UOB shares happiness kits with 4,411 underprivileged children in Thane, Maharashtra

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, India, March 2021 – UOB, a leading bank in Asia, has collaborated with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to distribute 4,411 happiness kits to underprivileged children in Thane, Maharashtra during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The happiness kits contained groceries such as ragi flour, peanuts, jaggery, fortified salt, desi chana, oil and glucose biscuits, and were distributed among underprivileged children who have been going without mid-day meals since schools shut down due to the pandemic. The kits also contained educational items such as notebook, pen, and personal hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste, and toothbrush.

Amid the pandemic, the livelihoods of India’s most vulnerable members of the community have been severely impacted, in turn affecting their health, nutrition and well-being. The 2020 Global Nutrition Report[1] found that India is among 88 countries likely to miss global nutrition targets set by the World Health Assembly, a situation worsened by COVID-19. These targets were meant to be met by 2025.

The funds used to purchase the happiness kits were raised during the UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk last year, UOB’s flagship employee volunteerism and fundraising event. UOB colleagues from across the Bank’s global network, including India, stepped up to raise funds for charities[2], clocking a total distance of more than 200,000 kms throughout the month of October. UOB’s global markets which participated in the UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk included Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Vietnam.

Their collective efforts also saw the Bank donate an additional S$75,000 to 17 charities and welfare organisations as part of the Bank’s #UnitedForYou COVID-19 Relief Programme. The global programme had already directed more than S$1.65 million to help frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable members of the community overcome the challenges of COVID-19.

Mr PV. Ananthakrishnan, Country Head, UOB India, said, “Hidden hunger is a rising issue in India and a cause for concern. The issue was made worse during the pandemic as the livelihoods of many underprivileged families were impacted, pushing them further into poverty. This resulted in many children from these families having to go hungry during the day.

“We hope that through our contribution to Akshaya Patra Foundation’s COVID-19 Food Relief Efforts, we will be able to provide these children with a nourishing meal to fill their stomachs as the fight against COVID-19 continues.”

Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “We deeply appreciate donors such as UOB for collaborating with us. Through such strong partnerships, we aim to build a generation that can break free from their current socio-economic status, a generation which is healthier, educated and far better equipped to take on the world. UOB has been involved in social development, particularly in the areas of art and education for children.”

Till date, Akshaya Patra has served 12 crore meals during the pandemic from March 2020.

About UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk: The UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk is the Bank’s flagship volunteerism and fundraising event. The monies raised in 2020 were directed to UOB’s #UnitedForYou COVID-19 Relief Programme. The programme focuses on ways to help alleviate the financial burden or distress many are facing during this difficult period through various initiatives. These include relief assistance schemes to help customers who are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak as well as initiatives to see the Bank’s people and communities through to better times.

About UOB: United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of more than 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings. In Asia, UOB operates through its head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as branches and representative offices across the region.

Over more than eight decades, generations of UOB employees have carried through the entrepreneurial spirit, the focus on
long-term value creation and an unwavering commitment to do what is right for our customers and our colleagues.

We believe in being a responsible financial services provider and we are committed to making a difference in the lives of our stakeholders and in the communities in which we operate. Just as we are dedicated to helping our customers manage their finances wisely and to grow their businesses, UOB is steadfast in our support of social development, particularly in the areas of art, children and education.

About The Akshaya Patra Foundation: The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, India, which strives to address issues like hunger and malnutrition in the country. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Government and Government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra aims to fight hunger and at the same time, bring children to school. Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has worked towards reaching out to children with wholesome food on every single school day. The Foundation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world.

In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments, and the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to becoming the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal programme, serving wholesome food to over 1.8 million children from 19,039 schools across 12 states & 2 union territories in India. For more details, please visit:http://www.akshayapatra.org