[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a world characterised by climate change, social injustice and corporate greed, companies and individuals are becoming aware of their responsibilities to the environment and the impact they have on the community and everything around them both locally and globally. Wikipedia defines social responsibility as an ethical framework and suggests that entity, be it an organisation or an individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Social responsibility is a duty that every individual should perform to maintain a balance of a sustainable economy and the ecosystems. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer just a buzz word. Corporations around the world are moving beyond just talking CSR and into doing something. 
They are transforming themselves from just good companies to great companies by their ability to express and implement their values and mission in everything they do. This enables them to attract great talent and helps them to establish themselves as authentic trailblazers in an upward spiral of value.
Just as CSR determines a company’s reputation as a responsible corporation providing an excellent service or product, a personal social responsibility plan (PSR) can establish an individual’s reputation at the workplace and in the society at large. Embracing PSR means doing our part to help the environment, volunteering our time to those in need, mentoring our youth and marginalised, and being ethical, conscientious and courteous in all we do. To be a socially responsible individual not only means participating but making socially responsible activities a part of our lifestyle.
These could include active participation like in Swach Bharat (Clean India) campaign, recycling, literacy campaigns, entrepreneurship and skill development, volunteering and mentoring.
The following narration of my journey into the PSR space, albeit I was totally unaware of how a small action can positively impact a fellow human being’s life and can lift an entire family out of poverty. It also highlights the immense potential that a little act of support and mentoring the marginalised in our society can have a lasting impact on the society as a whole.
Mr Ashraf Ansari came into our lives about 12 years ago as an 18-year-old boy having travelled hundreds of miles from a remote village in the impoverished state of Jharkhand to Mumbai to work as a helper under a Master-Tailor specialising in ladies’ garments in our locality. Ashraf’s role was to assist his master in stitching, doing odd jobs at the shop, procuring consumables and delivering finished garments to the local households.
In his spare time, he developed a skill for hand embroidering intricate zari and bead patterns on ladies’ clothes thereby enhancing its value for his master. His sincerity, polite mannerism and quick wit would endear to all in our locality, and he was a favourite with our children. After a couple of years of establishing a good rapport and confidence with us, he expressed his desire to start his zari and bead hand embroidering business in Surat (the textile hub of India) and requested for a loan of Rs. 28,000 to buy some jigs and fixtures. He had tried to raise this within his family and relatives and had failed. Although we refused initially, his persistence and enthusiasm in explaining his business plan and the opportunities for himself made us loosen our purse strings, and we relented based on his personal assurance to have this returned after one year. He set off on his journey and established his enterprise in a small rental shack in Surat. It took nearly three years for him to return our money but nevertheless he continued to keep in touch and update us regularly on his success and the challenges he faced, we continued to mentor and support him.
Last August we were invited to his house as a special guest of honour at his Jharkhand village for his marriage. He had especially insisted and timed his marriage around my availability. I was astounded at the respect showered on us by his family, friends and neighbours of his village.
We grasped the real impact of our action when I inquired about the status of his business. He has by now developed a thriving business employing 15 skilled artisans, and he proudly showcased some of the products produced by his men and being retailed in some of the large showrooms around the country.
At Rs. 15000 per employee plus consumables he had a monthly expenditure of close to half a million a month and an annual turnover of about Rs.10 million. He was not only able to improve the standard of his family by building a large concrete house for his large family of 4 brothers and marry off his only sister but also provide employment to 15 persons and support their families indirectly. Impactful indeed what a little handholding to the deserving in our society can do at large.
For an organisation to enhance its global reputation as socially responsible, it is the duty of every individual to exercise his PSR- personal social responsibility. How then does an individual become socially accountable and establish his reputation in the workplace? It’s simple- Do unto others as you wish to be done unto you.
We at Synergy have in place a dynamic CSR team led by the very charismatic Lijo Chacko. A chance meeting with him at the company guest house and sharing a personal story of my PSR journey brought on the motivation to share this journey and the impact it had on the community as a whole[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
