Young Philanthropists in the Making
India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) announces winners of
the 2021 Youth Essay Competition
Date, 2021 | Author: Alex Counts, Director at India Philanthropy Alliance
FOR RELEASE FRIDAY, Date, 2021
Contact: Alex Counts
Director, India Philanthropy Alliance
mobile: 202-257-8739
email: alex@indiaphilanthropyalliance.org
Press Release
Washington, DC, USA —The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a U.S.-based coalition of 14 nonprofit, philanthropic, and charitable organizations that operate programs in India, has announced the results of this year’s Youth Essay Competition. The competition is one of several IPA initiatives designed to increase the culture of philanthropy among Indian Americans, particularly youth.
“These middle and high school youth presented thoughtful, passionate, and well researched ideas for how to address some of the bigger challenges faced by India today,” says Deepak Raj, Chairman of the Alliance. “We are heartened by their enthusiasm and look forward to seeing their continued development.” Essay winners are well positioned to join IPA programs as ambassadors and youth advisors and may in time be invited to engage at a deeper level.
As part of the competition, winners will have an opportunity to present their ideas at a special webinar hosted by IPA member Indiaspora on November 10 where hundreds of philanthropists, business leaders, and nonprofit staff and volunteers are expected to attend. Winners will also receive a $1,000 award to be directed to the charity of their choice. Runners up will have $500 to direct to the charity of their choice. All of this has been made possible through the generosity of The Sarva Mangal Family Trust.
“We are very encouraged by the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness of the students, some of whom are already engaged in the causes for which they advocate.” says Mona Shah, one of the judges for the competition and a representative of the Trust.
Rithani Saravanakumar of Redmond, Washington, the winner of the high school competition, wrote about deregulation of India crop prices and its impact on the rural farming community. “We need to help small farmers ability to stay in business,” says Rithani, “too many have had to give up their farms and are being left behind.” Rithani advocates for the development of a reliable infrastructure so that small farmers can produce, transport, and store their agricultural products.
Eisha Yadav of Redwood City, California, winner of the middle school competition, is passionate about setting up programs and community centers for the aging in India. “How can we ignore the needs of the population that helped raise us?” asks Eisha. She advocates for day care centers to be developed in India so that seniors receive social and emotional support in addition to basic health services.
The runner up in the high school competition, Diya Patel of Woodland Park, New Jersey (11th grade), advocated for equitable education for India’s rural youth. Chinmayi Joshi, middle school runner up from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, advocated for advancing services to disabled people, particularly those living in remote and impoverished regions of the country.
Finalists include Aniruddh Marella of Frisco, Texas, Eshwar Venkataswamy of Athens, Pennsylvania, and Jibraan Rahman of Plymouth, Michigan, in the high school category; and Arhaan Iyer of Dallas, Texas, Eesha Jain of Seattle, Washington, and Riya Pharsiyawar of Danbury, Connecticut, in the middle school category.
It is notable that winners and runners up in both categories are all girls or young women and that one of the judges, Maher Adoni, was last year’s winner in the high school category.
Essays for the winners, runners up, and finalists can be accessed on the India Philanthropy Alliance website.
About the Youth Essay Competition
The inaugural Youth Essay Competition was held in 2020 and was sponsored by The Sarva Mangal Family Trust. Now in its second year, the competition holds two categories, middle and high school youth, and focuses on the importance of philanthropy and in particular, donating to benefit India.
Essay winners and runners up were chosen by a panel of philanthropy experts appointed by IPA. The authors of the best essays in each age group will attend a special online gathering of IPA leaders, members, and families on November 10th to present their award-winning ideas. Winners will be invited to help shape, organize, and determine the winners of future competitions, if and when they are held.
Each submitted essay was in response to the following:
India is the world’s largest democracy and has made significant progress on social and environmental issues over the past 25 years. But India and its 1.3 billion people still have many urgent and unmet needs including access to food, shelter, health care, clean water, education, and a safe environment.
What do you think is the most significant issue facing India and its people today? What role do you think individuals (young and old) and groups here in the U.S. can play in being a part of the solution?
About the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA)
The IPA (https://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 fourteen member organizations of the IPA include Agastya USA, Akanksha Education Fund, American India Foundation, Arogya World, CRY America, Dasra, Foundation for Excellence (FFE), Indiaspora, Magic Bus USA, Pratham USA, Project ECHO, Sehgal Foundation, VisionSpring and WISH Foundation.
For any questions, please reach out to Alex Counts, Director at India Philanthropy Alliance at alex@indiaphilanthropyalliance.org.