Project Mumbai Conferred with United Nations SDG Action Solidarity Award 2020

MUMBAI:
Project Mumbai, an award-winning model of Public-People- Private Participation known for social transformation through initiatives of scale, especially during its fight against COVID-19 in Mumbai, has been selected by the UN SDG Action Campaign as one of the global recipients for the Solidarity Award, a special call from the annual UN SDG Action Awards 2020.

Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder and Project Mumbai are among the 50 chosen globally for this honour. Among the top fifty recipients in the world, three from India have made it to the global fifty list of winners, Project Mumbai being one of them and only one from this region.

Project Mumbai is a 20-month-old not-for-profit and in the last hundred days, launched three mental health helplines, built a network of volunteers to provide groceries and medicines to vulnerable senior citizens and people with disabilities living alone, contributed over 2 lakh PPE Kits to doctors, over ten thousand PPE kits and two lakh masks to the Mumbai Police and among its various initiatives provided cooked meals to 45 lakh citizens—homeless and migrants across Mumbai besides providing grocery kits to over 20,000 families.

Amid the current global health crisis, people everywhere have come together to help neighbourhoods and communities to adapt to the new norms. Individuals and organisations have gone beyond the call of duty, to support one another.  Project Mumbai’s initiatives have been seen as a “beacon and game changer” in these current crisis times.

Through this initiative, the UN SDG Action Campaign has recognized the most heart- warming and impactful initiatives undertaken and implemented in communities around the world to improve people’s lives, inspired resilience and lifted hopes, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Project Mumbai is founded on the principles of volunteerism. Its support and outreach platform is built on a strong sense of ownership of our city, arising out of every volunteer- citizen’s ability to understand areas that directly affect people’s lives. Each initiative, ranging from mental health helplines and free delivery of essential supplies to grocery and medical support for senior citizens, have been powered by Project Mumbai’s hyperlocal volunteer base. As we at Project Mumbai believe strongly and say-Mumbai Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi karega (I will do anything for Mumbai). This recognition by the United Nations honours the spirit of every individual who has contributed to our fight against COVID 19”, said Shishir Joshi, Founder of Project Mumbai.

Marina Ponti, Global Director, UN SDG Action Campaign, said, “We need hope, we need solidarity, and we need creative and coordinated action on the Goals. In the midst of the global health crisis, we see strong examples of solidarity among people everywhere. Acts of kindness and solidarity are burgeoning, helping neighbourhoods, communities, and people everywhere to adapt to the new norm. We congratulate Project Mumbai for their solidarity and determination to improve others’ lives, inspire resilience and lift hopes in the face of this crisis.”

The selected initiatives have been announced by United Nations on a day dedicated to Solidarity within the High-Level Political Forum, to inspire people across the world to continue taking action for people and for the planet.