As a global business, with offices in nearly 40 countries, NGA Human Resources is very aware of the distance that can sometimes stand between our own lives and those of the many people in the communities we call home.
My own role takes me around the world, but it is in India, where I spend quite a lot of time, that I’ve been particularly struck by the positivity of the many children who have so little.
And so, in Hyderabad, where we have our Technology Delivery Centre and approximately 500 employees, we’ve made a commitment to provide a group of local children with access to learning to help the children enjoy their childhoods and prepare for a positive life and work experience. To channel their positivity into inspiration.
Drop in the ocean
Our efforts are a tiny drop in the ocean, but if we can make a difference to just a few people, that is a good thing. I truly believe that a child has the best ability to become a healthy and productive adult if the entire community takes an active role in their formative years.
It’s for this reason that we’ve formed relationships with a Government Primary school at Gopanpalli village and with ‘Cherish’, an orphanage for children found abandoned in and around the city.
As well as making practical contributions, like the provision of benches with desks, uniforms, groceries, books and pencils (pencils are particularly low cost, high return), we also host fun sporting activities and events.
It is an on-going commitment that we have to the school and orphanage with support from the team year-round.
Skills sharing
For me, as an Elite Player Development coach with the Academy at English Rugby Premiership club Northampton Saints, and as a father, I know the absolute value that children get from learning new skills, teamwork and pushing themselves to try things they’ve not done before.
As colleagues, it’s great for us to be able to share our skills to create such a positive opportunity for this huge group of children. In return, the children share with us their own skills; the last time, how to dance – properly!
Match day
During my recent visit, using balls and tag rugby kit donated by Northampton Saints, and with colleagues from the Hyderabad office, led by Surya Manepalli and Kabir Pandit, we set about teaching the basics of rugby, culminating in a few games where some serious skills were on display.
The children now have the basic skills, equipment and the passion to carry on playing.
We will be back soon for a rematch!
Around the world
It is not only in India where we have projects. In the Philippines, we’re at the foundation stages of the NGA HR Build a Home Project which will help the very poor who have been displaced from their homes due to recent natural disasters.
We have partnered with the National Housing Authority, the Department of Health and ANCOP (ANswering the Cry of the Poor) to build a village in Tala, Caloocan. This is an on-going project that we hope will lead to several NGA HR village communities being built across the Philippines, and other regions struck by disaster.
In addition to the housing program, we have projects that focus on health, education and building livelihoods for the people within this little community.
People matter
Our business is Human Resources. Through our global CSR program, we are helping people who lack the skills, knowledge or families they need to pursue their dreams and to compete for jobs that otherwise would be far beyond their hopes.
However desperate a child’s start in life is, we hope that we can provide access to some learning and encouragement that will go a small way to transforming their lives and situations so they can take a better path than would previously have been possible.
We have many ongoing projects and initiatives in progress around the world, all driven and supported by NGA HR's employees. We will be reporting on more of these on moving forward.
*African proverb
