Mr Raj Gummadapu is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Techwave. A visionary leader with over 20 years of experience in the IT & engineering solutions business, Gummadapu has been instrumental in leading Techwave’s expansion and diversifying its strength across multiple growth avenues.
In this interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mr Gummadapu talks about various social initiatives and community support activities undertaken by Techwave in recent past. He also talks about his company’s CSR mission and vision along with the interventions made by the company to achieve its sustainability goals.
Scroll down to read the full interview:
Q: Techwave recently launched a virtual fundraising initiative STEPtember. What is the thought behind this programme? What do you want to achieve out of it?
A: STEPtember, a health & fitness challenge was launched in collaboration with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation to raise awareness and funds. Cerebral palsy is a physical disability caused by damage to the developing brain during pregnancy, birth, or shortly after birth, which affects a person's posture and movement throughout their lives. Techwave's STEPtember challenge is aimed at raising awareness about Cerebral Palsy among employees and drive healthy habits/ lifestyle among our employees. The funds will be used to support the best CPARF researchers in preventing, treating, and curing cerebral palsy.
A total of 10,000 steps were taken every day during the 'STEPtember' challenge by the employees. By participating in this, employees raised more than $2,000 and took more than 10 million steps for the CPARF cause. The opportunity to fundraise for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation is inspiring to us, and we are proud to be able to make a real difference in the lives of families living with cerebral palsy. This initiative will be rolled out all year long, globally, and we hope it will lead society to understand better cerebral palsy and those affected by it so that we can make a lasting difference for people with the condition
Q: What are the other health related CSR activities which you have undertaken over the last few years? What has been the impact that it has created?
A: Collaboration with non-profits has helped Techwave pinpoint critical needs in communities and support smart initiatives to have the greatest impact. We consistently participate in community festivals and charitable events and support local organizations, including food banks, safety partners, and others, as well as providing volunteer opportunities for colleagues. Over the last few years, our global CSR health programs include Seed to Table, Feed the Frontline, Movember, MS165 ride, Heart and Australia Red Cross Life Blood, Local Love in Global Crisis, Whitathon, and many more.
Some of our health-related CSR activities include:
Blue Mile 3.0 – The Water Aid Collaboration: We have collaborated with The Water Aid in the Blue Mile 3.0 water run to improve access to clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene for everyone, everywhere. Throughout the years, we have worked with local partners to bring lasting change to urban and rural communities. As part of the Blue Mile 3.0 virtual run, Techwavians across the globe participated in three categories for 2.5 km, 5 km, and 10 km, contributing to the fight for clean water and sanitation in every household. Through your enthusiastic active participation, we have been recognized as the loyal partner who has supported this cause since its inception.
Whitathon 2022: Techwave collaborated with LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and participated in Whitathon 2022, an event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for children suffering from Retinoblastoma Eye Cancer. Techwavians nominated themselves in the 3, 5, and 10 kms category to mark their positive contribution to the fight against cancer. The funds raised through the run are utilized by the Institute to provide free treatment to children from underprivileged families who have retinoblastoma.
During International Men's Day on November 19th, 2022, Techwave is pleased to be a global partner with Movember to raise awareness about men's physical and mental health.
Q: Please tell us about your overall CSR mission and key focus areas? What are the milestones in your CSR journey so far?
A: Despite the annual budgeting, corporate social responsibility remains low, so it is high time for everyone to focus on the poor condition throughout the country. In order to set a path for future generations, we have established clear and pragmatic corporate social responsibility goals. Our primary focus is on fulfilling our commitment to society and empowering the community's success, in general. We take every necessary step to transform CSR goals into impactful action on the ground, not just to put in place ambitious goals. As we move forward in the coming decade, we aim to make everyone's future clean, sustainable, productive, healthy, equitable, and empowered. Our CSR team collaborates actively with organizations and people who are making the world a better place.
Under our Seed to Table Initiative, Techwavians contributed eight pallets, 1600 bags, 8,000 pounds, 6,667 meals, and 90.17 hours to the local communities (equivalent to 5,410 meals). In the last 3 years, with volunteering efforts during the year, we have donated about 35000 lbs of food produce to the local communities each year.
Q: Who are the key implementation partners for your various CSR programmes?
A: Engaging with our local community is one of our core values. We are constantly striving to improve and actively participate in community and fundraising activities and support local organizations, including food banks and safety partners, as well as giving our employees the opportunity to volunteer. As a global organization, we are privileged to take part in charitable activities around the world. We raise awareness of local organizations in need and match employee contributions with donations. Here are a few of our collaborations:
Houston Food Bank - Food for Change Program: In collaboration with Houston Food Bank, Techwavians volunteered to support and provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods to the neighbors in the Greater Houston area who suffer from chronic health conditions.
America’s Grow-a-Row - Seed to Table: Techwave joined forces with America’s Grow-a-Row, a hunger-relief organization in their Seed to Table Initiative. Under this program, the associates participated in all aspects of the food chain, including sowing seeds, harvesting crops, shipping and distributing food to local families in need. A full range of expenses, including seed, time for managing the crop, packaging, and transportation, was incurred by Techwave.
Collaboration with Desire Society: Techwave worked with Desire Society, which supports the health and well-being of HIV/AIDS-affected children. Techwave has provided groceries and other essential items including stationary supplies, supplementary nutrition kits, and daily utility kits for HIV-positive children. The organization has also encouraged employees to contribute and volunteer their time to those in need in society.
Q: During COVID, the CSR implementation evolved a lot. How have your expectations from your implementation partners have changed over the last 2-3 years?
A: Techwave has worked with several NGOs and partners to assist local communities confronting the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Techwave has worked with NGOs to identify urgent needs in the community and to fund strategic efforts to make the biggest impact. Furthermore, we have rallied the community to support a COVID-19 relief fund and developed partnerships that helped provide thousands of items to the most vulnerable, including food, safety kits, PPE, hygiene items, face masks, clothing, and children's crafts.
The global crisis has hit hard in the last three years, and Techwave has supported many projects dealing with development assistance, medical integration, and reviving livelihoods. We have provided nutritious meals, dried foods, and personal hygiene kits to many people through these nonprofit organizations, distributed meals, helped rehabilitate livelihoods, and provided support.
Q: What kind of interventions have you made to achieve your sustainable goals? How do you plan to make your consumers part of your sustainability journey?
A: As part of our Sustainable Goals, we have interrelated, yet independent objectives carefully considered ensuring a better future for all of us on our planet. As part of our commitment to sustainability, we have created desirable goals, partnered with impactful programs, and tracked, managed, and monitored progress among a wide range of solutions. By implementing our Sustainable Development Goals, we aim to eradicate extreme poverty, good health, and well-being, quality education, water sanitation, clean and affordable energy, innovation, and infrastructure, which reverberate across society, impacting child welfare, education, human rights, and, in severe cases, basic food security and nutrition.
Q: Impact measurement and annual CSR Reporting is a tedious job. What are your suggestions towards making it easier for both corporates and implementation agencies?
A: We have been collaborating with third-party agencies, internal teams to work on development initiatives and CSR projects as part of our corporate social responsibility endeavors. There is always a need to know the real and intangible benefits that the projects have brought to beneficiaries. By doing this, we can get a better understanding of the overall outcome of the project, as well as the perception of the beneficiaries.
The impact of a project varies according to an organization's perception. For some organizations, impact is actually making a difference - socially and environmentally, and for others it's something else altogether. The purpose of measuring the CSR activities is to communicate the value of your activities to customers and stakeholders, enhance CSR decision-making, develop staff skills by aligning your activities with corporate goals, and determine the value of your company's CSR activities by measuring its impact. In order to create and assess the activities, we must first define our purpose, identify our objectives, and determine what we are striving for, one, five, and ten years down the road. Putting Your Strategy into Action - Consider partnering with local food banks or any other organizations that would benefit from your CSR program. Engage associates in CSR events & keep them updated on the progress. Measure the success of the program; establish benchmarks for employee engagement, customer loyalty, and community impact.
