Nalini and Raj Sharma, Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch hosted a fundraising cocktail party at their home in Sharon, MA to support the America India Foundation(AIF). This organization is devoted to accelerating social and economic change in India by connecting communities and resources across the United States and India. AIF's grants are focused on education and livelihood projects with a particular emphasis on primary education and women's empowerment.

Over hundred people, both of Indian and Non-Indian origin attended the event and made contributions totaling over 21,000$. Pradeep Kashyap, the executive director of AIF was the guest of honor. �The Foundation has raised over $18 million dollars since its inception in 2001. Our Service Corps, which places skilled Americans with NGOs in India for nine months of development work has been able to attract very talented individuals who can truly make a difference- said Kashyap.

For the past year, the Boston chapter has been headed by Chirag Shah who holds a full-time position at AIF that is supported by the Schol foundation. I was a volunteer with the Boston chapter when it started. But I realized that there is only so much time one can give when one is a volunteer. We were fortunate receive funding to support professional staff who can manage our operations. I think it is the contribution of the full-time professional staff, some of who work pro-bono that makes AIF an organization that is effective in the field of social entrepreneurship, said Shah.

In the recent past, the UN foundation headed by Ted Tuner has entered into a partnership with AIF. The organizations will initially focus fund-raising efforts to bring a unique approach to environmental and livelihood preservation. Together, the two organizations will preserve India's five natural World Heritage Sites areas that have been designed by the United Nations as having universal value to the world and also promote alternative livelihoods for local communities living around them. Indias five natural sites are significant because they are home to many endangered species including the one-horned rhinoceros, the Asian water buffalo, tiger, leopard, the Asian elephant, and the sloth bear. Sustainable preservation is only possible if the surrounding local communities who are among the poorest of the poor in India, are provided with income and employment options, thereby reducing their natural resource dependency.

Pradeep Kashyap presented the guidelines used by AIF to select NGOs that they would fund. No one has unlimited funds. We seek those organizations that can benefit the most from us. We seek efforts that we can help jumpstar. We ensure that they have the potential of quickly becoming self-sufficient. We are particularly interested in those efforts that can get the buy in from the local governments for that often ensures long-term sustainability. The Indian branch of AIF headed by Shankar Venkateswaran evaluates proposals.

Pramila Vivek, President of International Health Organization (IHO) which is working on AIDS issue in India was amongst the guests present at the event. AIF provides support to IHO. Azad Oommen the AIF service corps program director was also present at the event.

Local artists Vivek and Sonika Mehra added a beautiful touch by donating ten of their original paintings for a charity auction. The first piece to be auctioned titled Working Woman is one that is inspired by the work that AIF is doing said Vivek Mehra. The paintings have fetched an average price of over $1000 each. This is but a small tribute to the incredible talent of these wonderful artists said Subro Sen, who acted as the auctioneer.

The following paintings were auctioned:
By Vivek Mehra
1.Working Woman
2. Irish Song II
3. Solitude
4. Urbana
5. Lim
6. Resonance II
7. Some Blues
8. Gleam

By Sonika Mehra:
1. Beyond the Glen
2. Forest in Haze


AIF is certainly a leader in social entrepreneurship. To learn more about their programs please visit their website at http://www.aiffoundation.org.

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