New England Asian American Coalition - #StandWithIndia 

The Covid Crisis in India has affected millions and has severely stressed the health services.     The New England Asian American Coalition (NEAAC) has pledged to raise $1 million to support NGOs that are working to help India during this difficult time. The coalition has members of different Ethnic Asian American Groups including, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and others. 

As of May 15, 2021, it is estimated that some 28 million have tested positive and the death toll now is around 290,000. The spike in cases over the past few weeks has been huge. Some even estimate that 300 million people may have been infected with the virus. Many Indian American NGOs have been working tirelessly to support India, and many individuals have been donating large amounts of money for the cause. “The challenge in the urban areas has brought support from many NGOs. Sewa International shipped more than 7,250 oxygen concentrators, 250 ventilators and disbursed $6 million in grants to various partner organizations working on the ground in India”, said Raju Datla, who is a volunteer at Sewa. “The challenge in rural India is even greater without viable access to healthcare. With a focus on Rural India, Ekal Vidyalaya has sent over 10,000 medical devices and medical kits to the villages”, said Ranjani Saigal, executive director for Ekal Vidyalaya foundation of USA. Unfortunately, this is far from enough because of the huge number of pandemic victims.  

“Asian Americans are coming together and standing with fellow Asian Americans to help with this humanitarian crisis” said George He from the New England Chinese American Alliance, who is  one of the founding members of the coalition. While the current focus of the coalition is to provide relief for the current crisis, the coalition’s long-term objective is to lay the foundation for a collective group of Asian Americans who can provide support for any need that gets the attention of New Englanders.  “When there is suffering anywhere, in the US or elsewhere, Asian Americans are always at the fore-front of providing support. Whether it be the Pandemic in the US or the hurricanes the Asian Americans who are part of the coalition have provided tremendous support. Together, we can amplify our impact” said Satish Jha, who initiated the coalition. 

We jointly call on organizations and individuals from all backgrounds to join hands with the #StandWithIndia campaign to create awareness and encourage people to donate. We have identified two wonderful organizations to receive donations, Sewa International and Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA. The following is the donation information - please use #StandWithIndia in the donation notes.  

Sewa International USA, www.sewausa.org/donate
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA, www.ekal.org/us/donate

George He

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