Since 2006, volunteers from LeasePlan India have supported a wide range of initiatives managed by local NGOs dedicated to sustainable community development and empowerment.
For the past two years, much of LeasePlan India’s community focus has been on two schools located near its office in Gurugram. Despite being located in the heart of the city, the two schools lacked basic infrastructure, such as drinking water, clean toilets, tables and chairs, which resulted in fewer admissions and higher dropout rates.
Since the start of the programme, LeasePlan volunteers have worked alongside local schoolchildren to help them improve their school infrastructure and protect the surrounding natural environment. Typical activities included planting trees and vegetable gardens, helping to build and repair school facilities, and raising funds through bake sales and donations.
Since the start of the programme, employees have built toilets, repainted the school buildings, and contributed to providing water coolers to the schools, thereby giving access to clean drinking water to over 200 schoolchildren. They have also made the schools part of their tree plantation drives, which have resulted in more than 1,500 trees being planted.
"Community engagement is very important to everyone here at LeasePlan India", explains Sahil Chopra, Manager. "Every visit to one of the schools has been a humbling experience for us. It makes us appreciate our own good fortune, and motivates us to do more for the community. All our people are given one paid day each year to support any external charity of their choosing, and this makes us very proud to work for LeasePlan."
School children and volunteers from LeasePlan India join forces to improve a school’s infrastructure and the surrounding environment.