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Beating it’s previous record, the 2015 Children’s Hope India Gala raised more than $1 million for its Educate India initiative, according to organizers. More than 450 guests attended the October 11 event at Pier Sixty in Manhattan, New York City, where Prakash Melwani, senior managing director at Blackstone and CIO of the private equity group, and Princeton University mathematician and Field Medal recipient Manjul Bhargava were honored for their contributions to the cause of education for underprivileged children in India.
The sold-out gala included a high energy performance by the Aatma Performing Arts dancers. Tinku Jain, a CHI advisory board member, introduced the organization and Maya Rajani, president of CHI, discussed the grassroots work being done on projects in India. Rajani said 90 percent of all tax deductible donations go towards the projects. The highlight of the evening were the CHI junior members and young professionals and high school students who helped fund raise for children’s education in India.
Melwani received the Lotus Award. In a speech, he said “We all lead such comfortable lives here. in the U.S. that one might ask why not just focus on charities closer to home. Well, to start with, I think one of the things I love most about this country is the desire to look outwards to help those less fortunate.” He said that it costs $150 to educate an Indian child for a year and change their life permanently. The children CHI helps come from poor backgrounds.
Bhargava received the Making a Difference Award sponsored by Poonam and A.J. Khubani of Telebrands. He is also the recipient of India’s Padma Bhushan award and is the lead advisor on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gyan Initiative to bring math and science to Indian school children. “In working with children in India, I’ve seen that there is no greater reward or honor than seeing their faces light up when they are given a chance to show their talents, to dream for themselves and to aspire towards that dream,” Bhargava said.
A live auction conducted by Christie’s Rahul Kadakia, for the Educate India challenge raised more than $130,000 in just ten minutes. A silent auction was also held.
Children’s hope India was started twenty years ago by a small group of women professionals hoping to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. In 2015 the organization has 20 projects across India impacting over 250,000 children, looking after their health, education and vocational training, a press release from CHI said.
The post Children’s Hope India Gala Raises Over $ 1 Million For Education appeared first on News India Times.
