MKR Foundation
“True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense.” – Emanuel Swedenborg
We established the MKR Foundation because the Leena Group lives by these words of wisdom. We consider uplifting the needy as equally important as our company’s growth, by giving back to the people for their trust and loyalty over the years. Therefore, along with maintaining the quality of our services, we contribute to the welfare of the common man as well.
Karma Award
The MKR Foundation began conferring the Karma Award every year since 2015, in an attempt to appreciate the sincere efforts of famed personalities actively involved in uplifting the society. Dinu Veyil, a young college student, was the first recipient of the award, for his attempts to raise awareness among the people regarding terminal illnesses, and mobilizing volunteer groups to support the young and old afflicted with such conditions. In 2016, Geetha Vazhchal, an Adivasi tribal leader won the award for being actively involved in protecting the indigenous tribes and the forest of Athirappilly. Kerala’s own “Metro Man” also known as Shri. E. Sreedharan received the award in 2017 for his exemplary dedication in transforming the public transport system in India during his years as the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Since 2018, the Karma Shreshta awards were instituted which would be presented once in every four years to eminent personalities for their contribution to societal cause. Dr. P. K. Warrier, who served as the Chief Physician and Managing Trustee of the Malayalees’ trusted Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala for five decades, was conferred the Karma Shreshta award in 2018 for being part of a century-old charitable institution which practices the ancient healing practices of Ayurveda.
In 2019, Indian ecologist and academic Dr. Madhav Gadgil were unanimously chosen for the Karma award for his noteworthy and timely interventions in preserving India’s ecology and biodiversity, especially the Western Ghats, as chairman of the Gadgil Commission.
In 2020 the jury members have proudly chosen the sixth Karma Awardee as K. K. Shailaja, more popularly known as Shailaja Teacher, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Kerala, for her sincerity and single-minded dedication to protecting the people during crises like the Kerala floods, the Nipah outbreak, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
By committing herself to her social responsibilities, she has set an impeccable example for leaders worldwide.
Our jury members selected Smt. Sheeba Ameer for Karma award 2021. Known for her charitable and social upliftment efforts in making medicines available for poor patients, Smt. Sheeba has been a torchbearer for philanthropic and charitable works within and outside Kerala. She has inspired a generation to follow in her footsteps. The foundation is proud to recognise her great efforts.
The Karma Shreshta award for 2022, was given to renowned writer and biographer Shri Thayil Jacob Sony George. A Padma Bhushan awardee and former Editorial Advisor at The New Indian Express, Shri TJS George is an exemplary genius in English language with many popular biographies and books in literature and journalism to his credit.