Deepti’s Story: Beautiful Music for a Beautiful Cause

When high schooler Deepti Kannan heard about Pratham’s Freedom From Illiteracy campaign, she knew she wanted to be involved. The campaign, which ran from America’s Independence Day (July 4) until India’s Independence Day (August 15), aimed to raise $200,000 in order to establish 2,000 lending libraries in villages across India.

“Every child deserves an education regardless of their economic or social situation. The work Pratham is doing to provide this opportunity for children in India is amazing, and if there is anything I can do to help that cause, I will do it.”

In the villages where we work, books are rare or non-existent. Lending libraries support Pratham’s literacy and learning programs and help maintain the children’s enthusiasm and momentum of learning. A donation of $100 provides 200-250 books, story cards and other materials to make a library a reality.

Deepti chose to make a difference with her musical talent. The teen merged her solo piano recital, for which she played pieces from Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin, with Pratham’s online fundraising tools to set up a campaign web page. In lieu of flowers or gifts, Deepti asked friends and family to celebrate her piano recital with a donation to the Freedom From Illiteracy campaign.

She raised over $1,200—enough for 12 village libraries.

Feeling inspired to make a difference? Start your own campaign now.