AIF's New York gala raises USD 1.84 mn for children's education in India

A leading philanthropic organisation has raised USD 1.84 million for children's education in India as prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs came together at its annual gala to support its poverty-disrupting work on the ground in India.

The annual gala of the American India Foundation (AIF) raised the amount as over 500 guests, including business executives, investors, entrepreneurs and community leaders, attended the gala to support the AIF's Learning and Migration Program (LAMP).

The Program provides access to quality education opportunities to children in areas of high migration, while also advocating to communities and governments the universal right to education.

The April 30 gala held here helped raise funds to support AIF's poverty-disrupting work on the ground in India, an AIF statement said.

AIF Vice Chair Harit Talwar and Head of Digital Finance at Goldman Sachs thanked the supporters.

The AIF said in India each year, 70 million people migrate from their villages to find work, bringing their children with them to hazardous work sites like saltpans, brick kilns and sugar plantations, where they are vulnerable to child labour and trafficking.

During the gala, Axis Bank Managing Director & CEO Shikha Sharma and Chairman & CEO of The Dow Chemical Company and Director & Former Executive Chairman of DowDuPont Andrew Liveris were honoured.

Attending the gala Sunita Koli, a LAMP beneficiary, shared with guests how the programme had made an impact on her life. As a child, Koli worked long days in Gujarat and was not able to go to school and learn.

Through AIF's Learning and Migration Program, she could continue her education and became the first girl in her community to graduate 10th grade. She is now studying for the Public Service Exam to help other girls like herself succeed.