ZEE Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL)
Impact evaluation study of CSR engagements
Partner/Client
ZEE Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL)
Sector
CSR Foundation
Location
Pan India
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) is a global entertainment powerhouse reaching 1.3 billion viewers across 173 countries. The Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focuses on areas of women empowerment, disaster relief, rural development, organic food development, and preservation of culture and arts.
- As the Covid-19 pandemic advanced in India, a collaborative response from governments, private sector businesses, and community based organisations was called upon to mitigate the impact of the public health crisis on society.
- ZEEL responded swiftly through its Covid-19 Relief and Recovery program. The program extended help through 5 main interventions- 1) Distribution of ambulances and oxygen humidifiers 2) Daily meal provisions 3) Distribution of PPE kits 4) Construction of an isolation facility 5) Providing support to Covid Warriors.
- 4th Wheel Social Impact conducted an impact assessment across 2021-2022, to evaluate ZEEL’s Covid-19 relief and rehabilitation efforts.
APPROACH
- The impact report focused on a thorough review of all relevant ZEEL documents, extensive secondary research via telephonic interviews with stakeholders from ZEEL, partner organisations and government employees, on the 5 intervention areas.
- This enabled an in-depth understanding of ZEEL’s efforts during Covid-19, which was then evaluated against the OECD/DAC criteria, with Covid-19 as the cross cutting theme.
- The content was finally designed and visualised for effective stakeholder communication.
INSIGHTS AND FINDINGS
- To combat the food insecurity experienced by displaced migrants and vulnerable sections of the community during Covid-19, ZEEL partnered with the Akshaya Patra Foundation (NGO) to distribute meals across various states in the country from 1st May to the 3rd of August 2021. Multiple kiosks at 40-60 locations across cities were set up, and operationally, 800-1000 meals were distributed per kiosk. These meals served as a lifeline to migrants walking thousands of miles home, children at risk of starvation, frontline workers and slum communities at risk of nutritional insecurity.
- To address the strained supply of oxygen cylinders, ICU rooms, hospital beds and essential drugs, ZEEL collaborated with Give India to distribute 90 oxygen humidifiers and over 367 ambulances to hospitals. The distribution of this equipment was a necessary step in easing the burden on healthcare systems, decreasing the probability of fatalities and making better healthcare facilities available to a larger population.
- While measures limiting movement came into effect in the country, essential workers continued to report to work across the health, transportation, and public service sectors. They often worked long hours with insufficient protective equipment, putting their lives at risk. To ensure protection of frontline workers, and alleviate the increasing demand for safety gear, ZEEL distributed PPE kits, face masks and plastic face shields to frontline workers, ensuring the essential continuation of healthcare facilities.
- To counter the urgent need for beds in India, ZEEL constructed an isolation facility in Thane, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for patient treatment and care. This was a vital step to ensure containment of community transmissions of the virus, especially when overcrowding at home made isolation an unfeasible option in the country.
- ZEEL worked closely with the Unnati Foundation to honour police officials, CRPF jawans and BMC workers, who had lost their lives during the pandemic, by financially supporting the families of the deceased for a period of 3 years. This was a crucial contribution in alleviating the financial stress faced by the families.
RECOMMENDATIONS / VALUE ADDITION
- Information and data was organised to streamline organisational impact monitoring and reporting.
- Relevant insights from interventions in the form of successes and learnings, were gleaned to share with the broader ecosystem and internal and external stakeholders.
