These are unprecedented times. As COVID-19 started spreading across the world, it affected nearly every facet of our lives. Governments began facing not only a public health crisis but also a financial one. The world was suddenly changing and a new normal was emerging in its place.
Over 10.1 million people had already been infected globally by June, 2020. And millions more were affected, indirectly. Even as governments started actively combating the outbreak through massive relief measures for affected communities, it was time for humanity to come together to help those most vulnerable.
The mobility industry, in particular, was directly hit by the consequences of the lockdown initiated to contain the outbreak. Drivers across India were affected in their ability to provide for their families without a primary source of income. We knew that we had to step up to help them in their time of need.
The ‘Drive the Driver’ fund was launched by the Ola Foundation with the intention of supporting the drivers and their loved ones during these trying times. Through concerted efforts, we immediately began providing assistance to the driver-community, regardless of whether or not they were part of the Ola community. This fund was also started as a contingency and will be used in assisting drivers and their loved ones as they continue to recover from the long-term economic effects of this crisis. Powered by a combination of short and long-term initiatives, we have set up a sustainable ecosystem to help driver communities to keep moving forward.
The initial corpus of ₹20 crores for the fund was provided by the Ola Group and its employees. The fund has also been opened up to public contributions to help us expand its reach. Through generous individual and institutional contributions, we have been serving tens of thousands of households during this stressful period. Our teams have been working around the clock to ensure that everyone in the driver-community has access to support when they need it the most. Our journey has only begun and in due course, we intend to keep scaling up our efforts and continue empowering this community, so they can thrive.
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