Newsroom
AIF Raises $2 Million for Tsunami Aid
- Tsunami Relief Fund Targets Long-term Rehabilitation: Infrastructure and Livelihood Development
- Star-studded Gala to Include Celebrity Chefs from Dévi
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Kavya Rajan
kavya@aifoundation.org / (646) 530-8964
New York (AIF), May 4, 2005 – The American India Foundation’s (AIF) Tsunami Relief Fund has raised $2 million for tsunami victims in India.
“We envisage approximately 98% of the $2 million raised be used for long-term rehabilitation initiatives targeted at infrastructure development and livelihood projects,” said Pradeep Kashyap, Executive Director of AIF.
To this end, AIF has decided to award grants to the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), working to rebuild coastal fishing industries by setting up local repair stations for crafts and engines; the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective (TNWC) and the Integrated Women’s Development Institute (IWDI), both working to improve long-term political, social, and economic empowerment for tsunami-affected women and children through programs like self-help groups and microcredit loans. Additional awardees will be announced in coming months.
A small portion of AIF’s Tsunami Relief Funds has already been used for immediate emergency relief. Five organizations in Tamil Nadu were AIF’s beneficiaries: the Development Promotion Group (DPG), IWDI, Bhoomika Trust (BT), the Dhan Foundation (Dhan), and Samerth Charitable Trust (Samerth), as well as two organizations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, PRERNA and the West Bengal Voluntary Health.
Association (WBVHA). These organizations have created temporary shelters for affected families, offered trauma counseling to victims, handed out relief items like food and household necessities, and put together student kits to fill gaps in education during this crisis.
The American India Foundation established the Tsunami Relief Fund immediately after news reached the United States on the extent and breath of damage caused by one of Asia’s worst natural disasters. AIF matched dollar-for-dollar the first $1 million donated for tsunami relief, and one hundred percent of monies raised go directly towards relief projects in India.
In addition to a large number of individual donors, the Tsunami Relief Fund benefited from the fundraising efforts of a number of different Indian-American groups across the US. A recent fundraiser in New York, hosted by the Indo-American Arts Council & Christie’s auction house, brought in over $160,000. In California, AIF participated in a fundraiser hosted by the Bay Area United Tsunami Fund, and in Chicago, AIF was the beneficiary of a fundraiser hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Alumni—Midwest Chapter.
Several national organizations, including The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP), organized campaigns to raise tsunami relief funds, which were then channeled through AIF. Organizations such as the Share and Care Foundation of New Jersey and the Shanti Fund of Long Island decided to award grants jointly with AIF to projects chosen by AIF.
In continuation of its efforts to raise awareness for long-term economic development in India the American India Foundation is hosting a star-studded Spring Benefit Gala at the Waldorf=Astoria on Monday, May 16, 2005 in Manhattan. With the goal of raising $1 million AIF will present an exciting evening of fusion Asian music combining two maestros – flutist Hari Prasad Chaurasia and saxophonist George Brooks. Celebrity chefs Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur, and pastry chef Surbhi Sahni, all from Dévi restaurant in downtown Manhattan, will lend their savory talents to the event. The trio was recently written up in the New York Times Sunday edition (April 24, 2005). They will design, create and supervise the dinner menu for the evening.
Also part of the gala, AIF will present two awards for corporate social responsibility and investment in India; recipients are Sy Sternberg of New York Life Insurance Company and Anand Mahindra of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. There will be a press conference with both award winners at 6 pm before the Spring Benefit Gala.
Donald and Shelley Rubin of the Rubin Museum of Art are the Gala Chairpersons; Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
Past guests of the AIF Gala have included Hillary Clinton, Deepak Chopra, Richard Gere, Gloria Steinem, and A.R. Rahman. Other high-profile celebrities are expected this year.
About AIF
The American India Foundation (AIF) is a leading international development organization charged with the mission of accelerating social and economic change in India. By mobilizing people and resources across the United States, AIF has raised over $24 million since its inception in 2001. AIF provides grants to education, livelihood, and public health projects in India with a focus on elementary education, women’s empowerment, and HIV/AIDS, respectively. AIF also administers two programs: (1) the Service Corps, which develops young American leaders by matching their skills with the needs of Indian nonprofits, and (2) the Digital Equalizer, which bridges the digital divide by providing computers, Internet, and training to under-resourced schools. AIF works out of New York and Silicon Valley in the US, and New Delhi and Bangalore in India. President Bill Clinton serves as Honorary Chair.
For more information contact:
Press Contact: Kavya Rajan
kavya@aifoundation.org / (646) 530-8964
http://www.AIFoundation.org