The AshRa Vani v.2

The AshRa Vani

As we embark on our 4th year of service and compassion, I feel compelled to address a topic that lies at the heart of our mission – Privilege.

Who amongst us has not felt a pang of conscience on seeing a needy soul? Who amongst us hasn’t wished a better life for another human being? It is here that we could use our privilege for good, because with privilege comes power – the power to uplift others and create positive change in the world.

I reflect constantly on the many reasons why people donate. It is a mix of motivations and unique contexts and life experiences that make people contribute. Some do so because they like a specific cause, or because of a sense of moral ethics and values or perhaps to make the community a better place to live. And some others donate because someone asked them to. Whatever your reason for donating, in the end it is a win-win situation for everyone, as charitable giving has a positive impact on happiness.

With gratitude,

Asha Baliga Secretary

Goals & Objectives

2023 has been a great year for AshRa with generous donations from our community and beyond. We not only met but exceeded our target, allowing us to make an even greater impact. While AshRa as a public charity cannot reach out to individuals personally, we hope we have touched the lives of many through our contributions to other deserving charities. We wish to make greater strides this year and in years to come!

AshRaheldour2ndannual DiwaliDriveinthemonthof November!AndinDecemberwe mailedholidayflyerstomany acrossthenation.

Itisgreattoknowthatsomeof theinstitutionsthatwesupport arecontinuingtodosowell:

THE ASHRA VANI| ASHRACHARITY.ORG

Srivali Trust, Shirali.

The students of Srivali High school, in the past academic year, after coming out of the shadow of the pandemic have achieved a 98.98% success rate in the SSLC exam. The school is also waiting for the implementation of the new Education Policy in the state and also exploring the prospect of switching their medium of instruction from Kannada to English.

SMSIMSR

Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Science & Research

After the institute’s inauguration by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on March 25, 2023, 50 students have joined the nation’s first free medical college. SMSIMSR has also signed Memorandums of Understanding with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Sankara Eye Hospital (SEH), Bengaluru to collaborate on healthcare.

Youth4Jobs

Y4J with its vision of helping every youth with disability to be Poverty free, Independent and Confident has won several national and international awards. It has recently been awarded by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Chamber of Commerce. Along with SwarajAbility and NotJustArt, Youth4Jobs is a driving force in changing Disability into Ability (Watch Meera Shenoy’s Tedx talk on YouTube) and building resilient livelihoods for youth with disabilities with a special focus on women with disabilities.

Sankara Eye Foundation

Started in 1998, with the establishment of one hospital in Coimbatore to currently having 26 Hospitals in India covering 15 states, it is the

largest free eye program in the world, with a mission to eliminate curable blindness in India. In 2023 alone, 356,000 free eye surgeries were performed. They were nominated as the Organization of the Year 2023 by The South Asian Times.

University of Silicon Andhra

In 2023, in addition to the charities we support locally, we added the University of Silicon Andhra (UofSA) to our list of approved charities. Rooted in

the traditions of India, this diverse university provides an opportunity for the students to actualize their potential and to contribute to their local and global community with excellence, professionalism and integrity.

AshRa Appreciation Dinner

ABI KAMATH

A GRAND SUCCESS!

AshRa hosted an Appreciation Dinner at Amber Indian Restaurant, Los Altos, CA, in the summer of 2023. The event was well attended and brought together supporters and donors in a spirit of camaraderie. The evening started with opening remarks, followed by some light entertainment and a sumptuous dinner.

Throughout the evening speeches were delivered shedding light on the importance of the charity’s mission and included a video where AshRa’s Impact was shown.

Complementary AshRa Charity mugs were distributed. Overall, the charity dinner was a memorable occasion and led to many donations from new and previous donors.

Sincere thanks to all! from AshRa Charitable Fund, Inc.

RAVI BALIGA

Discussing charitable donations in America

ADITYA MAHAJAN Comedian

For a more interactive experience, view this .pdf in the Notes app of your iPad where you can write in the answers using Apple Pencil. Or print this page and have fun!

Down:

1. Selfless service in Sanskrit

3. City of Ram Mandir

4. The North American Konkani newsletter

7. The financial capital of India

8. Act of giving to those in need

Across:

2. The holy river of India

4. Name of Northern California Konkani Association

5. Non-Governmental Organization

6. Mother in many Indian languages

9. “Hope” in Hindi

10. Konkani staple dish

11. Kodial’s famous festival