Any action undertaken to uplift
economically weaker sections of the society is Corporate Social Responsibility,
according to Mohammed Sayeed Abdul, Co-Founder and Director of Eswift Software,
an India based provider of IT consulting services and custom software
development.
In a free-wheeling interview with
crowdteck.com, Sayeed, who is also a passionate speaker on thought leadership
and activities of social concern, shares his ideas on leaving a well paying job
in the United States, the importance of CSR and “#Project25,” a Relief
Programme initiated for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Tell us something about Eswift Software and its programs?
A. After a highly successful stint at a
company in Florida (USA), I decided to relocate to Hyderabad for entrepreneurship.
We had a clear vision of how our organization was going to operate. We are a product-based
business and have developed several e-learning programs since that is my team’s
expertise. We are also into providing services – we design and develop
Microsoft based products. Basically everything from web applications, to mobile
applications and web portals.
Q. What makes a company socially responsible, in your opinion?
A. Every business should ask this question
to themselves. I believe we are accountable to the society. Only if businesses
recognize the need to give back to society and the joys of actually doing so,
will they realize their act benefits both, the giver and the taker.
Q. What motivates you to undertake CSR activities?
A. I believe that CSR is any action that you
participate in, for a social purpose. My modest upbringing has inculcated
values of contributing to the betterment of the community. While some are busy
making money, which is surely a valuable aspect, it is most important to build
a progressive community which can later be used to expand your business. We
should use that privilege as our core strength to invest time in giving back to
society.
Q. How do you implement your CSR projects? Do you collaborate with NGOs or is it done directly?
A. NGOs are particularly associated with
the community and its citizens on a certain level and therefore cater to issues
that are personal to people in certain ways. We therefore like to partner with
them to support them in the best possible way. It may not always be tangible
aid, but yes, we are utilizing our resources and references for their sake and
safety. We encourage NGOs to use tools diligently to enable them to minimize extra
work through effective database management and awareness-raising by bulk
WhatsApp messages and email marketing in one go, which they have not done
before. We have also developed a system where we identify a household or a society,
that was part of a food campaign, and which was not, so that essentials and
food could be shared evenly with the underprivileged.
Q. Please explain “#Project25” relief program that you have initiated for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
A. This pandemic has affected people from all walks of life. We wanted to help people as much as possible because we knew that they would not be willing to come forward and seek specific assistance. We initiated the “#Project25” relief program, in which we encouraged people to donate funds to 25 households, to help them survive. Also, we established donation guidelines, checked health condition of family or a person, and later exchanged money as an assisting hand. It was incredibly surprising, when we witnessed the community response we got. The monetary contributions we received was above our estimates, and we were able to undertake two big phases of “#Project25” to directly support communities in different phases who have been seriously badly by the pandemic.
By: Nawal Mukadam
Email Id:nawal-m@crowdteck.com
