December 2019

Foundation for CSR @ Redington REDINGTON CSR – CONNECT December 2019 Join Hands and Hearts New Associations and New Beginnings for the New Year

From Trustee’s Desk 2020-Design A New Decade. Do you have a 2020 vision? Designing a new decade rests in our ability to vision long term goals in our willingness to be curious, in our awareness to accept the present, and in our belief of what we most want to create. Let’s start this decade with inculcating habits that help us reach our short and long term goals. - Be present. Let go of 2019, in fact the last 10 years. Be ready to embrace the next 10 years. - Create a position of clarity and intention each new day. - Design a new decade begins as a collection of 365 opportunities. - Position clarity and intention into each new day, starting today. - Cultivate the resilient leadership presence that’s already inside you. Making a list of goals isn’t enough. You need grit to complete them and master them. Grit is nothing but perseverance and passion for long term goals. Says Image Consultant, Renu Mehra, “When you apply effort to a talent, you get a skill. And when you apply effort to a skill you get achievement. Every moment of life is new and a New Year heralds the promise of new beginnings. Have a new mindset. You can cross hurdles and achieve something every day. And when we acknowledge and celebrate our small daily successes, it acts as fuel to achieve more. So this year appreciate your achievements and shift your focus from “what’s missing” to “what exists”. Muthukumarasamy M Managing Trustee

CONTENTS 1 4Young Mind Matters 8 Glimpses Of All Zones 11Pushing The Boundaries 12 Journey Of Success 14ASPIRE – Work Process At Ayikudi 15 Trainees Testimonies Placement Success Of Madurai Zone 17 19 Feed – Back OR Forward Laugh Out Loud

Young Mind Matters AOL for Youth Art of Living (AOL) classes were conducted at our Elite Colleges and Excellence Schools in December 2019 at Madurai and Chennai Zones. Here are the images of the AOL programmes. 1

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Glimpses Of All Zones The Dolphin Special School & Centre is a Guild of Service (Seva Samajam) is a non-profitable Organization formed in 2006. Charitable Trust founded in the year They serve the children with Autism, ADHD, 1946. Redington Foundation has Mentally Challenged, Down Syndrome and associated with Guild of Service (Seva Learning Disability. The Dolphin Special Samajam) under Reach Project. We have School is added as one of the Resource taken initiatives to provide Remedial centres of Reach Project, in December 2019. Classes for the orphanage students and We have planned to provide Mat Making salary for their Care Takers. Our CSR Machines for the vocational training. CSR Operations Lead, Regional Head, Zonal Operations Lead Mr. Chandrasekaran and Head of Thanjavur Zone and Project Thanjavur Zonal Head Mrs. Indira Kannan Coordinator had meeting with S. Sundari had meeting with G. Praveena carmel, Subramanian, Secretary of Society of Director of Dolphin special school & centre. Guild of service (Seva Samajam) regarding the activities. The Spastics Society of Tiruchirapalli is a registered organization providing rehabilitation services for children affected by cerebral palsy. It was founded in the year 1982 by the initiative of the former collector of Tiruchirapalli, Mrs. Santha Sheela Nair. Our foundation is associated with The Spastics Society Of Tiruchirappalli under REACH project. We have initiated to provide, Computer Skills for the special children according to their ability through a Computer Trainer. 4

A Job Fair was conducted in Annai Velankanni Arts and Science College. Around 80 companies participated in the placement drive. At the placement drive our Thanjavur team conducted the trainees sourcing activities for the Employability Skill Training programme of Thanjavur SLC. On 16th December 2019, Mr. An Internal Audit happened on 18th and Chandrasekaran – CSR Operations Head 19th December 2019 at Thanjavur Zone. and Mr. Murugan – Regional Lead, visited Project Coordinators and Trainers from the Thanjavur SLC and provided various zones conducted the auditing Orientation for the trainees of Hardware along with Ms. Sridevi, Training Lead. and Networking Programme and IT & ITES Programme. 5

We conducted Healthcare Camp for goods shed loaders on 14th December 2019, this awareness program was given to 83 goods shed loaders at Railway Goods Shed office. A team from “Heart Fullness Club“ gave Yoga demonstration which was recommended to participants who are suffering from back pain and breathing problem. Nutrition and Dieting consultant Dr. Vinothini (Naturopathy) from LUV-U Women World, gave counselling about healthy food diet awareness to the participants. RFPMS – Redington Foundation Projects 6 Management System, Phase - 2 meeting was held at Chennai on 07th December 2019. The Phase II of our portal is introduced with many more add features and effective reporting system. Ms. Gulshan, Project Coordinator – Systems explained the new modules and its usages to the participants.

A newly introduced programme “Graphic Design” is successfully running with 17 unemployed youth at SLC 2 of Madurai. A meet with the parents of the students, of Graphic Design course was held on 28th December 2019 at the centre. The parents were oriented about our foundation and its area of services. The job opportunities available for the Graphic Designers in the recent job market were explained to the parents. The session was concluded with feedback of Parents and Students. The students involvement and contribution in the course is high and it could be seen in their daily practical works. We are receiving enquiries for the next batch and we look forward to start the Batch - 2 by February 2020. 7

Pushing The Boundaries Article by Pankaj Sati, Project Coordinator, Delhi Zone To understand something, you need knowledge, but to feel it you need experience. To gain such experience our officials visited Khera Kallan village located in North West Delhi. Mr. Muthukumarasamy, Managing Trustee, Mr. Chandrasekaran, CSR 1.0 Operations Lead and Ms. Subha, CSR 2.0 Lead along with Mr. Pankaj Sati and Mr. Deepak Mehto, Project Coordinators of Delhi Zone travelled down a long distance from Central Delhi to North West Delhi to visit the Vedic Sanskrit Agriculture Senior Secondary School, located at Khera Kallan village. Our foundation is associated with this school for the holistic development of school. This visit happened on 03rd December 2019, for the exchange of MOU and to experience the ambience of the institute. Our seniors took efforts to see all activities of school & also observed the infrastructure of the school. They also visited the School’s Sports Academy area - Hockey Mess, where they interacted with the students who are staying in the mess for their national & international sports preparations. The Hockey Mess was not in a condition for the students to do the ideal preparation for the sport. Our seniors got impressed with the efforts that the school has taken for the students extra curricular activities. 8

It was great to know that the school students are participating at national level & international level games with the association of Sports Academy of India (SAI). Vedic Sanskrit School was started on 01st April 1918 by a saint called Annand Muni Ji. It is a Govt. aided school in this rural area. It is affiliated with CBSE vide affiliation no. 2770004. Having some of the IAS, IPS, Doctors, Brigadier and Scientists as alumni of the school is one of the prides of this well- known old school. At present, approximately, one thousand students are studying in this school. 9

School trust is running this school, with the motive of social cause, to promote the education among the economically weaker section students. Our trustee interacts with the students of the school, to know more about their requirements. Apart from the academics the school management is supporting the students to excel in different sports. The hockey players of this school are soon participating in the international level competitions going to be held in Australia & other countries. Due to financial constraints the school is struggling to provide the ideal ambience and infrastructure to the students who can achieve much more if the same is provided to them. They are in need of the support for holistic development of school to create many more aspirants. Redington Foundation will surely be an integral part to turn the dreams of the students come true by supporting the school. 10

Journey Of Success Article By, Krishnaveni, Centre Coordinator, Ayikudi, Tirunelveli Zone “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” We start everything to achieve something great. One of such examples is our Redington Smart Learning Centre located at Amar Seva Sangam, Ayikudi. Under the READ Project, Ayikudy centre is Our training enhances them, brushes their efficiently led by our Zonal Lead Ms. Shanmuga capabilities and grows wings for their dreams. Vadivoo since June 2016. Amarseva Sangam, When a youth from a poor family enters a job Ayikudi provided a block for our training and starts earning, it energises his/her family programme and Unnati, a Bangalore based skill and leads them to a new phase of life. training organisation, associated with us as our Our journey from June 2016 to till date is a training partner. mass success and we have so far completed 23 batches and 24th batch is on going. We always strive for better quality every time, The outcome is also as important as the effort. since we limited the students admission to a Similarly, all our trainees are placed and are in maximum 30 youth per batch for 50 days training good jobs. The alumni refer new trainees to us, programme and we also arrange placements in so that they share the happiness, joy and results local and metropolitan cities with the help of to others through ‘word – of – mouth’. These Unnati. Till date, nearly 500 trainees are benefited efforts made us to continue our journey in the through our training programme. path of success. Our training is based on English Communication, 11 Life Skills and Basic Computer Skills, which are essential for an unemployed youth to secure a job. “Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn” – Benjamin Franklin. As per this quote we involve the trainees through different activity based teaching, so that they can learn, remember and never forget. Most of the trainees are from economically challenged background. Therefore, it is not an easy task for them to learn English in just 50 days, when a basic level or entry level job in cities is a dream for them.. Therefore with the basic English teaching we also teach them how to continue learning to enhance their English.

ASPIRE – Work Process At Ayikudi Article By Dolores Scholastica, Resource Centre Coordinator, Ayikudi, Tirunelveli “Disability” is a matter of perception. Differently abled people can do lots in their lives. But they are limited from doing what they can do the best, this is because of various barriers they face in the society. As quoted by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”. The foundation felt the importance of imbibing this belief within the differently abled students. Major challenge of a skill development initiatives is also to address the needs of huge population by providing skills in order to make them employable and help them secure decent work. Skill development for physically challenged persons and searching for job is the prime aim in that direction. Amarseva Sangam and District Employment Office Tirunelveli requested us to arrange job assured skill training to physically challenged. In an attempt to empower the differently abled, it rolled out an exclusive Job assured Employability Skill Training programme named “ASPIRE” as part of its REACH project at Amarseva Sangam, Ayikudi. In ASPIRE centre, Accounting and Auditing training, Tally, Income Tax Filing and GST Filing, Basic Computer and Soft Skill training are conducted for B.Com and B.B.A graduates who are differently abled. We have successfully completed two batches of ASPIRE training over the last year. Most of the trainees who had completed our training are provided job opportunities in Amarseva Sangam, Fatima Associates – Tenkasi, Accenture – Chennai and other local companies. 12

While initiating ASPIRE programme , the main Mr. Saalai Arun Viswanathan and Mr. Pradeep intention was to initiate back office work process from Redington India Ltd, Trichy came to our for the trainees who have completed training at ASPIRE centre on 09th January 2020 and they our centre. We approached Amarseva Sangam conducted orientation for 4 trainees and also and other companies around Tenkasi for GST they provided back office work training to the filing and TDS filing back office works. But, in candidates on 09th and 10th January 2020. On the the initial period we got back office project only first day, our zonal lead Ms. Shanmuga Vadivoo from Amareva Sangam and didn’t get support visited the centre and had a discussion with from other concerns. Redington India Ltd Team. Mr. Saalai Arun Viswanathan shared positive feedback about the ASPIRE training was one of the dream project of performance of our trainees and they are also our Trustee Mr. Muthukumarasamy and our interested to expand the back office work Zonal Lead Ms. Shanmuga Vadivoo. Because of process in ASPIRE centre. their persistent effort, in November 2019 a team from Redington India Ltd, Chennai visited our ASPIRE centre and conducted interview for the trainees. They shortlisted 8 of our trainees and as a first step they offered back office work to 4 among them and they are ready to engage all the 8 candidates to do the work process in the near future. Our trainees are very happy to work in our centre and they are very thankful to Redington Foundation for arranging this wonderful opportunity. 13

Trainees Testimonies I am B. Sudhakar, son of a sanitation worker of Tirunelveli Corporation. My mother is a Homemaker. I completed my Higher Secondary schooling at Schaffter Higher Secondary School. With two years of hard work I passed NEET examination and got MBBS Seat in Government Medical College, Tirunelveli. With everyone’s encouragement and the district administration’s support I completed my first year with distinction. But in the second year, I was in need of financial support for my academic expenses. Redington Foundation conducts health camps regularly for sanitation workers at Tirunelveli Corporation. In one of such medical camps, I was introduced by our District Collector to the Trustee and Tirunelveli Zonal Head of Redington Foundation. I requested for the financial support to the Trustee for my MBBS course. Without any further follow-ups I got the required support from Redington Foundation at right time for my Education and Book expenditures through their Sahyog Awards. I am very grateful to Redington Foundation for supporting me wholeheartedly. I am Gomathy. M, I am doing Montessori Teacher Training Course in SLC- Sri Sarada College for women since November 2019. The Montessori Teacher Training course provided by Redington Foundation creates an opportunity for the rural women to acquire a teaching profession. Redington Foundation is spending their funds for the betterment of the unemployed women like me. It is a tool to most of unemployed women of the rural areas to get an opportunity to show their abilities. Along with the high level learning environment we are also provided with Montessori Practical Materials which is very useful for us to learn the real-time practical classes. I am really thankful to the foundation for the best service rendered to the rural people, especially for the women in the area of Education. I promise to myself that I will use this opportunity provided to me in the best way and become a good teacher to create good citizens for this country through my teaching. I am R. Jaiganesh from G.T.N Arts College, Dindigul. I have completed BCA in 2019. While doing my 3rd year I got a chance of participating in Redington’s Soft Skill Training programme in my college. The Soft Skill Training was really good for my inter personal skill development . It also helped me to know about myself. Through identifying my strength and weakness I was able to understand how to display my strengths in the interviews. The continuous training and mock interviews made us to get rid of interview fear. In my final semester, i got selected in off campus interviews of 3 companies. and Joined in \"Getronics Solutions India Private Limited \" as a Technical support engineer. Now I am in the project of Ford India Pvt Ltd, Maraimalai Nagar. I wholeheartedly thank the team of Redington Foundation for providing this opportunity. My special thanks to Sabina mam and Michelin mam. 14

Placement Success of Madurai Zone Free Computer Software Programming Skills Training is provided R 3, 50, 000 at our SLC, Gandhigram. Unemployed youth from IT Background who are struggling to get a placement in the field of IT are trained at our centre and placed in reputed IT companies. After the success of 2 batches the 3rd batch was trained for 100 days from June to September 2019. 27 trainees from various rural parts of Tamilnadu participated in the program. In the placement drives conducted exclusively for our IT students by various companies, 22 of the trainees are placed in reputed concerns and few of their offer letters are published here. The successful placement of every batch gives us a new hope and confidence. The 4th batch is planned to get started by February 2020. 2, 25, 000 R 2, 50, 000 2, 00, 000 2, 72, 000 2, 04, 000 R 2, 50, 000 15

We are also glad to share the placement success of our Elite Centre students of Madurai Sivakasi Nadar's Pioneer Meenakshi Women's College. Three of our trainees who undergone the Employability Skills Training Programme have got placed in Tata Consultancy Services Limited as Graduate Trainees. Kudos to our Trainees and Dindugul & Madurai Team. 16

Feed Back OR Forward Is it the fear of facing feedback or the joy of getting feed-forward? We all have fears. Most significantly and practically every single human being on the Earth and under the Sun have fear of feedback. But did you know that all of us need people to give feedback. Because that is how we improve. Well, why am I talking about this generally dreaded subject matter this time !!! ??? Most of the time it is the people who give us feedback have the power and the perspective in their own rights. That is, their view and their version of a lens. Feedback could be telling someone what is broken or making someone realize what needs to be fixed. Next time when you give feedback please consider ‘is it to provoke an insight’ or ‘to force a change’. Yes, that is the challenge or the choice. A recent incident a few days before in my office brought about a profound change in me in understanding this challenge or making a prudent choice between FEED – BACK & FEED - FORWARD. That day, I was engrossed in an office assignment and in analytical study of a plan proposal with full concentration….but the continuous intercom ring tone did displace me within. With hesitation, I did attend the call because I knew it could be only from the senior most of my office. And I was called without warning into a meeting with one of the long associate and field member of my organisation. Although the meeting was held for some other specific professional patch up session, the discussions drifted & trickled down to me (knowingly or unknowingly or out of high energetic emotional harbouring of feelings within a great soul) and it was expressed that someone was not too happy and they had concerns about my conduct!! They told me that things need to change. 17

Now this was the time when I had to make a Well what can you do when you want to give choice between embracing hard truths and feedback (the other way around) . Please get running away from the perspective view. comfortable to let go. The ultimate truth is (Interestingly not the first time or second time letting go is not what you give up but what for me having been in a wonderful & fascinating you give. life span of about 60 plus years and more than When we give someone a better view of 35 years of non-stop busy and productively themselves by asking queries and uncovering participative player in the professional arena). truths that the others already hold our feedback becomes their fuel for growth. In those few moments of uninvited and thrustful If you are getting feedback get comfortable so called feedback session I could see a single letting others in. person with two different personality looking at Feedback is a partnership and not a trial. me with different perspectives and different lens. It ultimately awakens receivers joy. This joy of listening to feedback helped me to What would happen? Obviously, each know who I was ‘becoming’ rather than individual person would look through their assuming who I have been. perspective. Two different versions. My relationship with my own self reinforced with reassurances that pushed me to see I was brooding over within as to how I could lift where I am headed and not just where I have myself above this to analyse feedback or process been. the feedback. Somewhere along this journey I come to realize that joy is not just something that I At this point of time, I remembered a real true find. It is something I create & live. friend within hearts of heart. Nostalgia…. In one such feedback discussions during my early Joy is something we create professional life, this great gentleman did not give a lecture of his opinions, instead asked me To Be Continued …. “Who Do You Want To Be” Therefore, dear folks that makes all the difference. 18 Let us think as to how we can use others’ feedback to learn and grow. Feedbacks are fuel for growth. Please let others do it. When you take that fearless leap of taking feedback that takes your life “FEED- FORWARD” !!! It helps others also to look themselves in a whole new way. It gives work to both the giver and the receiver.

Laugh Out Loud Talking dog for sale A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads “Talking Dog for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks in. “So what have you done with your life?” he asks the dog. “I’ve led a very full life,” says the dog. “ I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now I spend my days reading to the residents of a retirement home.” The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the dog’s owner, “Why on Earth would you want to get rid of an incredible dog like that?” The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!” God in a parking lot A man is struggling to find a parking space. “Lord,” he prays. “I can’t stand this. If you open a space up for me, I swear I’ll give up the drink and go to mass every Sunday.” Suddenly, the clouds part and the sun shines on an empty parking spot. Without hesitation, the man says: “Never mind, I found one!” 19

Hit it on the head The village blacksmith finally found an apprentice willing to work hard for long hours. The blacksmith instructed the boy, “When I take the shoe out of the fire, I’ll lay it on the anvil; and when I nod my head, you hit it with this hammer.” The apprentice did just as he was told. Now he’s the village blacksmith. Chicken’s for dinner “Doctor, I think my wife is getting hard of hearing.” “There’s a simple test you can run to see how bad the problem is: Start out 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone say something and see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.” That evening, the man’s wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he’s in the living room. In a normal tone, he asks, “Honey, what’s for supper?” No response. So he moves to the other end of the room 20 and repeats, “Honey, what’s for supper?” Still no response. Next, he moves into the dining room. “Honey, what’s for supper?” No response, so he walks up to the kitchen door. “Honey, what’s for supper?” Again, there is no response, so he walks right up behind her. “Honey, what’s for supper?” “For the fifth time, Harry, CHICKEN!”

VISIT US AT CONTACT US www.redingtonfoundation.org FOUNDATION FOR CSR @ REDINGTON e Mail: [email protected] 2ND FLOOR, JANAKI BHAVAN, NO.73, SARDAR PATEL ROAD, GUINDY, [NEAR LEMON TREE HOTEL], CHENNAI – 600 032. TAMILNADU, INDIA Chief Editor: M Muthukumarasamy Concept & Design Creation by, Gulshan A Editing by, Jeyashankar E Magazine Publication Support By, Dolores Scholastica