Amit Shah Featured on the Twizted Myrtle Radio Show

On April 30, 2016, Pratham Phoenix board member Amit Shah was interviewed on the Twizted Myrtle radio show—a platform for stimulating conversations about world issues. The host engaged Amit with questions about India’s political corruption, gender inequality and Pratham’s role in breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy.

Now an engineer and senior business manager at Intel, Amit grew up in India amid hardship. Crediting his mother as his inspiration, Amit came to America 16 years ago to further his education and to seek opportunities.

Now an engineer and senior business manager at Intel, Amit grew up in India amid hardship. Crediting his mother as his inspiration, Amit came to America 16 years ago to further his education and to seek opportunities.

“I realized that education plays a very big role in changing the life of a kid and the family attached to that kid,” said Amit. He knew he wanted to give back to India’s children, and once he found Pratham with its strong values and clear vision—the engineer was “all in.”

During the course of the 40-minute interview, Amit shared the moving experience of visiting Prathamsites during his summer sabbatical: the kids were all smiles despite living in poverty; explained how India’s 96% school enrollment doesn’t necessarily translate into students who are actually learning and offered his solutions for solving the country’s many problems which involve empowering women through education.

Even though Pratham has reached 40 million children over the past 20 years, due to the enormity of the problem, its job is still not done, and every year more students pass through government schools without acquiring the necessary skills.

Listen to the interview.