrooms but in life as well And one way of doing this he feels is by giving back to the most vulnerable sections of society His company strives to enable people to realise their true potential and helping those in need is also a part of the same big picture He says We at Randstad are passionate about helping people realize their true potential We take our role very seriously as we support people to move forward through gainful employment and organizations grow in the process Our global CSR initiative mdash Randstad with Heart mdash enables all 38000 employees to choose a cause they feel passionate about or propose one They let their heart speakOxfam Trailwalker is touted as Indias Biggest Walkathon for a Cause ndash to change lives This is closely aligned to my mission to not just do well but also do good To be successful at what you do is admirable but itrsquos equally important to give back to the society that enabled you to do well to help others around you move forward Oxfam gave us this incredible opportunity and a chance to reaffirm one of my core mantras which is keep the legs moving and good things happen With more than 100 colleagues from Randstad India and Global participating in the OctNov 2020 challenge along with the entire senior leadership team we are aiming at creating a greater and meaningful impact in the upcoming challenges Needless to say we are indeed very proud of our continued association with OxfamVikram Utamsingh India Country Head Alvarez and MarsalAampM5 Vikram Utamsingh India Country Head Alvarez and Marsal AampMV ikram Utamsinghrsquos credo is that charity begins at home and hence the global firm he heads sees itself as a global family in constant search of opportunities to make a difference He says ldquoWe must also look for ways to help those in need and this year we encouraged our employees to find motivation in a fitness challenge that took care of more than just their own wellbeing Over 122 of our employees divided themselves into 20 teams and took up the Oxfam Trailwalker ChallengeHe of course led from the front to show how corporates can walk their CSR talk and adds This is not a time to stay in our bubble We all have to show up for each other and reach out to those who need a helping hand to survive this pandemic with dignityKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news