Ola Foundation enables over one crore meals to driver-partners’ families
The ‘Drive The Driver’ fund was launched with an aim to provide short-term and long-term assistance to the driver community as they continue to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.
The social welfare arm of Ola - Ola Foundation, on Friday said that it's ‘Drive The Driver’ fund initiative for assisting driver-partners and their families during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has impacted 55,918 families, enabling 9.3M meals and aiding 843 medical emergencies across 25 cities.
Launched in March, the fund assisted the driver community through contributions from the Ola Group, its employees, Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO, investors, as well as crowdfunding from citizens and other institutions.
Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Ola Group
The ‘Drive The Driver’ fund was launched with an aim to provide short-term and long-term assistance to the driver community as they continue to recover from the economic impact of the crisis.
On the impact of ‘Drive The Driver’ fund, Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson, Ola shared,
“The onset of COVID-19 brought about an unprecedented crisis for many including the thousands of drivers who form the backbone of our country’s mobility ecosystem. It has been our honour to serve them in their time of need. Since the launch of the fund, we have witnessed unbelievable support from within our ecosystem and from citizens and consumers".
Anand added, "We also want to express our gratitude to the local authorities, various state governments, and the Central government for guiding us and enabling our efforts throughout. We will continue to serve and support driver communities through the ‘Drive The Driver’ fund as we help them and their families through their various challenges in these trying times.”
With these funds, the Ola Foundation has set up 200 locations to distribute care packages with essentials comprising food staples, including rice, flour and lentils - sufficient to feed a family of four for two weeks. Prioritising the safety of every person involved in this undertaking, the Ola Foundation put in place strict sanitisation guidelines to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
The fund also provided an economic lifeline for the drivers and their families by catering to medical emergencies faced by them during the lockdown. The Ola Foundation financially aided 843 families in over 119 cities. Apart from covering hospital bills, the fund also facilitated emergency medical support for chronic and acute illnesses, pregnancies, diabetes, heart conditions alongside medications and other treatments.
Edited by Javed Gaihlot
