The Fact Maker

Vedanta Aluminium ‘Bravehearts’ film salutes COVID hero

The film tells the story of Jayshree Dhanasekaran who rallied local women in Kalahandi district to stitch & distribute 1.4 lakh masks to safeguard rural communities against COVID.

New Delhi: Vedanta Aluminium Business, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has launched a film to celebrate local heroes who went above and beyond the call of duty to serve people affected by the pandemic as part of Vedanta Group’s ‘Bravehearts’ campaign.

This latest film celebrates the invaluable contribution of a young professional, Jayshree Dhanasekaran, who worked to safeguard remote communities in Lanjigarh, in Kalahandi district of Odisha from COVID. She rallied 80 local women in Lanjigarh village to stitch and distribute 1.4 lakh masks to safeguard rural communities against the disease.

The film can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/3d_0xeqLseQ

The pandemic has brought forth heart-warming services of several COVID warriors, whose deeds are yet unsung. Bravehearts is a one-of-a-kind digital campaign launched by the Vedanta Group to salute these unsung heroes who went beyond their call of duty to help others during the devastating second wave of the pandemic. The Vedanta Group recently launched three video films celebrating real-life heroes who spread positivity and hope during these challenging times.

Praising Jayashree’s efforts, Mr. Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd, said, “COVID has brought forth instances of heart-warming humanity and service to humankind, as Bravehearts from all corners of the world stepped up in their personal capacity to help those in need around them. Jayshree is one such Braveheart, and our film is a celebration of her efforts to safeguard hundreds. We hope her story inspires many to help those in need, in pandemic times and beyond.”

Located in one of the aspirational districts of India, Lanjigarh’s citizens were largely unaware of the ferocity of the second wave and lacked the resources for purchasing high-end masks and sanitizers. Moved by the plight of local communities and the burning need to do something, Jayashree Dhanasekaran galvanised local Self-Help Group (SHG) women to stitch reusable cloth masks for villagers that were distributed free of cost across numerous villages. Besides providing villagers their first armour against the pandemic, masks, this project also helped the women earn a living during the crippling pandemic, when many livelihoods were lost across the country.

Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium i.e., 1.96 million tonnes in FY21. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.