Sustainability

At Deki we believe that it is imperative that our corporate practices promote sustainability in every sense of the word. Our dedication toward that goal is shaped by our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. Using our CSR policy as the guiding principle, we strive to continuously improve our effort to be a responsible steward of the environment while conducting our commercial mission with transparent corporate governance, fair and ethical labour practices, and a conscientious corporate citizen within the community.

Deki believes that sustainability should be the basis of all its corporate activity and is fully committed to:

• Upholding the values of honesty, partnership, trust, and fairness in our relationships with all stakeholders;
• complying with regulations relating to the environment, health, and safety by constantly upgrading its technology and apply best processes and practices to achieve EHS goals;
• Continually demonstrate performance in preventing pollution, ensuring the optimum use of resources, minimizing harmful impacts of products and production processes, minimizing OHS risks and maintaining a clean & healthy working environment for employees & the community;
• Operating as an equal opportunity employer and comply with Electronic Industry Code of Conduct (EICC) and labour standards;
• Encouraging and supporting our suppliers to adopt responsible business policies and business ethics.
• Implementing sustainable community development programmes for underprivileged groups through public/private partnerships in and around its area of operations; and
• Encouraging our employees to serve communities by volunteering and by sharing their skills and expertise.

Our CSR activities are funded through both the Shashi Kiran Charitable Trust – a trust created in loving memory of Deki’s co-founder Mrs. Shashi Kumar - and the Company.

Update on Deki’s Ongoing CSR Activities

External/Community-based Involvement

Project on Menstrual Hygiene and Management

We have partnered with The MoonCatcher Project, USA – a philanthropic organization based in Albany, New York. The centerpiece of MoonCatcher’s activity is a reusable washable menstrual kit. These kits are provided free of charge so girls may stay in school while menstruating giving them a greater chance of completing their education.

Our productive discussions with Mooncatcher early in 2018 led to a formative visit to Delhi by the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Ellie von Wellsheim in October 2018. A production unit was set up n Noida employing five local women. All materials and sewing equipment are sourced locally. With rising productivity, the staff has already exceeded the production targets that we set.

MoonCatcher’s project includes an educational element that provides instruction on not only the biological basis of menstruation but also how to manage it – a critical gap in the typical curriculum in developing countries. In addition, MoonCatcher’s operational model is to also provide employment to local women for the production of the reusable pads. It is also critical to note the use of these reusable pads works toward reducing landfill waste that would otherwise result from the use of disposable pads.

Starting in December 2018 we began working on developing new alliances and partnerships to expand the distribution network for the MoonCatcher pads our center produces. This effort also includes creating awareness, breaking taboos and educating boys through our educational workshops on Menstrual Hygiene and Management. Since we began this outreach, we have distributed over 9000 kits to schoolgirls in Noida, Delhi, Nasik, Dehradun, Rajasar, Patiala, Rishikesh and Imphal. Our MoonCatcher kits have also reached Nepal.

Recently, we met Mrs Preneet Kaur, MP of Patiala who liked our project and invited us to Patiala to conduct our informational/educational sessions and to introduce and distribute the MoonCatcher reusable kits. She formally launched the project on October 31st, 2019. As of now, we have distributed 300 kits in the Patiala-area communities we visited.

A visit to the Parmarth Ashram in Rishikesh led to us launching a menstrual hygiene management (MHM) pilot project with the Ashram under their initiative via the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA). We provided pertinent MHM training to their staff along with an initial distribution of 500 MoonCatcher kits. GIWA is developing a MHM-oriented lab on the premises that is focused on spreading awareness and social consciousness. Shashi Kiran has been invited to return to the Ashram in 2020 to further this relationship and promote MHM-related activities by providing more MoonCatcher kits.

As of the writing of this report, we have received a request from the Chairman of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao task force to send 5000 more kits for Manipur for Tamenglong district.

Internal/Company-oriented Involvement

Deki Employee Initiative

• Clothing is one of the three basic needs (out of food, shelter and clothing). It not only symbolizes a person’s dignity but also offers a protection against the elements. Hence, twice in a year team Deki collects reusable cloths, school uniforms and other items for Goonj.
• This time again, Team Deki undertook a collection drive for the "Odha Do Zindagi" initiative of Goonj. During November 2019, we collected around 269 kg of clothes, shoes, uniforms, slippers etc. All this material was sorted, packed and delivered at the Goonj office, Sarita Vihar, Delhi on 27th November 2019.

CSR contact:
Ruchika Jaggi, Director CSR
MBA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
Executive Certificate in Global CSR, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Glendale AZ, USA
ruchika@dekielectronics.com

Rajesh Maurya
rajesh@dekielectronics.com
Mobile: +919311556637