More than 175 prominent Indian Americans opened their hearts and wallets once again to support Ekal Vidyalaya at a successful fundraiser organized by its New York and Long Island chapter on September 5. The major donors who contributed the bulk of the $300,000 raised that evening were recognized for their generosity at the event.
Titled ‘Surili Shaam – Ekal Ke Naam’, (Musical evening in the name of Ekal) the musical program at The Sterling in Bethpage, NY, met the successful amount that donors pledged to the highly rated charity.
Co-Founder of Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation USA Subhash Gupta, who flew in from Houston, explained the vision and mission of Ekal, which runs more than 85,000 one-teacher schools in underserved areas of India and has 3 million students enrolled, a press release from Ekal said.
Gupta gave video and PowerPoint presentations to highlight Ekal’s work across India and its unique single-teacher model. He said, ‘You can support and sponsor an Ekal school that runs on just $1.3 a day.’ These schools are part of Ekal Abhiyan, a charitable organization set up in 1983, dedicated to empowering rural and tribal communities through social, economic, and gender equality. To cite a few statistics of Ekal’s impact: 10 million boys and girls have been educated so far, and 100,000 schools have been facilitated.
In a twist of the program Mohan Wanchoo, president of the New York chapter of Ekal, held the fort and surprised many with his entertaining rendition of golden oldies from Bollywood, especially songs made memorable by Mohammed Rafi’s voice. In another surprise, he was matched note for note by Sunita Sadhnani, who is well-trained in vocal music and classical dance.
Ekal has expanded its flagship education program to include integrated development with initiatives in digital literacy, women’s empowerment, health services, sustainable agriculture, and skills training. The galas in the US, such as the ones in New York, account for a significant portion of Ekal Abhiyan’s total budget.
Gupta and Wanchoo’s appeals met with an enthusiastic response, and many generous people in the audience cut checks instantly.
The first to be recognized at the event was the Perfection of Man Foundation for their six-figure donation, as well as a substantial contribution they made earlier this year. The late Satish Mallick, a longtime supporter of Ekal, founded the Perfection of Man charity. Lynnette Iglesias, Managing Director of the Foundation, praised Ekal’s innovative approach and willingness to embrace new ideas. She was joined by Asit Patel, the Foundation’s Director, to accept applause from the audience.
When called on stage, Mukund Padmanabhan, Founder and Chairman of Guru Krupa Foundation, said that what impresses him about Ekal is that it is run by 400,000 volunteers. He has sponsored more than 500 schools in remote Ekal villages, provided tablets for the e-Shiksha program, supported computer education through the “Ekal on Wheels” program, and backed an Integrated Village Development project in Telangana.
Other donors included community leaders, businessmen, and steadfast supporters.
Navneet Agarwal emceed the evening, and Gita Setia, an accomplished singer, sang the Indian and American national anthems.
