CEO's & CFO's do reply your mails !!!

The organization I am working for is huge in terms of number of employees. In excess of 60,000 of us work under the same brand name. I have always believed that if we send some significant mail/message to the top mamagement, they would reply , even if we are on the lowest rung in the organization. I have sent the mails to my CEO and he responded to them.And recently I sent one mail to my CFO which he replied to. Please find below the original mail and reply for your reference. Message is that these people (human) are also reachable for social causes. So all we need to do is try and results will follow.

Vaibhav,

Thank you for the note.

It is thrilling to see the outpouring of interest among our associates throughout the world in support of csr initiatives.

Establishing a payroll deduction process for quite complex given the size of our organization and the controls required around our key systems due to US regulatory requirements. At this point, we are not planning to add this functionality. Instead, we try to partner with organizations that can create micro-sites as needed.

I will keep you informed if this approach changes.

Regards,

CFO

-----Original Message-----

From: Patil, Vaibhav (Cognizant)
Sent: Mon 01/03/2010 20:49
To: CFO (Cognizant)
Subject: About Payroll Donation System @ Cognizant

Dear Sir,

My name is Vaibhav, I am part of the Quality Assurance team based in Pune but currently working in the UK. I have been employed by Cognizant for the last 2.5 + years and have been involved in social care activities within the organisation. Please find below a summary of activities for your reference:

1) Regular Blood Donation Camp @ Cognizant, Pune: In 2009 we had 2 camps organized in our premises in February and October where a total of 1100 + units of blood was donated. The next camp is currently being planned with HR now.

2) Plantation Drive on Environment Day: On the 5th June 2009 we planted 211 + saplings in and around the Cognizant Pune centre with participation of 140 + associates.

3) Sessions with new joiners (fresher batches): With approval from the Academy at Pune, I conducted an interactive session of about 2 hours each with many batches on subject of Social Responsibilities. All (With around 6 different batches) sessions received a good response.

Need of a payroll donation System @ Cognizant:

At multiple times at various different points of time, we at Cognizant collect funds to help various causes. The latest being the earth quake relief at Haiti and many examples are present for reference. With a huge workforce and a superlative IT brand across the globe, it would be suitable for us to have a Payroll Donation System at Cognizant. From prior experience we know that even if people have internet banking accounts and a direct facility to donate, a greater result can be achieved when a system driven approach is used.

Multiple examples are present including our prestigious client like Lloyds Banking Group (For whom I work) who has these systems placed in their organizations. Multiple platforms are available which can easily integrate with any payroll system. These platforms give clear charity options for individual donors (employees) and provide detailed feedback of what the funds were used for.

I am fully aware that we at Cognizant support and fund multiple charities and funding by systems like Outreach and others. But I am asking for a completely different aspect/view to this. The potential of our huge work force should also be seen a social responsibility.

Hoping for positive result!

Kind Regards,

Vaibhav

Cognizant Technology Solutions, UK

Social Connection of Marriage

I got married to Rashmi on 13 Dec 2009. And with plans from me and Rashmi and help from our families and friends ,we executed few simple-yet-effective social care solutions in our marriage. Following are the details :

1)With residents of an old age home : Initially we thought that we will invite some guests from an old age home at the reception of the marriage. Rashmi is a physiotherapist by profession and she used to give volunteer service at one old age home , so we got the place naturally. But when we had a word with the admin people from old age home we got to know that , as there are a lot of restrictions about food for the residents and not easy commutation , it was not a good idea to do that. Hence Rashmi's father decided to arrange for a single time food for them at their place only. And it was good that one of the resident came to marriage too.

2)Demo of http://www.akshayapatra.org : In the reception ceremony we had estimated about 800 + guests and i thought that they spent quite a lot of time there and hence some social message can be easily shared with them.My friends coordinated and prepared an informative flex board of size around 6 feet by 3 feet and we displayed that like one of the stall (with no food and only social message). Akshaypatra is a organization which is working on the aspect of mid-day-meal in india. They provide excellent food to more that of 10,00,000+ school going kids on daily basis.They have automated kitchen where they cook food in large scale and then distribute it. Please read more details in my other post at this blog at :

http://aao-social-service-kare.blogspot.com/2009/10/httpwwwakshayapatraorg-holy.html

The idea was successful also as multiple people got the information about this organization and donated for 1 year expense for many kids through it.

3)Return gifts to from social care organizations : Initially i was thinking that we will put a donation box in the marriage ceremony for some social cause. I had a word with my sister and she gave an idea of we ourselves should donate some thing , but i wanted some solution which would connect to all the guests also .Hence finally we decided that we will go to some social organizations like blind schools , schools for physically and mentally challenged kids and will buy some small articles made by them. My friends helped in this for packing each and every article in a beautiful packing to be distributed to 800 + guests. Also we wrote and printed one letter with all the detailed addresses and summary about Akshaypatra. We packed each of those gifts with one letter.Those articles were candles, small woollen pouch, woollen table mates, hand made paper envelopes and small purse. All were hand made by those students. And costing about 15-25 INR per article only. My friends organized this distribution of gifts to all , when ever some one came to greet me and Rashmi on stage , we had word with them about this return gift also. There was no need to talk a lot as we had the letter in each gift with details.

All went well and one of friend worked hard to get all this printed in one of the newspaper with a picture too. News paper is quite a famous one and having circulations in millions and i am sure all those read it as it was one the front page.

Before i attach the picture of the news and the address of the organizations , i want to say that we only tried to find a simple solution. It was not a huge investment of either money or time. Still with all helping us , we are very sure that we found some thing worth replicated in society.

1)Kothrud Girls Blind School

36/3 Kothrud, Near Gandhi Bhavan , Pune 411038

Phone : 020 25389131

2)Kamayani (Training centre for mentally challenged kids)

270/B Gokhale Nagar , Near Symbiosys Collage , Pune 411053

Phone : 020 25673529 , 25651588

3)Savli (Training centre for mentally challenged kids)

13 Bhosari Colony , Near kothrud depot , Pune 411038

Phone : 020 25282379

4)Aakansha ((Training centre for deaf and dumb kids)

Scheme No. 71, Behind Ranjit Hanumaan Temple , Indore

Phone : 0731 2383559 , Cell : 9826485803

It would require 128 years for a single human to do it !!!

441 units of blood was collected in the 2nd Blood Donation Camp. Camp was organized in association with Jehangir Hospital across all Cognizant Pune locations from 14th - 18th Sep 2009.

Doctors advise a minimum duration of 3 months , and one can start donating blood at an age of 18 years.So it would require approx 110 years to donate 441 units. And hence a total time of 128 years (110 + 18) to do it. But we did it together in mere 5 days.

I wish to express humble thank you to all the donors. All of them are real life stars and surely have contributed in saving multiple lives in the process. Thanks a lot .

Also , i wish to congratulate and say thanks to all the technical & non-technical staff and volunteers involved in organizing this camp with great success.

Please find the day wise count for your reference ,

14th Sep 2009 : 88
15th Sep 2009 : 136
16th Sep 2009 : 78
17th Sep 2009 : 58
18th Sep 2009 : 81

With total of approx 8000 associates in Pune all locations , the collection count is 5.5 %. We all feel that there can be some improvement in this percentage. Please share your specific observations and some innovative approaches that can be followed to encourage participation of employees in this noble cause.

It very simple just call him and organize a camp in your organization.

Contact Of Jehangir Hospital Blood Bank :
Santhosh Chacko : Medical Social Worker

Jehangir Hospital , PuneTel : 26122551, 26050550 Ext. 3122 / 3123

santhosh.chacko@jehangirhospital.com

http://www.jehangircares.com/

http://www.akshayapatra.org : The holy inexhaustible vessel

The 'big' small story so far...

One day (about a decade ago) Mr Madhu Pandi Das from ISKON and Mr Mohandas Pai (Infosys-HR Head) visited ISKON temple near Bangalore.And saw the huge automatic kitchen of the temple (like one in Shirdi Sai Baba temple). And they thought of using this innovation to feed poor children in India. A large number of Indian population is not getting sufficient nutritious diet and for children some time this is even as critical as life and death.

While thinking on the solution they also tried to involve one of the other important domain - Education. Finally a solution 'school mid day meal' is devised. They started providing meal to poor kids at schools (mostly government school) so that a dual goal of nutritious food and a quality education both can be achieved.

Keep in mind its a NGO running by the support of multiple individual support , multiple very small donors , ISKON and governmental add. Let the today's data talk about them now.

Covering 7 states in India having huge kitchens at 16 locations only
A mammoth number of 10,74,112 children get full meal every day at their school
With such an optimized approach per meal cost is only approx INR 4.5
Next target is to reach the 50,00,000 mark
Added advantage is more attendance in school , and better study levels

What can i do ?

Feel good and positive about this
Visit http://www.akshayapatra.org/
With only 1200 Ru , single boy and single girl get mid day meal for a whole year
Spread the word across to your friends and encourage them
Talk to your organization HR and find some corporate help
Subscribe to Akshatapatra newsletter and stay connected

Take Care and eat well.

Pictures of Plantation Drive 2009

These are pictures of the Plantation Drive in my organization.
Details are present in my post already.
Date : Week of 5 June 2009
Total Plants : 211
Total Participation : 140 of my company employees.

I guess you have similar Question !!!

My dinner place usually is 5 km from my flat.And a 15-20 min ride of my bicycle is what i enjoy to reach up to that road side shop called 'Steamy Affair'.A place where i get delicious idli sambhar. I eat a couple of plates (4 idlies) and return to my place.Mostly come to Internet cafe directly from there , like i did today.

While i was eating the first plate, a kid of age 8-10 years came to me too , like he was hovering around all those, who were eating there. And i told him, not to touch me. He was standing for 1-2 min alongside me and when he saw there is no response , he moved to next person. I finished the first plate and soon started the next one. Now couple more kids (a 8-10 year old girl carring perhaps 8 month old kid) and started asking for something to people. And this time there was a reaction from the shopkeeper. His business was in threat of these unwanted creatures and from with in his shop he displayed a stick to them and made sure that , that particular 10-15 feet area is evacuated.

Now the kids party grouped around the adjacent shop and there was no one to buy anything from that shop. But a lot of dry eating packs like chips and others were hanging on their sky. A half dozen of flavoured milk bottles were in their eye sight and in reachable distance of their hands but still miles away from their mouth.

Their elder bothers and sisters , fathers and mothers were sitting near by. They were having some balloons with them to sell and i guess a wrong business decision , as very less buyers were there. Argument can be this also that , they do not want to work and their main source of income is these kids who EARN for them.All elders were looking quite healthy and sitting on road calmly.And soon i was giving the finishing touches to my dinner.

I had many many thoughts in those moments. Should i give some money ? Should i give something to eat right now ? Should i finish my food first and then talk to their parents ? Can someone inform the police and tell them not be here ? Why not they work somewhere and their kids go to school ? Should i not react on this ? I kept acting for the whole dinner that nothing happened to me. And i am not affected by this. However i was thinking...

I put down the finished plate of idli-sambhar.Went to the second shop. Brought 5 small packets of the food available there. Each was different flavour. And gave the first packet to the girl , she happily wanted to choose one which she liked. And i let her. She ran those 20 feet from shop to her parents and let others know this. Soon 5 packets were with different kids and now came their elder brother and sister to ask for more. I gave them a couple of hard statements , You are looking healthy , why not you work and eat for yourself. You people should get some slaps instead. The young boy gave a smile in reaction.

With in seconds i was on my bicycles and not looking back to the situation present there. Soon many shops came which sell pyrated book and CD/DVDs on roads. People had a group discussion there , which they want to buy. And so on.I am not an outsider of that group but still had the question.

I know my response is not a solution.
But, I guess you have similar Question !!!

I am so happy...

Here are the details from Blood Donation Camp organized by Anshul. Just look at the stats , amazing. Just a positive mind with very good intention. This camp held in an engineering collage in Indore (MP). Details are :
350+ Students Donated (approx) ( 6 branches , 4 batches)
2 Senior doctors,10 Junior doctors
Duration of 1 day
He ( i am sure few more are there with him now) is having plan to do more...

Anshul , thanks a lot boss for such a great work...