Fiinovation supports SMS Group with Covid-19 relief programme
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advisory firm Fiinovation has teamed up with metallurgical company SMS Group to launch a Covid-19 relief programme for economically disadvantaged communities in Odisha.
The programme offers comprehensive support to allow these communities to cope with the devastating impact of the pandemic. Among the priorities for Fiinovation and SMS Group is to spread awareness around the disease, on how it can spread and preventive measures that can be taken.
India currently has nearly 11,500 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and nearly 400 fatalities, although experts have warned that underreporting might be painting a much milder picture than what is manifesting on the ground. Rural communities such as those in the Khordah district of Odisha are among the groups that are likely to become hotspots due to a lack of awareness and subsequent healthcare facilities.
SMS Group and Fiinovation’s project is focused on the Khordah district, aiming to support 2,500 households in the region. Support not only includes awareness around the disease and its prevention, but also stretches to the supply and distribution of essential goods that are needed to tackle Covid-19 conditions.
On the ground, the programme will be managed by the Kalinga Kusum Foundation, an NGO that has been working for economic empowerment in tribal communities across Odisha for nearly a decade. The organisation will set up temporary distribution centres in key villages of the Khordah district, offering pre-packaged food. Meanwhile, the local police will be offered protective equipment such as masks and hand sanitizers to make their job of enforcement safer.
When it comes to spreading awareness, the group will rely on World Health Organisation guidelines to inform their recommendations for the locals. “The intervention is an opportunity for us to enable our resources to empower the community. These are definitely trying times and this exigency further strengthens our resolve to work for the welfare of the society,” said Soumitro Chakraborty, CEO of Fiinovation.
Fiinovation will be looking to leverage its CSR expertise to ensure the programme’s effectiveness. The firm was established in 2009, and has since helped a number of organisations with CSR functions such as initiative design & management, monitoring & evaluation, and impact assessments spanning skill development, education, health, and a number of other fields.
SMS Group is a German metallurgical company that has been an active part of the Odisha business environment, and is now intensifying its involvement with the region’s social community.
