Western Union, the money transfer giant, has affirmed its commitment to promote charitable programmes in India as a part of its policy to ‘give back to the community.’
The Western Union Foundation, its charitable arm, has reportedly provided about $2.30 million (about 120 million Indian Rupees) since its inception in 2001.
Kiran Shetty, the Company’s Managing Director for India, said that the Foundation has worked with more than 80 not-for-profit organisations in India to help individuals and families receive high quality education and improve their financial opportunities.
“The Foundation has supported international aid organisations to provide relief in India at times of natural disasters,” he said.
Mr Shetty was in Auckland last fortnight with a few India based Western Union agents to meet their New Zealand counterparts and community leaders.
“We have a large population of Indians in New Zealand with family back home in India, and we want them to know that our commitment to the country goes beyond the convenient and reliable money transfer service we provide,” Mr Shetty said (Indian Newslink, July 1, 2014).
NGO Programmes
He said that the Western Union Foundation provides direct grants to NGO programmes that connect families with economic opportunity. The Foundation supports education (job training, life skills, language acquisition), financial literacy and small business skills development programmes, he said.
“We also have a strong focus on communities in need and support rebuilding efforts that spur the economy for a sustainable, long-term recovery,” Mr. Shetty and cited ‘Pratham’ (Vocational Education Programmes), ‘Save the Children India’ (vocational training for young women in the slum communities) and ‘Going to School India’ (assisting about 35,800 young persons to learn entrepreneurial skills) as examples.
