Pratham Gala inspires the community to support education for children, girls and women in under-served communities in India
March 24, 2024; Houston, TX – The highly anticipated Pratham Houston Gala was held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 this year. The event brought together the city’s Indian-American community to raise awareness and funding for the charity’s learning programs for children and young people in under-served communities in India. There were performances by contestants of Indian Idol, Mohammad Danish and Shanmukh Priya.
The event featured a fireside chat with Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation. “Like Pratham, I have worked for years to ensure that every child has the right to a better future. Education and opportunity go hand in hand. I’m pleased to visit Houston and speak with Pratham’s supporters. Together, we can ensure millions of children have access to the high-quality education they deserve,” shared Dr. Rajiv Shah.
Pratham Board Chair, Dhiren Shethia said, “Learning changes lives and transforms communities. If there is a gift that can change someone’s future – that gift is learning. For almost 30 years donors in the US Pratham community have given this gift to over 50M children and youth in India.”
Capturing stories from the field, Priyanka Ghosh, Director of Communications at Pratham USA interacted with Siddhi, a young woman from India who through Pratham’s Second Chance program got an opportunity to finish her class 10 certification.
Dr. Vikram Gopal, Co-President of the Pratham Houston chapter, shared “Just like different threads of the weave: Pratham weaves together children, youth and communities through its learning programs. While the Pratham tapestry begins with individual threads, it finishes with a beautiful story of transformation of communities and stakeholders. We invite you to build the tapestry of learning with Pratham.”
Mr. Pradip Seernani, Co-President of the Pratham Houston chapter, shared “Pratham’s mission indeed changes lives. This organization has given millions of children and young people, in India and beyond, the chance to learn – and keep learning. From the early years through to adulthood. Both inside and outside formal educational settings. At home, in the community and online. A special thank you to the corporate sponsors: Wells Fargo, Amegy Bank, Ascend Performance Materials, Bank of America, Gordon Montgomery Barnett, Packwell, Chugh LLP, Bank of Texas and KPMG”
The funds raised at the Houston Gala will provide much needed support to children in India, giving them an opportunity to learn and stem the steep learning loss that has occurred during the pandemic.
Event photos and captions
All photos along with captions can be found here: Houston GALA | 23rd March 2024 (Google Drive)
Please note photo credit to be given to photographer: Bijay Dixit
MEDIA CONTACT
For more information, please contact:
Priyanka Ghosh, Director of Communications, Pratham USA
pghosh@prathamusa.org
prathamusa.org
ABOUT PRATHAM
Pratham works with the belief that every child should be in school and learning well. With almost 30 years’ experience of working in India and beyond, Pratham changes the lives of over 5 million children and young people every year.
Pratham’s work has been recognized through major International awards, including the Asia Game Changer Award, the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, the WISE Prize for Education, the Henry R. Kravis Leadership Prize, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and most recently the 2018 LUI Che Woo Prize.
Pratham USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 14 chapters across the United States that raise awareness and mobilize financial resources. The volunteer-driven organization ranks among the top 2% of all nonprofits in America, consistently achieving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for “sound fiscal management” and “commitment to accountability and transparency.” For more information, visit prathamusa.org.
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