September 18, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alex Counts
Director, India Philanthropy Alliance
mobile: 202-257-8739
email: alex@indiaphilanthropyalliance.org
India Philanthropy Alliance Announces Winners of 2024 Youth Essay Competition
The 5th Annual Event Connects Inspiring Young Voices With
Leading Nonprofits Affecting Change in India
Washington, DC, USA, September 18 - The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a U.S.-based coalition of 20 nonprofit, philanthropic, and charitable organizations focused on India, is proud to announce the winners of their 5th Annual Youth Essay Competition. The students and their essays showcase the insightful perspectives of youth on pressing developmental issues in India.
This year's competition prompted students to address the question: “Which developmental issue in India do you feel is most pressing and why?” Participants were encouraged to delve into the lesser-known challenges and impacts posed by their chosen topic and suggest how we as Americans can be a part of the solution.
The winners, runners-up, and finalists in each category are:
High School Winner: Nirmal Melam, Grade 9, Des Moines, Iowa; High School Runners-up: Arya Goyal, Grade 11, Scarsdale, New York, and Caroline Praveen, Grade 11, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; High School Finalists include: Arhaan Iyer, grade 9, Dallas, Texas; and Ayushi Agarwal, Grade 9, Oak Park, California.
Middle School Winner: Sia Lakshmi Sampson, Grade 7, New Market, Maryland; Middle School Runner-up: Aditya Munish, grade 8, Little Elm, Texas; Middle School Finalists: Rishaan Sharath, Grade 6, Bargersville, Indiana; and Swati Premkumar, Grade 8, Bothell, Washington.
Leaders of the competition note that it has provided a stepping stone to further philanthropic engagement. Past winners have volunteered with IPA’s key network organizations and served on India Giving Day’s Youth Leadership Council.
Essay topics varied significantly and covered issues such as mental health, educational disparity, child labor, food waste, sanitation, gender discrimination, discrimination of the disabled, access to health care, and more.
Nirmal Melam, winner in the high school category, wrote about the digital divide and spent a portion of his summer installing solar power on a school in India so that they would have consistent access to the internet.
Caroline Praveen, one of two runners-up in the high school category, expressed her excitement: “I find it surreal that my ideas and opinions as a high school student are being seriously taken into consideration by such a high-impact organization. It makes me feel that I can actually be the change that I so desperately want to see.”
Arya Goyal, also a runner-up in the high school category, emphasized the importance of inclusivity: “Investing in people who are differently abled and neurodivergent will allow India to unlock the immense potential of millions of its citizens, fostering a society where everyone contributes to a brighter, more inclusive future.”
Sia Lakshmi Sampson, the middle school winner, aspires to be a medical doctor some day and sees opportunity in medical volunteers in India. “I hope my essay is a reminder to Indian healthcare students and providers here in the US, how valuable it would be to share their skills to improve lives in India as well.”
Aditya Munish, the middle school runner-up, is passionate about gender inequality. “I wanted to speak out about the hardships women face, not only in India, but all around the world. I truly believe that education can expand and open the minds of people in order to solve the problem.
Winners will present their award-winning ideas at a high-impact Philanthropy Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 25, 2024. This national gathering will bring together business leaders, philanthropists, and nonprofit executives to discuss and act on critical issues facing India. Winners will also direct a grant of $1,000 to the charity of their choice, and runners-up will direct a $500 grant to the charity of their choice.
Essays of the winners, runners-up, and finalists can be found on the India Philanthropy Alliance website and through their social channels.
“We are gratified to see this inspiring program mature and witness so many young change makers feeling empowered to take action as a result of this competition,” says Jay Sehgal, Vice-Chair of India Philanthropy Alliance and one of the competition sponsors. “We all benefit when we invest in young people and work together to ensure a brighter future.
The India Philanthropy Alliance congratulates all participants and looks forward to the continued impact of this competition in fostering young leaders and innovative solutions for India's development.
The India Philanthropy Alliance would like to thank the Sarva Mangal Family Trust for sponsoring the competition since its inception and Sehgal Foundation for their steadfast support over the past three years.
About the Youth Essay Competition
The inaugural Youth Essay Competition was held in 2020 and has just completed its fifth year. It is designed to inspire philanthropic thought and action among today’s youth and generate future leaders with a commitment to serve the common good. The competition is open to middle and high school youth and challenges them to identify the most pressing issues facing India today and propose ways in which we can be a part of the solution.
About the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA)
The IPA (http://www.indiaphilanthropyalliance.org) is a coalition of nonprofit, philanthropic and charitable organizations that mobilize people and funding in the United States (and elsewhere) for development and poverty-reduction programs in India. The twenty core network organizations of the IPA include Agastya U.S.A., Akanksha Education Fund, Akshaya Patra U.S.A., American India Foundation (AIF), Antara International, Arogya World, Children’s Hope India, Community Pure Water, CRY America, Foundation for Excellence (FFE), Indiaspora, Lotus Petal Foundation, Planet Read, Pratham U.S.A., Project ECHO, Sehgal Foundation, Teach for India U.S., Vicente Ferrer Foundation U.S.A., VisionSpring, and WISH Foundation.
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For any questions, please reach out to Alex Counts, Executive Director at India Philanthropy Alliance at mailto:alex@indiaphilanthropyalliance.org.