Mercedes-Benz Partners With Laureus Sport For Good In India

Companies across various industries work to give back to the society they have prospered in. One such initiative has been undertaken by the Indian arm of German carmaker Mercedes-Benz. It has partnered with Laureus Sport for Good in India and intends to use the power of sport to help underprivileged children overcome social challenges. Through this collaboration, the Stuttgart-based car firm will fund two Laureus-supported programmes in India – OSCAR and YUWA.

Working across eight slum communities in Mumbai, OSCAR’s aim is to deliver life-skills training through sports to girls from economically and socially challenged communities. This support from Mercedes-Benz will allow OSCAR to grow its programme from a single hub in south Mumbai to four new slum communities around the city: Mahalaxmi, Dharavi, Bharat Nagar and Thane.

In a press release, Ashok Rathod, founder and director, OSCAR Foundation, said, “We are very excited to work with two great organisations like Mercedes and Laureus Sport for Good. For our work to be recognized by them is a great achievement. Coming from low income families, there are many serious issues that young girls are faced with today such as gender equality, child marriage and the risk of being sent to work at a very young age, at the expense of their education. We know that sport has the power for social change. Working across eight slum communities in Mumbai, this partnership is going to tackle these issues and give 240 underprivileged girls the confidence and life skills needed to complete their education and become active role models for their own community’s development.”

YUWA is an organization that works in Jharkhand and uses the game of football to teach girls key life skills and in turn helps in bringing social change and development in rural India. The organization provides key leadership opportunities which enable the girls to take responsibility for each other and as a group. Apart from funding infrastructural expenses, the partnership with Mercedes-Benz will also help YUWA to continue providing vital educational support through the on-site school.

Roland Folger, managing director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, attended the press conference and revealed that this partnership, for Mercedes-Benz, fell under the ‘beyond business’ social contribution philosophy. He said that the company firmly supports the creation of such opportunities for children and adolescents who have the potential to make the world a better place.

Sean Fitzpatrick, chairman of Laureus World Sports Academy, added, “This is a major boost for the work Laureus does in India and the partnership with Mercedes-Benz India will have a dramatic effect on how many young people we are able to help. We are delighted to support two new promising programmes – OSCAR and YUWA – which will have a deep impact on the girls in these communities and further prove how sport can change lives.”

This initiative attacks some of the social issues that is plaguing our country. Big firms, which have established themselves in the country, should set such an example across the nation by practicing corporate social responsibility in one form or another.