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Children’s Hope India is in the business of turning small dreams into big realities.

Can the child of a security guard and a homemaker make it to medical school? Jyotsna, a student at CHI-Eklavya, became the first in the school’s history to be awarded a seat in medical school.

Can the daughter of a driver and a home-maker, mired in poverty, not only finish school but make it to college? Kaveri, also from the same school and with a scholarship from CHI, has gone on to win a seat in the prestigious NIT-Jalandar.

These are just two of the children that Children’s Hope India has taken under its wing in its 30-year-history – and this year we celebrate the many children whose lives were changed. They  have grown to adulthood, moving from poverty to prosperity and a future that is limitless.

The organization, which started out as a small group of New York women professionals trying to make a difference in the lives of children continents away, turned 30 years old this year. To celebrate we are launching our ambitious 30 x 30 Education Initiative which will bring early learning and remedial learning to vulnerable communities in India.

So it was that the Indian-American community gathered in the beautiful ballroom of the Indian Consulate near Central Park, with the cherubs looking down on the proceedings as scores of noted guests and supporters gathered together on July 27, 2022.

Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India,  helped CHI launch this venture. As he lit the ceremonial lamp with co-founders of the organization, he noted: “We commend the work being done by Children’s Hope India. Through their education and skills initiative, they are making a difference to the lives of our children, our future. In their own small but meaningful way, they are helping us attain Sustainable Development Goals. We appreciate the commitment of CHI’s members to give back to society. We must work together for our children for they are the shared future of our world.”

Over the past 30 years Children’s Hope has nurtured and grown educational programs including 5 accredited schools and 7 community-based programs focused on non-formal education across 9 states. The challenge in the coming years will be the increased dropout rates – nationwide, the annual dropout rate of secondary school students is 14.6% . For older students, more and more are dropping out to pick up low-skilled employment, and the World Bank estimates India will lose $440 billion in future earnings as a result. Anganwadis, which largely focus on providing nutrition, are responsible for providing early childhood learning for 40 million low-income children between 3-6 years of age. When they reach grade 1, 43% of low income children cannot recognize alphabets and 35% cannot recognize numbers 1-9.

“With our extensive experience over the past 30 years we have been able to look back and identify the gaps that exist in the educational system and at the same time increase our outreach. The areas that need focus to ensure a better outcome are early education of the 3 to 6 year olds and once transitioned to governmental schools, we will provide tuition support to prevent dropouts,” said Dr Dina Pahlajani, president of Children’s Hope.

Executive board member Moneesha Sani, who emceed the evening, provided a snapshot of the 30 x30 Educational Initiative with a powerful video of the children of Prerana. The five pilot sites being launched  are at Prerana in Mumbai, Door Step School in Mumbai, Prayas in Delhi, Chahak in Delhi and CHI School in Bhuj. Guests, many of them longtime supporters of Children’s Hope, were asked to join in supporting this exciting venture which would make a real difference in the future of children. This will be formally launched at the Children’s Hope India Gala at Pier Sixty in Manhattan on September 18. The spirit of giving was already in the air – restaurateur Neetu Singh of Minar insisted on donating all the street foods and drinks for this evening of thanking CHI supporters.

Alert! Save the date for the upcoming gala – pledge to be in the 30 x30 challenge and have great fun in the celebration of Children’s Hope! www.childrenshopeindia.oom