In the wake of the 8th October earthquake which shocked the world by ending and disrupting thousands of lives, Telenor Pakistan identified the need to create a force of volunteers internally to be in a better position to combat such crisis situations in an efficient and timely manner, thus the ‘Go-Team’s’ emerged.

These teams are comprised of Telenor employees and each region has its own team. The basic idea to formulate these teams was that employees should extend support and encouragement to the less fortunate. Each employee chosen from a specific region for the Go-Team was to dedicate time, with the approval of their line managers, to support Corporate Responsibility’s events and help provide crisis intervention when needed, in their respective regions.

These volunteers belong to various departments and divisions but have a common goal: Strong will and spirit to contribute and make a difference. Go-Teams operate like sleeping cells, functioning normally on a day-to-day basis and coming alive in times of emergencies or when on call. They proved to be especially useful in all Emergency Response initiatives, such as earthquakes, floods and numerous other calamities.

Volunteering can bring out mixed emotions; it can be upsetting at times but at others it can be very satisfying and gives one a sense of fulfillment. A lot of Go-Team members choose to spend time with children of the DUA project in SOS villages. In time, these children have grown with us and have taken to these enthusiastic and affectionate individuals; in fact they look upon them as “Big brothers” and “Big sisters”!