Sealed Air India launches Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai: Sealed Air Corporation, a Fortune 500 company (NYSE: SEE) engaged in the business of food packaging, food safety, cleaning and hygiene solutions launched their Skill Development initiative ‘Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene’Indiaon 16th February. Present at the launch were Himanshu Jain, MD and VP Sealed Air Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia and Dr. Ravikant Singh, President & Founder, Doctors For You.

With the vision of creating a better way for life by providing livelihood and bringing dignity to cleaning profession, Sealed Air has embarked upon Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene-India, a CSR program to improve and standardize the skill sets for this important but ignored industry. Name for this initiative has been derived from a Hindi word “Garima” meaning dignity. 

The initiative enables employment, brings scientific approach to the cleaning & hygiene profession, and enhances the standards of the cleaning industry. It also helps the industry bring dignity to the job by positioning them as “Hygiene Technicians” instead of janitors. At its core, the initiative reflects Sealed Air’s belief that creating cleaner and healthier environments is of paramount importance.

Opening the session, Mr. Himanshu Jain, MD and VP Sealed Air Indian-subcontinent and South East Asiasaid, “There are two pressing challenges for the cleaning industry—lack of scientific approach to cleaning and lack of dignity to the cleaning job. Cleaning is still looked at as a menial job and something, which does not need any kind of training. This is what we are changing. Today no customer would like to visit a mall or eat in a restaurant, which is dirty. Despite this high importance to cleaning in our minds, we still look at a cleaning professional, just as a cleaner or janitor, not somebody important in our lives. With this background, we at Sealed Air Diversey, have embarked on a very ambitious project called, Garima. To improve and standardise the skill sets for this important but ignored industry, thereby bringing dignity to the jobs of cleaning professionals, who we generally choose to ignore. Putting a major focus on science of cleaning, we aim to move cleaning professional from being a janitor to a “hygiene technician”, from being a cleaner to a health assurance specialist. Garima- Diversey School Hygiene, India,  has three specific objectives; Science of Cleaning- bringing scientific approach to cleaning , which is the need of the industry; Employment- helping low skilled unemployed youth get jobs and a better living condition; Dignity- helping the industry bring dignity to the job of cleaning profession by positioning them as “Hygiene Technicians” instead of janitors.”

Himanshu further added, “While, Garima- Diversey School Hygiene, India is being launched today, we have been piloting this initiative across the length and breadth of the country, having trained  537 Hygiene Technicians.We are aware that this is an ambitious project and we cannot do this alone and we need  the support of media and industry players. I welcome each one of you to help us create a movement and bring Garima in all towns and villages of the country and make a difference to the lives of people.”

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Ravikant Singh, founder of Doctors For You said, “Doctors For You and Diversey have been working together for more than two years on various initiatives, such as Soap for Hope, Linen for Life and now Garima –Diversey School of Hygiene, India.This skill development and employment generation program, named as of Garima, is one of the most impactful programs run by our organizations. We are, not only changing the lives of people, but also creating a healthier and cleaner environment. The key focus areas of Garima are; Cleaning and Property maintenance, Dignity to this job and the third and most important for me “as a doctor” is Infection Prevention inside the hospitals and food service areas.” Dr. Ravikant further added, “Garima is one of the very few initiatives that is focusing onemployment for all the trainees. Under the Garima project, we have trained youth from the urban slums of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai as well as rural youth from the valleys of Kashmir, to Bihar and Kokrajhar in Assam.  Now, we are planning to expand the Garima project further, by training 5000 youth in 2017.

“Everybody is talking about building toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission . Somebody has to maintain them, isn’t it? I have big hope from Garima project and our Hygiene Technicians. Together we will be able to bring a big change.”said Dr. Ravikant Singh. Being the industry leader, Sealed Air has reimagined and attempted to standardise the cleaning industry in the country, through the integration of science and technology-enabled training, connected services, and systems. When developing cleaning technologies, Sealed Air understands the balance needed between the safety during use and efficacy for sanitation and infection control. Remaining at thecutting edge of new technologies, Sealed Air ensures that higher levels of performance, responsible consumption, and increased safety and reduced environmental impacts are combined to produce desirable results.

About Sealed Air: Sealed Air is widely recognized as the leader in protecting what’s important - what you eat and drink, where you go and the products you ship. Sealed Air Corporation creates a world that feels, tastes and works better. In 2015, the Company generated revenue of approximately $7.0 billion by helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals in the face of today's biggest social and environmental challenges. Our portfolio of widely recognized brands, including Cryovac® brand food packaging solutions, Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning and Diversey® cleaning and hygiene solutions, enables a safer and less wasteful food supply chain, protects valuable goods shipped around the world, and improves health through clean environments.