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Pratham USA, Boston
In November 2005 Boston became part of the Pratham family by launching its own chapter. The core team leading this effort is comprised of people with one thing in common...a burning desire to help children gain access to education. For an inspiring article on this chapter click here.
Our role as we see it...
- Increase awareness of education issues in India in the New England area
- Raise funds for Pratham
- Staff internships with New England area residents
- Provide direct counsel on Pratham programs
- Build a local cadre of donors and volunteers
| PRATHAM BOSTON CHAPTER EVENTS 2010 |
May 20, 2010
Pratham Boston in association with Indian Medical Association of New England YPS held a fundraiser on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at the Tamarind Bay in Brookline. The highlights included a presentation of Pratham's work and entertainment act by Brownstar.
| PRATHAM BOSTON CHAPTER EVENTS 2009 |
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The second annual Pratham Boston Gala was held on 12 September at the Taj Boston. Highlights of the event, which started at 7 pm and went on until as late as 4 am, included a mesmerizing dance performance by Miss India Worldwide, Nikkitasha Marwaha. Ms. Marwaha, in a stunning pomegranate-red traditional "sari" performed a fusion dance that involved dramatic movements with a pot balanced on her head.
Before that was another fusion act, a hypnotic performance of music by well known performers, Natraj. Their blend of classical Indian and traditional West African music with a dash of contemporary jazz thrown in held the audience spellbound. Later, DJ Bunty had everyone dancing to Bollywood music till the wee hours of the morning.
Chitra Banerjee Divakurni, author of the bestsellers, Mistress of Spices and Sister of my Heart, was a special honoree.She urged the audience to give the gift of literacy to the millions of children for whom this is the only road to a reasonable tomorrow. Madhav Chavan, founder and CEO of Pratham thanked the Boston community for its support and challenged the audience to develop technological solutions to deliver education efficiently at scale.
Attendees included area CEOs, prominent academics, doctors, lawyers, professionals and local Pratham volunteers. This event raised more than $100,000, of which all profits go directly to Pratham's programs.
View more pictures of the event click here.
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Pratham Boston Karaoke Night in collaboration with NetSAP
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On Thursday, April 2, 2009, Pratham-Boston and NetSAP-Boston hosted a Bollywood Karaoke Night at Tantric restaurant. This event was held to support Pratham's Read India campaign and also to celebrate Pratham's accomplishment in reaching over 21 million children in India through this program. The evening was kicked off by the head of the Boston chapter, Vikas Taneja, who introduced the audience to the mission of Pratham and its accomplishments.
The Karaoke Night featured performances by Shirish and Ashish from the new music group "Kashish" (www.kashishtunes.com). The event was very well attended by more than 130 local professionals, who had an opportunity to sing melodious tunes as well as interact with Pratham core team members. The enthusiasm was evident in the long lines outside Tantric waiting to get in and most of the audience staying till the very end. In addition to fundraising, this event further expanded Pratham’s presence in the greater Boston Area.
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| PRATHAM BOSTON CHAPTER EVENTS 2008 |
Boston Annual Gala 2008
Pratham Boston held its first ever Annual Fundraising Gala on September 20, 2008 at the Sheraton Newton.The evening was full of memorable moments: Our honoree, Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen spoke about the importance of education in transforming people's lives and admitted to being an admirer of Pratham's work. Keynote Speaker, noted author and Harvard Business School Professor Tarun Khanna inspired the audience by highlighting instances of how "informed citizenry" has driven change in India. Pratham's co-founder and CEO, Dr. Madhav Chavan, spoke about Pratham's evolution as an organization and credited its many volunteers for its success. The evening's entertainment included a unique dance performance by the Parijat Desai Dance Company and a fabulous performance by singer Falu and her band.
Pratham Boston raised funds to sponsor the Read India program in four districts across India. Thanks to donors from the Greater Boston area over 400,000 children will learn how to read, write and do basic arithmetic by 2009.
View more photos of the event here.
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The 2008 India Day Celebration was held on Sunday August 17th, 2008 at the Hatch Memorial Shell on Storrow Drive in Boston. We hosted a booth with information on Pratham and the work we are doing in India.
View more pictures of the event here.
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Pratham Boston hosts “Penn Masala”
On Saturday, February 9, 2008, Pratham USA’s Boston chapter hosted “Penn Masala”, a South Asian A Capella group, in concert at Tufts University. Penn Masala regaled the audience with a medley of western tunes artfully combined with popular Bollywood hits. This memorable evening was organized in collaboration with the Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA).
Over 400 people including students, young professionals and music aficionados attended the event. The evening was a terrific opportunity to increase awareness about Pratham in the greater Boston area and for raising funds.
During the evening Vikas Taneja and Suchi Bansal, core team members of the Boston chapter, presented an overview of Pratham’s projects and goals aided by a short film on the subject.
The event was a great success and helped Pratham to garner additional support from the Boston community.
To become a part of Pratham Boston or for more information please email us at info@prathamusa.org
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