Marathon pledge

It was the second highest individual pledge by a corporate employee. Nariman Bacha, senior manager, administration at Godrej, raised an amount of Rs 3,51,062 for the cause of ALERT (Association for Leprosy Education, Rehabilitation and Treatment)-India, at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2009 (SCMM-09) in January. "As a team leader I took the initiative to raise funds to support Godrej’s common cause (ALERT-India) for which I appealed to all employees of the Godrej Group, relatives, friends and contacts to join hands to support and contribute in a small way to make a big difference and bring smiles to those who have hope, faith and trust in us. As is the tradition at Godrej, overwhelming support was received for the pledge raising,” Bacha notes.

In addition Godrej as a company donated two lakh rupees to ALERT, a cause it has been supporting since 2007. "Thirty enthusiastic Godrejites participated in this spirited and vibrant event,” states Bacha. At the Corporate Challenge, 24 employees successfully ran the half marathon (21 km), six ran the Corporate Sporting Relay (42 km, seven km each, standing fourth among 10 corporate teams), he explains. Bacha coordinated the event on behalf of Godrej, assisted by a group of volunteers. The contribution raised was handed over to the United Way of Mumbai, the official charity partners of the SCMM-09, for disbursement to ALERT-India.

On May 14, Bacha received an award at the hands of the governor of Maha­rashtra S. C. Jamir at the Hotel Trident in the category of "highest individual pledge raiser (men)” for SCMM-09. On February 28 Bacha had received from Jamir an award on behalf of the Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited at the annual awards function organized by ALERT at the Birla Matushri Sabhagar.

"Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege and you will top the pledge raisers,” asserts Bacha, adding that it was his "spiritual growth during a childhood of poverty, the networking and the support from his seniors” that motivated him to go in for pledge raising despite limited time and resources. Bacha also believes in helping others through his practice of Reiki (Rei — meaning universe, Ki — life force energy, a method of healing where hands are used as instruments of healing). "I find my problems getting resolved due to Reiki which heals mind, body, soul and spirit. Stress has become a part of our lives. But it is not necessarily unhealthy. It is our response to stress and our ability to cope with it that can transform stress into positive or negative energy,” he says. In 2001 Bacha completed a session called the "First Degree Seminar” with traditional Reiki master Dr Vijay Mavinkurve, following it up with "Second Degree Reiki” which he says is "four times more powerful than First Degree…Now with this free flow of Reiki in my soul and spirit I can manage my own minor ailments and also those of others who come to me to seek relief.” Those interested in Reiki can contact him on nari042003 @yahoo.co.in

Hilla P. Guzder