S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée & The Desai Foundation partner to create Heroes for Humanity, a COVID Response Recovery Initiative with both short and long term impact in India

S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée is proud to announce a new partnership with the Desai Foundation to expand the organization's work to address the COVID-19 crisis in India and specifically its rural areas.

An investment from S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée's COVID Relief Fund to the Desai Foundation Trust will cover the costs of 500 new members for the Foundation, bolstering the Foundation's work with rural communities across six states in India. The partnership will pay a double dividend, simultaneously supporting both the Foundation's fight against COVID-19 in rural communities and supporting the livelihoods and economic prospects of 500 families, with a particular focus on women and girls. 

The Heroes for Humanity partnership will:

• Provide 500 Jobs for 6 months 

• Pay fair and equitable salaries 

• Equip workers with a high standard of PPE & mobile phones 

• Create income for 500 families 

• Help the Desai Foundation reach thousands of rural communities villages

The programme reflects S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée's deep commitment to its roots as an institution linking East and West, its focus on gender equality by empowering women and girls, and on financial inclusion. 

S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée CEO Karam Hinduja said: 

"This contribution is part of the S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée COVID Relief Fund providing hands-on, practical last-mile solutions to fight the devastation taking place. Now, more than ever, it is critical we shed light and champion the heart and soul of India - its overlooked, rural communities - with dignity and integrity." 

"While many are focused on delivering capital and supplies to India, we feel it is most critical to mobilize an army of samaritans to ensure people, especially in rural communities, are taken by the hand of caring human beings to find the resources, information and care they need. We believe humanity, not just equipment, is needed to combat this devastating crisis. Megha Desai and her team possess the skill and compassion to make this happen". 

Over the last two months, The Desai Foundation has focused on work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Its work focused on rural and semi-rural communities in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.  It has sourced and provided vital supplies and equipment to COVID Care Centers & Hospitals. It set up a COVID Support Hotline which supports people in rural areas in their local language to help with questions on COVID vaccines, how to get help and aid, and how to navigate the loss of a loved one. The Foundation also procured 500,000 COVID Rapid Tests from the United States, which are currently in use across India. 

Megha Desai, President, Desai Foundation, said: 

"We are grateful for the opportunity to work with S.P. Hinduja Banque Privée to develop this innovative solution to bring more support in this time of crisis in India. These Heroes for Humanity will allow us to impact the lives of thousands more people with food, supplies, COVID testing, access to medical interventions, and so much more in the most rural communities - which are radically underserved and overlooked. We love that the program also economically empowers 500 families in this turbulent time. This aligns perfectly with our philosophy of bringing both urgent solutions in a time of crisis, while building long term sustainable programming to support communities. We believe that when innovations are designed to address both the short and long term needs of the community - it lends itself to more sustainable and reliable programming for the people we serve."

This partnership transforms Desai Foundation's ability to make an impact, and  its ability to provide jobs since so many people are out of work and seeking an income. This investment allows the Desai Foundation to expand its connections to thousands of women who have already been trained and invested in, nurturing long-term, deep relationships in the community.

The Desai Foundation has been on the ground in India for over 20 years providing programming to help elevate the health and livelihood opportunities in rural India. It has an incredible track record of building programs that have a direct impact on the villages it serves through over 20 programs spanning vocational training, entrepreneurship training, health camps, hygiene programming, awareness sessions, various medical screenings, children's creative learning programs and the flagship Asani Sanitary Napkin Program to combat period poverty. 

ABOUT S.P. HINDUJA BANQUE PRIVéE:

S.P. Hinduja is an innovative Swiss bank with roots in India, offering wealth management and investment advisory services to entrepreneurial clients. We partner with clients to create exponential economic and social impact, as our family has aspired to do for over 100 years.

Founded in Geneva in 1994 by Srichand Parmanand Hinduja with a vision to provide clients with a bridge between East and West, our institution remains the only Indian-owned Swiss bank in history. With an active presence in Switzerland, India, UAE, and the UK, we offer clients the reliability of Swiss regulatory oversight, while providing specialized access to high-growth markets.

We are a private bank with an entrepreneurial spirit, embracing collective action and building creative solutions that advance the world, economically and socially. Learn more here.

ABOUT DESAI FOUNDATION

The Desai Foundation is an international nonprofit improving the lives of women and girls in India and the U.S. through community programming to elevate health and livelihood. Taking a local, community-based approach, the organization has developed over 20 programs that all focus on cultivating dignity so that the people we serve can dream beyond their circumstances. Our programs are sustainable, and are designed by the communities they serve in 7 States in India(Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mahasratra and Tamil Nadu).  In the over 1,100 rural communities they serve, they develop programs like several health camps, vocational training programs, entrepreneurial programs, creative learning programs, hygiene programs and our flagship, Asani Sanitary Napkin Program, which combats menstrual equity. The organization has been operating on the ground for over 20 years and has both full subsidiaries in India (The Desai Foundation Trust) & in the United States (The Desai Foundation.)

Like many organizations, Desai Foundation has pivoted over the last two years to focus on combating the drastic effects of COVID-19 both in the United States and India. The Desai Foundation has impacted the lives of over 2 million people.