Philips’ ‘Hausla program’ attempts to relieve the Dhobi community of their woes

Philips collaborated with Dhobi Kalyan Charitable Trust to support and empower the dhobi community in Mumbai during the pandemic.

Royal Philips launched its dhobi empowerment initiative ‘Hausla Program’, to provide resources and empower the dhobi community in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic. The measures to contain the pandemic have adversely impacted the livelihood of dhobis. Recognizing the need to support the dhobi community and provide them with access to resources in these unprecedented times, Philips has collaborated with Dhobi Kalyan Charitable Trust to assist 100 dhobis in Mumbai in reviving their business.

Talking about this initiative Gulbahar Taurani, Vice- President, Personal Health, Philips Indian Subcontinent said, “At Philips, we believe there is always a way to make life better and remain committed to supporting fellow citizens amidst on-going struggles due to this global pandemic. Our alliance with Dhobi Kalyan Charitable Trust is an effort to empower and motivate dhobis so that they can operate with better measures and hygiene precautions. Through our campaign film, we want to highlight the efforts put in by them daily to make our lives better. We hope that this campaign will encourage the dhobi community in reviving their business and build confidence amongst people to support them in these challenging times.”

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Life has been difficult for dhobis; they have been struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic with people being wary of giving clothes for ironing due to hygiene and safety concerns. To overcome these challenges, the Philips team visited dhobi shops and kiosks to provide them with protective gear including masks, gloves, sanitizers, face shields, and laundry bags to deliver clothes. Each dhobi also received a state-of-the-art Philips Iron. Philips educated the dhobis about ways to approach customers wearing protective gear and maintain complete hygiene and safety precautions.

Philips has associated with Veteran Actor Kabir Bedi to talk about their plight as he takes the audience through emotions one feels while wearing a ‘crisp shirt’ or a ‘well-pleated saree’ in office and thus highlighting the importance of a dhobi in everybody’s life.

“The global pandemic has adversely affected many sections of society and it is heartening to see Philips come out in support, making valuable contributions in these testing times. The dhobi community is thankful to Philips and their team for visiting dhobi shops and kiosks to provide them with protective gear and help them take proper safety precautions. This support and faith in our community will help us build confidence to gear up for business while taking all precautionary measures advised by the Philips team. We believe it is important that every citizen today comes out in support of the other,” said Santosh Kanojia, Chairman, Dhobi Kalyan Charitable Trust

The
campaign will be live for three weeks and the digital film has been shared on
social media platforms of Philips.