Know more about the experience of our PULSE Volunteers 2015
This year we had 11 PULSE volunteers from GSK Pharma who volunteered full-time for 3-6 months with a not-for-profit organisation in India or abroad. Read more to know about their experiences and how they changed lives.
Avadhesh Sharma, our Sales executive, Biologicals, changed the way primary and preventive health services are accessed by children in Munsieville, South Africa.
Avadesh worked with Project Hope in South Africa on a soon to be launched health programme of ‘Early Years Development Centre’. He networked closely with government clinics for roll out of the programme and developed monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the acceptance and efficacy of the health solution.
Despite being in a highly unsafe environment with limited transportation facilities, Avadhesh has experienced immense personal growth. He has learnt that one can approach any problem with multiple solutions and he plans to apply this ideation and innovation process in his work at GSK.
Avinash Mohanty, our Product Group Manager from Mumbai changed the way communities in Nigeria access the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia in children.
Avinash worked with Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in South Africa to conduct situational analysis across four priority states in Nigeria for identifying gaps in diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia. He accordingly planned interventions to address issues of poor diagnosis, referrals and commodity availability that hamper effective treatment of severe pneumonia.
Avinash has steered through logistical and project related challenges to learn about the importance of stakeholder mapping. He plans to apply this in his work at GSK in order to touch all important aspects of a therapy area and for impacting a larger set of patients.
Sanjeev Nayyar, Senior RBM from Delhi, changed the way Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA) in Mumbai brands its programmes.
Sanjeev worked on standardizing brand related communication and look and feel of KSWA centres for training youth. KSWA has a multi-state presence and an ambitious target of training a million youth a year. He also worked on finalising the digital strategy for the NGO. While dealing with resource constrained ways of working of the development sector, Sanjeev learnt that leadership, creativity, courage and teamwork are essential components of change management and he will strengthen its application in his work at GSK as well.
Kuldeep Upadhyay, our ABM from Coimbatore changed the way women in rural Rajasthan access information regarding adolescent, sexual, maternal and child healthcare.
Kuldeep worked with Action Research & Training for Health (ARTH) in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He created a communications campaign to increase awareness and enhance use of two helplines operated by the organisation to provide information regarding referral for emergency obstetric and newborn care and for sexual and reproductive health for adolescent and adult women. Kuldeep addressed challenges of working in a completely new context and developing strategies that are best suited to local language and culture. He brings back with him this agility to GSK.
Syed Hafiz, our ABM Biologicals from Chennai, changed the way rural communities in Uganda, access and afford critical medicines to prevent diarrhea, which kills thousands of children each year.
Syed worked with Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Africa. He worked on pricing strategies to increase sales for ORS and Zinc, which are critical for treating diarrhea. He also worked towards enhancing capacities of supervisors and retailers to improve access to the medicines. Syed has overcome cultural and language barriers and has learnt how to deliver projects amidst resource constraint. End-to-end management of the project is a learning he will apply to his work at GSK.
Sharanya Rajesh, our Sr. Scientific Writer from Bangalore, changed the way Amref Health Africa raises funds and streamlines processes for the organisation’s healthcare services in Tanzania.
Sharanya provided support for fundraising, communicating and marketing for projects under maternal and child health, water sanitation and hygiene, sexual reproductive health, malaria and tuberculosis. She also facilitated capacity building sessions for staff of the country office. Sharanya has overcome challenges of clear direction through her resilience and is keen to implement her learnings on idea development and sharing at GSK.
Neeraj Garg, our MBA Enteroplus from Delhi changed the way Institute for Indian Mother and Child (IIMC) delivers its programmes to women through peace councils and vocational training; to children through malnutrition centre and education and the rural poor through outdoor clinics.
Neeraj has overcome language barriers and worked relentlessly on process improvements for several programmes of IIMC. He also initiated an innovative ‘Theatre Group’ for kids as a mode for engaging with them and developing their self-confidence. Neeraj is eager to draw on his PULSE experience to keep himself and his colleagues at GSK motivated each day by connecting to a larger purpose of serving mankind.
Ravi Mishra, our MBA Enteroplus from Jaipur, changed the way adolescent girls in Uganda approach preventive health, empowerment and peer support.
Ravi worked with The Earth Institute and managed the ‘Eminyeeto’ (means ‘Youth’ in Uganda’s local language) programme for the girls. The programme is a community-based initiative that builds youth capacity and strengthens social, financial and emotional empowerment of girls and young women. Ravi has overcome cultural barriers to experience leadership through empathy, which he will apply at his work in GSK as well.
Pankaj Mehrotra, our GPM REACH from Mumbai, changed the way Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA) trains its staff to better equip them to engage with underprivileged youth.
Pankaj worked on creating a training module for 800 field staff of KSWA. He developed a training manual and a system for centralised monitoring of field activity. In order to make training delivery cost effective and uniform, Pankaj has also developed specifications for a virtual application of the training modules. Pankaj has gained immensely from the challenges of working in an unstructured environment. He has learnt how social media can be effectively used to engage with stakeholders and is keen to apply his learning at GSK in his work of dealing with doctors.
Sanjeev Jolly, our Sr. RBM from Delhi, changed the way Ashirwad Special School carries out its day-to-day activities and approaches fund raising.
Sanjeev worked on capacity building of staff, fund raising and reorienting the way Ashirwaad special school conducts its business to make it more systematic and professional. Sanjeev also developed a vocational training project for the special children to make them more independent and self-dependent. Sanjeev grappled with challenges of unorganised ways of working with the social sector and recommitted to the values of perseverance and continued commitment, which he will focus on in his work at GSK as well.
Vaibhav Bishnoi, our MBA, changed the way Leonard Cheshire Disability communicates its values, focus and work.
Vaibhav worked with people with disabilities to create a communication plan for Leonard Cheshire, which works extensively with the differently abled. The commitment and hard work put in by differently abled moved Vaibhav and he learnt how one can get past any limitation if they so wish. He looks forward to working with the HR department in GSK to explore opportunities to employ differently abled and ensure that our infrastructure is convenient for them.
Cheers to our PULSE volunteers for their commitment and contribution to changing society, changing self and changing GSK!