Long before CSR became mandatory for corporate firms in India, the Max Group launched Max India Foundation (MIF) as their Corporate Social Responsibility arm, on 15 January 2008, with a vision of making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. The Foundation actualises the group value of sevabhav while bringing hope for people at the bottom of the pyramid.
MIF works on health and allied health sustaining interventions while leveraging Max Group’s strength of being industry leaders in the “businesses of life”. For MIF, health is not a privilege but a “basic necessity” and needs to be available to all irrespective of their paying capacity. With this philosophy, the foundation has touched 30 lakh lives directly level across 772 locations in partnership with 445 partners.
As CEO of Max India Foundation, Mohini Daljeet Singh has been working for the underprivileged on the health platform benefitting 26 Lakh beneficiaries at 704 locations and partnering with 410 NGOs.
Most of the health needs cannot wait; yet healthcare eludes the underprivileged. MIF in its small ways has been trying to address this problem through several interventions. 1.56 lakh vaccine shots have been administered to children (0-12 years) in 1254 immunization camps for protection against DPT, MMR, Typhoid and Hepatitis B. Sharing the impact, Dr. Samanta, Founder, KISS Orissa says, “MIF’s Immunization program has enabled 20,000 underprivileged tribal children with vital access to immunization, free-of-cost. The project protects children from life threatening diseases as well as provides necessary supplements and deworming medicine.”
High-end surgeries are often out of question for the individuals from economically weak families. MIF has brought succour in the lives of over 7,600 individuals by supporting their surgeries. For Hina Siddiqui who bravely battled two bouts of breast cancer over the last eight years, MIF stood by her in difficult times.
The foundation also lays strong emphasis on health awareness to instill healthy behavioural practices among the individuals and communities. Accordingly, focussed health awareness campaigns are held on the issues of anti-tobacco, vector borne disease, menstrual health, cancer awareness and others. Over 18.41 lakh individuals have been reached through infotainment approaches including puppet shows. Shine Foundation, one of MIF’s partners adds, “MIF conducted various sessions on nutrition, breastfeeding, menstrual hygiene, etc. which empower the women to make informed decisions.”
MIF has been helping undernourished children get healthy breakfast/meals. Ms. Anamika Verma from Rittana Childrens Foundation says, “The support received from MIF has enabled us to provide fresh hot wholesome nutritional meals to the children. This not only serves the primary aim in improving the health of the children but is a great incentive to attend school daily.”
With the objective of developing model villages, MIF has adopted three villages—Rail Majra in Nawashar (Punjab) and Dhakrani and Chandrothi in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). The villages have been provided with need-based facilities with focus on health, waste management and sanitation to improve the overall wellbeing of the villagers. Villages have been provided healthcare facilities at their doorstep with provision of multi-speciality health camps at regular intervals to cater to complex cases. The multi-specialty health camps are supported by specialists from Max Hospitals.
The villagers are also sensitized about environment conservation and undertaking tree plantation. In particular, MIF has developed a small park in Dhakrani village for the residents. Similarly, MIF installed 310 high quality solar lights on the road stretch of over 8 kms for Chandrothi village.
Very recently in November 2017, MIF has set up a life skills training centre at Dhakrani to build capacity of rural youth in a 6-months program.
So far, MIF in its 10-years of momentous journey has been able to render healthcare to over 30 lakh underprivileged people with dignity and care. Many lives have been saved which in turn brought smiles to their families and helped bail them out from the vicious cycle of debt and poverty.
The mission helmed by Max India Foundation is being undertaken with passionate belief and commitment that honest work on the ground can make profound differences to the lives of the underprivileged. At Max India Foundation, Seva is not restricted to numbers; it is a calling.