New year, new beginnings. In what has been a year of social distancing, we found new ways to come together for a greater common good.
Before the pandemic hit, I visited our home chefs in Pakistan, where I was treated to my first ‘Ghar ka Khana’ (homemade) cooking prepared by home-chef Shumaila Ali. Of course, the meal was delicious, but she reminded me about the role we play for our partners. For Shumalia, foodpanda gave her a platform to pursue her passion for cooking and earn a living at the same time – which was critical later on as the pandemic hit.
With movement restrictions in many cities, our riders in pink worked hard to deliver food and daily essentials quickly and safely, at the same time, it gave thousands of riders a new avenue to earn a living. We worked closely with the local governments to allow riders to make deliveries too, as their incomes were greatly affected due to the lockdowns.
2020 is a tough year to sum up – we’ve attempted to do so in our first-ever issue of panda purpose, which includes our experiences with our community of riders, merchants and consumers.
As we enter a new year, I look forward to continue working with our teams and community to navigate the next normal.
