The Hindu Business Line : CSR counter

This is a skills enhancement programme directed at a hitherto neglected segment of our workforce — domestic help. The Domestic Help Value Addition Programme launched by ITC-Welcomgroup’s WelcomEnviron Initiatives will impart housekeeping and culinary skills to enhance the skill-sets and productivity of domestic workers and thereby help them earn more. The company works with NGOs to organise training sessions for small groups of domestic workers, says Niranjan Khatri, General Manager, WelcomEnviron Initiatives.

Every organisation has opportunities to deploy its professional expertise for social good, he explains. Thus ITC-Welcomgroup, the hotels division of ITC, has also launched the WelcomEmpower Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice to equip women from underprivileged backgrounds with culinary and housekeeping skills. Each year, 400 women will undergo a month-long training course, which will also sensitise them to various security and safety processes, Khatri says. These skills will enable the women to access a range of employment options including self-employment and jobs in the service industry. Launched in New Delhi, the programme will eventually be rolled out across the country.

WelcomEnviron is also working to make ITC-Welcomgroup a sustainable hotel company through efficient water and energy use and waste management.The company is working with its 3,000-plus suppliers on ‘greening the supply chain’. Many of the suppliers are small and medium businesses that do not have resources to implement the eco-design principles on their own. The company encourages them to use the services of its personnel — engineers, food hygiene experts and so on, says Khatri. The WelcomEnviron Eco-rating for Schools is a self-help toolkit to help schools assess their eco-friendliness. The eco-rating questionnaire has gone to schools across the country and is also available on the companyWeb site’s WelcomEnviron page.

Besides tips for water and energy conservation in homes, the site also weaves in fun; there’s a downloadable water and energy board game, which is a good way to get children interested in sustainable development, says Khatri.

The company encourages people to use the resources available on its Web site, modify them if needed and pass them on. In fact, a document on the site states: “Please forward without our permission.”

Sankar Radhakrishnan

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