Pratham Supporters team up for Microsoft GIVE

On Friday, October 2, in conjunction with Microsoft’s annual GIVE program, the Seattle chapter held a kickoff event hosted by Seattle board member Bharat Shah and his team.

After welcoming attendees to the virtual event, Bharat explained why his team sponsors Pratham during GIVE month: “For me, as I examine what made me what I am today, the kind of privilege I had, it was education. It got me to where I am today. And even when I look at many of the problems we are facing today as a worldwide community, a lot of solutions emerge when we have a more educated population.”

Microsoft’s October employee giving campaign—a tradition since 1983—utilizes good-spirited competition to further the company’s commitment to corporate philanthropy and encourage its employees to give generously to a wide range of causes.

Bharat was joined by fellow board members Murli Satagopan and Rish Tandon, each of whom took the opportunity to share personal Pratham stories with their Microsoft colleagues. After recounting his experiences from Microsoft’s annual Hack for Good, supporter Jayant Gupchup introduced Pratham’s director of technology innovation, Nishant Baghel.

In his presentation, Nishant gave an overview of Pratham’s digital initiatives and how they allowed the organization to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic to sustain learning for millions of children despite school closures and lockdowns.

In his talk, Nishant focused on the ways in which Pratham has partnered with Microsoft and others to leverage their knowledge and talent pool, sharing concrete examples of how their technology is being utilized by Pratham.

“The enormity of the problem, 250 million children that are not able to read, it is daunting. And the problem rooted in India itself is very daunting,” concluded Barat in his closing remarks, adding “But I hope you can see the scale and efficiency with which Pratham is tackling this problem. For those of you who also believe in education, Pratham is one of the best organizations you can find to give your support.”

Employee matching gift programs, like Microsoft’s, are an easy way to double your impact. Click here to see if your company will match your gift.