On 9^th August, 2017, MOHAN Foundation conducted the awareness talks for sensitizing SBI’s employees at its LHO at Bandra Kurla Complex. The session was relayed live through video conference, to their zonal offices at Aurangabad, Pune, Worli and Goa for sensitizing their employees as well.

This session was part of the Gift Hope, Gift Life project supported by SBI Foundation. Awareness Standees, banners and posters were all displayed at every floor of all these offices, at strategic locations.

The event was launched with the lighting of Lamp by State Bank’s dignitaries – Shri Deepankar Bose Chief General Manager (CGM), Shri V Ramling, CGM, Shri Devendra Kumar, General Manager, Shri Rajesh Kumar Mishra, General Manager, and Shri Deep Kumar Kapoor, General Manager and by Mrs.Jaya Jairam. The Chief General Manager (CGM), Shri Deepankar Bose introduced the topic of Organ Donation to all his colleagues by mentioning that he had already taken the Pledge during one such awareness session during his previous assignment with the Bank and that it was a noble cause whereby each and every one could end up saving many lives.

Mrs. Jaya Jairam thanked the dignitaries present for taking their valuable time out for attending the sensitization session. She also thanked the Chairman and the MD at SBI Foundation for their support to the cause of organ donation. She then began her presentation by giving an introduction about MOHAN Foundation. She went on to explain the following –

• meaning of organ donation,
• definition of death,
• types of organ donors,
• which organs and tissues could be donated and under what circumstances
• why organ donation is the need of the hour
• some common barriers and myths in organ donation

She then shared her own emotional journey of being a transplant recipient and how it saved her life. Some questions were asked about the waiting list and process of registration on it, who needs to be contacted for donating tissues such as eyes and skin if someone passes away at home, etc. All of these were satisfactorily answered.

She finally appealed to all to support the cause by taking the Pledge to donate their organs. Mrs.Alka Maheshwari, the Chief Manager was the first person to volunteer to take the Pledge. All the senior dignitaries present took the pledge, thereby inspiring their colleagues and providing boost to the cause. Many employees signed up for the Donor Card in great numbers, which was very encouraging for the cause.

MOHAN Foundation specially wishes to thank the CGMs, GMs and DGMs of the LHO for attending the session and wholeheartedly supporting the cause. We are grateful to Mr.Mahendra Kumar Rekhi, Managing Director of SBI Foundation, Mr.Aman Bhaiya, Asst. Vice president at SBI Foundation and Mr. Mukesh Srivastava, CFO at SBI Foundation for their support. Our sincere thanks to Mrs.Alka Maheshwari, the Chief Manager (HR) and her team for their help in organising the event.