Health & Safety
A letter from our CEO
Thank you for considering Authentica for your international education needs. If you are looking to create wise global leaders, we are the right choice for you. In addition to ensuring that you have an enriching experience academically, culturally and professionally, we are committed to creating a healthy and safe environment around you, so you can be confident of operating within it successfully and have an optimal learning and growth experience. This commitment reflects in how we design our programs, choose our locations, the people and organizations we partner with, select the suppliers we work with and the activities we incorporate into our programs.
We have a thorough risk-assessment and risk management protocol that helps us identify foreseeable risks and have a plan to mitigate and manage them. We also have a robust communication protocol for various stages of the program, including planning, pre-departure, on-arrival, during and after the program. Whether you’re a faculty-leader, student, parent or host organization, our team is always at hand, 24X7. Our support is also backed by a US $2 million liability insurance with worldwide coverage
You’ll find more details about our risk management protocols and processes below. Should you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us. It’ll be our pleasure to address them.
Warm Regards,
Ravi Raj
Founder & CEO Authentica
Our Health & Safety Approach
Safety is key. At Authentica, we believe in being prepared. We have detailed our risk management protocol and processes below, which illustrates how we keep our participants comfortable, healthy and safe.
Pre-arrival Support System
What we do?
While our team is intimately involved in every aspect of the itinerary, some elements by their very nature require us to depend on other suppliers, such as hotels and transporters. We vet these services personally to ensure they meet or exceed our safety and compliance standards.
Our field team is trained to handle both minor contingencies as well as emergency situations. In addition, EVERY one of our team members is first-aid and CPR certified.
On programs that involve remote locations or rural areas, along with the usual safety precautions, we take some additional ones such as arranging for mosquito nets, clean and safe drinking water, creating geotags for safehouse locations and medical facilities, etc. We also train the host communities on how to address the safety needs of the participants.
We vet our transporters to ensure that vehicles and drivers we use on our programs meet or exceed our safety and compliance standards. We also look for their ability to send substitute vehicles, in case of any issues (mechanical, driver-related, etc.)
How we communicate?
We collate and share emergency contact information of various useful services with program directors, faculty and participants prior to their arrival. This includes our own contacts, medical facilities and services, police stations, local embassies and consulates, and key program staff.
Prior to departure, we provide customized packing lists, weather information, clothing and footwear suggestions appropriate for proposed activities. The info pack also includes “Know Before You Go” information that provides insights into local practicalities, such as how to use local transportation, if you should carry a passport photocopy for some visits, etc.
We provide information on recommended or required inoculations, vaccines or other pre-emptive medical care to take ahead of the journey We also ensure that information regarding any specific health and safety concerns in the destination is shared – along with mitigation measures and emergency contact information – with the field team. Our team is well prepared to brief.
We encourage and facilitate forming of social media groups (e.g. a WhatsApp or Facebook group) so that information is disseminated rapidly and shared with all. We also facilitate participants in securing a local SIM card if they couldn’t procure it at the airport on arrival.
We collect dietary restrictions or allergy information well in advance and share it with all our suppliers and any establishment where participants might dine during the program. We also ask you to let us know about any pre-existing medical condition or medication that a participant might be on, so we can support them accordingly (e.g. refrigeration of an injection, etc.)
On the Ground Support
What we do?
We provide full support to any participant who might need to register with the local embassy or police station as part of their visa requirements.
We provide our full support to any participant who needs to see a doctor or a hospital. We also short list a panel of reliable hospitals, clinics, chemists/pharmacies and qualified private practitioners in each destination.
Our field team is always alert to ensure that all participants remain healthy, hydrated, and are not exposed to too much sun or harmful substances.
A first-aid kit is always available with our field team and fully equipped at all points on the immersion.
How we communicate?
Our on-arrival orientation includes practical tips and cultural nuances so that participants are sensitised to local customs and traditions, while staying safe. We also introduce/highlight resources and designated field team members to participants, whom they can reach out to in case of an emergency 24X7.
Regular Facebook and WhatsApp updates keep all participants abreast of live safety and security issues. Authentica also implements a contingency plan on the ground in the event of a situation that jeopardises the safety of the group. E.g. if there is a violent protest in a city over a socio-political issue, or any sort of epidemic, we will reroute the program so that it can safely continue to enrich the participants on academic, personal and professional levels.
Emergency Protocol
In the event of any emergency such as a violent protest, terrorist attack or natural disaster,
we recommend that all participants follow this protocol:
- Shelter in place or find a safe place to stay.
- Contact your Emergency Contact and family members.
- Contact Authentica and respond to our communications.
- Follow the directions of local authorities.