One year on, these Brands for Good award winners have not slowed their efforts to make a positive impact on society
Being a Brands for Good winner doesn’t end with accepting the award at the ceremony. Rather, it marks a milestone in a company’s efforts to do good. Some of the honourees from last year’s awards have continued on their journey of making a positive impact.
Genashtim Innovative Learning was honoured with two awards in the Community category at the inaugural Brands for Good Awards in 2018. The majority of the e-learning provider’s staff are people with disabilities or those who have been unable to attain gainful employment.
Over the past 11 years, the company has provided employment for more than 100 persons with disabilities. It also currently employs 30 refugees, as well as five seniors aged 60 and above.
“They make up 90 percent of our workforce, working from the comfort, safety and convenience of their homes, and serving our customers in about 10 countries, many of whom are multinational companies and government institutions. In Singapore, we are doing work for four government ministries purely on commercially competitive terms,” said Thomas Ng, founder of Genashtim. The company’s business in Singapore has grown three-fold in the past year, he added.
Genashtim started by hiring persons with disabilities before also providing employment to refugees. These have included refugees from Bogor, Indonesia who had been told by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that they do not have a chance for re-settlement for the next 25 years.
“The mission of our company is to leverage technology and the Internet to connect marginalised communities to the global economy,” said Mr Ng.
Growing from strength to strength
Another previous winner, 1. Care Employment Agency, has also moved ahead with its mission of social impact since being honoured in the “Workplace – People Development” category last year. Licensed by the Ministry of Manpower of Singapore, the company trains caregivers in eldercare, equipping them with basic nursing skills and knowledge customised to its clients’ needs.
“Our aim is to provide person-centered care to allow the elderly to enjoy a quality life with their loved ones at home. 1. Care serves as the bridge between the employer and the caregiver to create a harmonious working relationship,” said Janice Tan, the company’s Director, and Nurse Educator.
Since winning at Brands for Good, the firm has enhanced its 15 training modules for caregivers to allow them to be more effective. It has also developed a training program for Dementia care.
“We are continuously upgrading our training materials to stay ahead, and to ensure that our caregivers are equipped with the best tools available. We have also engaged a brand strategy expert to coach our entire team on the principles and techniques of the brand building so that we can embark on creating a stronger 1.Care brand,” said Ms Tan.
1.Care trains around 600 caregivers a year currently, up from 300 previously. It has also been invited by institutions such as the People’s Association, Residents’ Committees and the Alzheimer’s Dementia Association to talk about Dementia care, self-care and stress management. The firm recently received approval to be a training provider to conduct non-WSQ courses under the Skills Future programme.
Said Ms Tan: “We are currently expanding our capacity so that we can do more training for other agencies. Singapore has an ageing population and eldercare is therefore a critical component of our society. We value clients who have chosen our services and we genuinely work towards forging a long term working relationship with our clients.”
