IndiaCSR News Network
Mumbai: India’s fastest growing scheduled commercial bank RBL Bank (also known as Ratnakar Bank) becomes the first and only corporate in the country to support children suffering from eye cancer under a CSR program. The bank’s recent CSR initiative, a Mumbai to Bangalore 1000 km Cyclothon, raised over Rs. 23 lakhs for the treatment of children suffering from Retinoblastoma (eye cancer). For this initiative, RBL Bank has partnered with Iksha Foundation, the only NGO in the country working on this cause.
About 200 RBL Bank employees actively participated in the cyclothon and spread awareness about the eye cancer in children. A significant number of employees also donated towards this cause. Apart from employees, RBL Bank customers too joined in this cause to show their solidarity. As a result, a lot of doors have opened up for Iksha Foundation. The children are being treated at the Narayana Nethralaya hospital in Bangalore.
The Cyclothon that started in Mumbai and crossed Pune, Belgaum and Kolhapur concluding last Sunday at Bangalore was a huge success. The proceedings of this Cyclothon were directed to Iksha Foundation that is one of RBL Bank’s NGO partners. This RBL Bank supported initiative was spearheaded by Mr. Jasmeet Singh Gandhi, a cycling enthusiast and a corporate professional who whole heartedly embraced this cause through this 1000 km cycling journey from Mumbai to Bangalore.
Retinoblastoma (Eye cancer)is a life threatening disease that affects children in every 20,000. It grows from the retina as is touted as a silent tumor. In early stages of the disease, the eye looks normal externally but as the cancer progresses, there appears a white mass within the eye. Every day four children are born with eye cancer in India. The average cost of treatment for a child with both eyes affected by retinoblastoma is about 1 lakh a year. The child has to be treated till the age of 12. This CSR initiative by the bank aimed to bring light into the lives of the country’s future generation. This initiated created a lot of awareness about this cause. 
Commenting on this initiative, Ms. Shanta Vallury Gandhi, Head – Corporate Affairs, Organizational Effectiveness & Special Initiatives, RBL Bank, said “The fact that we have been able do to so much in a short span of time to brighten the lives of children suffering from Eye Cancer is a very fulfilling experience. RBL bank successfully raised over Rs. 23 lakhs for this cause. This initiative has been a great success thanks to our supporters like Jasmeet Singh Gandhi, film actress Tamannah Bhatia and Member of Parliament Mr. Prabhakar Kore, our partners Gooqi, Rediff.com and Hero cycles and moreover all RBL employees and customers who whole heartedly supported this initiative.”
Supporting this initiativefilm actress Tamannah Bhatia said“I was very happy to learn about this cause from Shanta Vallury Gandhi because in today’s day and age not many people take time out from ones busy schedule to support a cause that is unheard off. This is a great initiative by RBL Bank to spread awareness about Retinoblastoma – a fatal form of cancer. My very best wishes to the RBL Bank Team and I will be happy to support and be a part of many such initiatives in the future. It has been a great pleasure being here.”
