Corporate Responsibility - Community Initiatives

At AstraZeneca, we aim to be responsible members of our local communities through charitable donations, sponsorships and other initiatives that make a positive difference. This means that in many different countries, in many different ways, we are helping to bring benefit to the communities around us. Our community support initiatives are an important feature of our overall approach to Corporate Responsibility, which aims to ensure that AstraZeneca continues to be welcomed as a valued member of society. Here are some of the key initiatives undertaken by AstraZeneca in India in the year 2004.

Initiatives undertaken in 2004
- Purchase dept contributed prize money of US$ 250/- to Sumangali Seva Ashrama organisation
- Medicines donated to various NGO’s for Health Camps ie. Ramakrishna Mission, Karunashraya, CUPA, Art of Living Foundation, Mount Carmel College
- Hemophiliacs Society fundraising
- Contributed to the "Jagruti" awareness program, for the Hemophilia society - Bangalore Chapter. Our humble donation supported, encouraged and helped overcome the challenges which hemophilia places on patients & families
- Supported the Polio camp run by the Rotary, Bangalore Mahalakshmi branch.
- Contributed to the Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha music program
- Computers donated to St. Josephs of Tarbes orphanage
- Sponsored disease awareness programs on World TB Day on TV
- Collection drive of old clothes for Women’s Day for Sumangali Seva Ashrama
- Donated AZ Water dispensers to needy hospitals
- Contributed towards the National Sadguru Gnananda Awards for Women in Social Work - A "Woman Social Work Crusader", who has dedicated her life to provide care, love & shelter to the distressed & disabled

Theatre Workshop- Integration for a cause
The AZ Theatre Workshop was initiated by Mr. Chippy Gangjee, a well-known theatre personality , at “Avishkar”, Bangalore on 23, February 2004. Enthusiastic employees from each of the three AZ organisations - AZ Pharma Manufacturing, ISMO Corporate office and R & D received training to conceptualise, write screen play, act, direct & produce a play. Employees from all three units integrated in these 3 months after office hours and worked hard and long to finally put up an in house production called “ Lakshmi” for the 1st Anniversary Celebrations of our R&D & ISMO building “Avishkar” on Saturday, 5th June 2004.

Production, marketing, logistics etc. was taken care of by employee volunteers to make the entire event a grand success, involving nearly each & every employees’ contribution for back-stage work
( painting of scenery, music, lights, costumes, make-up, etc. etc. ) as well as for the front-stage (acting)! The workshop demanded Time commitment from all concerned & besides handling their regular work, sometimes involved working on Saturdays & Sundays as well !

“Lakshmi” was staged in an auditorium in the city and the proceeds collected from selling the tickets for the play will go towards the development of Katigenahalli School & Village development project planned for the year 2004-2005. Last year the global & local AstraZeneca companies contributed to the ambulance project. Many Employees contributed one day’s salary to this project.

This year, the theatre workshop is an investment made by the management, which will help the employees here after, to initiate more such fund-raising cultural activities to support our ‘adopted’ village developmental work. Few of the things planned for the school & village are donating desks & chairs for the children, building classrooms and toilets for the children, greening & enhancing the sanitation in the school & village area, regular medical checkups, assisting & strengthening women groups by providing training in fields like candle-making, tailoring etc. etc.

CsR initiatives in 2003