Philanthropic communities join hands to help migrants

India’s leading philanthropists have come together to introduce the Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC) committed to ensuring safety, security, and mobility for vulnerable migrant families across India.

Launched by Ashif Shaikh, co-founder, Jan Sahas, a leading NGO who that been working with migrant communities over the last decade to ensure their social protection and safe migration, the MRC has an ambitious goal to reach out to over 10 million-plus migrant workers and their families in 100 districts and cities pan India over the next 5 years.

Committed to delivering social security entitlement, providing access to responsible recruitment and strengthening tracking, worker protections, welfare and redressal, the steering committee comprising of some of India’s leading philanthropists and leaders with deep experience across sectors like Ashif Shaikh, co-founder, Jan Sahas, Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation, Anu Aga, former chairperson, Thermax Limited, Rati Forbes, director, Forbes Marshall Group, Arun Maira, former member, Planning Commission of India, Kumar Gera, Chairman, Gera Developments Pvt. Ltd, Lalita Vadia, a former migrant worker will lead and guide MRC’s strategy.

Jan Sahas, along with strategic partners- Global Development Incubator and EdelGive Foundation, is working with a wide range of partners and advisors to strengthen strategies for MRC to implement.

‘While the civil society, philanthropies, private and government sector coalesced to provide immediate relief to migrant community, there is a crying need to transition from relief to focusing on core needs of migrant workers to build medium to long-term resilience as the country prepares for the long road to economic recovery and the possibility of multiple waves of COVID. MRC is an endeavor to address these needs,” said Shaikh.

“Through the MRC, we hope to enable access to entitlements and responsible recruitment for our migrant workers, alongside strengthening initiatives towards their welfare and protection,” Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation.