Mahak, the society to support children suffering from cancer, and Samsung, the South Korean multinational conglomerate in electronics and appliances, have come together in a philanthropic project to help young cancer patients prepare for school.
Under the project titled “Colored Backpacks”, the two entities will provide a number of services to children undergoing treatment at Mahak.
Colored Backpacks is this year’s edition of Samsung’s Back-to-School Campaign as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), and will continue through to early October, reports a press release by Samsung Gulf Electronics Co. Ltd.
CSR refers to business practices involving initiatives that benefit society. It encompasses a wide variety of tactics such as environmental efforts, philanthropy, ethical labor practices, and volunteering.
As the new school year began on September 21, Mahak was filled with laughter as the children, some of who suffer from terminal illnesses, were given backpacks in a variety of colors filled with stationery to begin the academic year.
The campaign included a peripheral ceremony that included musical skits to uplift the children’s morale before seeing them off to school in high spirits.
CSR is gaining ground as forward-thinking companies imbue sustainability into the core of their business operations to create shared value for business and society.
Sustainability is not just important for people and the planet, but also is vital for business success. Communities are grappling with problems that are global in scope and structurally multifaceted such as pandemics, persistent poverty, and climate change. More practically, CSR often represents the policies, practices and initiatives a company commits to in order to govern themselves with transparency, and have a positive impact on social and environmental wellbeing.
Mahak was founded in 1991 as a non-governmental and non-profit organization. In over two decades, it has attracted increasing public support and fulfilled a great part of its mission to provide support for children with cancer and empowering the families of children who suffer from the disease.
The society is funded entirely by donations and has supported 11,505 children suffering from cancer in the past 17 years.
