Tampa, Florida, USA - October 24, 2016:
Thousands of new books are now in the hands of Tampa-area kids in need, their parents and teachers, as a result of a partnership between Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global Information Technology, Consulting and Business Process Services company and the nonprofit organization First Book. Also partnering in the local distribution was the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA), an affiliate of the Florida Education Association (FEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
A truckload of 40,000 books was distributed October 1 at Hillsborough High School. Books were available to all educators, school staff and community programs that work or volunteer with Title I schools, English Language Learners, Special Education programs, Exceptional Student Education programs or military families.
The book distribution initiative kicked off on September 30 at Mendenhall Elementary School, where all 700 students received a book they could take home. At that event, local volunteers from Wipro and HCTA read books to second-graders and helped them choose a book to take home. The Alliance for Public Schools also provided volunteers for the distribution events.
Wipro Limited, which acquired the Tampa-based HealthPlan Services in February 2016, has a number of employees in the local area, many of whom volunteered during the two book distribution events. The Tampa events were part of a year-long partnership between Wipro and First Book to bring more books to children who need them.
Book ownership and a print-rich environment are leading indicators of a child's educational success, but for the 32 million children growing up in low-income families in the U.S. alone, books are scarce. Studies have found that in low-income neighborhoods there is only one book for every 300 children; whereas in moderate income neighborhoods, there are 13 books for every one child.
Wipro and its employees have gone above and beyond to help bring First Book’s resources into the communities where they work and live,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. “Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of Wipro’s employees at reading events and at book distributions, along with Wipro’s financial support, tens of thousands of children will experience the transformative power of books, to fuel learning and unlock their futures. We are enormously grateful.”
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that has distributed more than 150 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, which, with more than 275,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing network of educators exclusively serving kids in need. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. Eligible educators, librarians, program leaders, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Wipro Limited.
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of “Business through Technology.” By combining digital strategy, customer centric design, advanced analytics and product engineering approach, Wipro helps its clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, Wipro has a dedicated workforce of over 170,000, serving clients across 6 continents. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com
Media Contacts:
Sarah Kettenburg
H+K Strategies for Wipro Limited
sarah.kettenburg@hkstrategies.com
+1 813-775-6210
Subhashini Pattabhiraman
Wipro Limited
subhashini.pattabhiraman@wipro.com
Melanie Boyer
First Book
mboyer@firstbook.org
+1 202-639-0144
Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements
Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.
