42: A conversation with Saleem Khan, British Asian Trust on responding to the pandemic in India
It is difficult to forget the harrowing stories/scenes of patients dying for lack of oxygen in India earlier this year, when it was ravaged by the pandemic. A BBC report called it 'A nightmare on repeat'. It was heartening however, to see governments and businesses the world over step up to support India during this terrible crisis. Amongst those responded swiftly was the British Asian Trust that raised over £5 million for its 'Oxygen for India Emergency Appeal' with over 20,000 people donating.
My guest on the 42nd Episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast is Saleem Khan, India Director of the British Asian Trust (BAT). In this episode we spoke about
👉🏾 BAT's unique model of harnessing the diaspora for supporting the development work it does in South Asia
👉🏾 BAT's $11 million Education Development Impact Bond. And how impact bonds are innovative financial instruments to raise funding for the social sector
👉🏾 The continued funding squeeze on the social sector exacerbated by COVID and the role of innovation and collaboration in addressing the shortage
👉🏾 The changing expectations of donors and how quickly they have adapted to be more flexible/accommodating allowing programs to pivot to address the COVID crisis
👉🏾 Shifting focus of donors to end outcomes
👉🏾 India Recovery fund with a focus on 1) Increasing vaccine uptake 2) Sustainable Livelihoods 3) Supporting children orphaned due to COVID including their mental wellbeing
The conversation was uplifting and energising because Saleem is a glass half full kind of person.
Om Podcasten
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is a curated safe space to have uncomfortable conversations about the pervasive inequalities in society and our workplaces.
The idea of the podcast was born from my sense of conflict about identity, self and the concept of privilege and fuelled by my own need to understand how my overlapping identities and experiences had impacted and would continue to impact my life chances.
Two years ago I decided to ‘opt out’ to find my own purpose and focus on passion projects including learning about the systemic biases that are endemic in business and society. The Podcast is my very own listening project, a step towards being more intentional in my learning.
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is for people who want to be a part of the change, for those who want to step up & speak out, for those who want to learn more about biases, barriers and best practice, for business leaders and for individuals, anyone who is interested in a fairer, more inclusive and compassionate society and workplace.
Each week I will interview inspiring speakers from across the world on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream including(but not limited to) systemic and institutionalised racism, discrimination based on further eight protected characteristics, poverty, mental health, climate change. The podcast will also talk about cognitive inclusion, culture, purpose, ethics and the importance of empathy, cultural intelligence and how conversations on identity and disadvantage would be incomplete without considering intersectionality.
With the podcast I hope to share stories of people with lived experiences, stories that may have never been told, stories that galvanise us to take action for change and keep the conversations alive by raising the decibel on issues of inequity, inequality in our search for a fairer and more inclusive world.