PROJECT UPLIFT: A WORKER-RELIEF FUND Building on a long history of partnering with NGOs/ CSOs and supporting workers, in 2021 the RBA allocated up to US$500,000 to positively impact the lives of workers, prioritizing civil society organizations and projects that benefit supply chain workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The RBA received 15 applications in 2021 across several key sourcing regions for RBA and RMI members, including Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Uganda. By the end of 2021, six applications were accepted. The six approved projects range from disaster relief efforts to projects that prepared workers for employment abroad to others that seek to create economic opportunities for repatriated workers. Rationale in support of these applications included: • Projects were well-aligned with Project Uplift goals • Build on RBA objectives, including pre-departure orientation and working with government bodies to drive regulatory changes • Enable the RBA to establish, develop and enhance CSO connections with the view of long-term engagement • Represent a diversity of geographies that are critical sourcing countries for RBA and RMI members
23 RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain workers have been negatively impacted by loss of income. Some are occasionally stranded in foreign countries, unable to return home and prevented from having access to basic needs. The RBA Project Uplift Worker-Relief Fund aims to support projects that bring relief or aid to workers.
