At a luncheon ceremony on August 28, 2004, Next Generation Foundation (NGF) launched a commercial free portal website http://www.nextgenfoundation.org to serve as an interface to Indians all over the world to discuss issues on topics from education to geopolitics and to create awareness among Indians on the need to empower the less fortunate and build a stronger India. The event was conducted at the Milan Restaurant in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The portal website was launched by Prof. Nishikant Sonwalkar of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rajan Viswanathan, Fundraising Director of NGF, welcomed the chief guest and attendees. Peo Nathan, Co-founder of NGF, spoke on the importance of every Indians duty to extend ones compassion to eradicate poverty from India through participation and by real action. He also stressed the need that Indians all over the world should come together on a united platform and defined how NGFs portal website could be instrumental in accomplishing this goal.

Pramit Makoday, one of the Board Directors of NGF, introduced the chief guest Prof. Sonwalkar to speak on the occasion. Prof. Sonwalkar spoke on the importance of education and how small entrepreneurship can alleviate poverty in the subcontinent. Prof. Sonwalkar offered his help to bring online education through NGFs portal environment. Prof. Anil Saigal of Tufts University also spoke on the subject of education, highlighting the success of the Indian educational system and importance of offering educational opportunities to the less fortunate children in India. He also offered his support to NGFs mission to develop a growing network of Indians abroad and in India who would contribute and work for the empowerment of the children of India by virtue of honest help.

Naveed Deshmukh, Treasurer of NGF, also spoke on the occasion and stressed the need for the Indian community to come together on NGFs united platform to serve India by supporting the education of underprivileged children living in India.

The function was concluded by Rajan Viswanathan followed by buffet lunch for the chief guest and all the attendees of the event. In short, NGFs portal website launch was one small step for NGF, one giant leap towards empowering the next generation in the subcontinent.

Lokvani had a chance to talk to Peo before the meeting.

Lokvani: How is NGF different from other organizations in the Boston area?
Peo: NGF's goal is to bring about social change of reason in the hearts of Indians abroad and in India while doing charitable work all over India by getting rid of segregation here and help strengthen NRI ties with India through real action by participation. Poverty is a social issue and mere charity will not help alleviate poverty. We believe our security and prosperity really rests in the home called India where a strong social foundation needs to be laid.

Lokvani: Can you highlight some of your past activities.
Peo: NGF participated and worked with other NGOs in India by bringing over 200 children under NGF's fold for supporting through out their education. NGF also helped restart lives of over a dozen families after the Gujarat riots by providing them their instruments of small business.

Lokvani: What is NGF working on?
Peo: NGF is working on setting up a National Integrity School by 2007, which will be headquartered in Mumbai. This school will take outstanding orphans from the NGOs it supports all over the country who show potential in various fields and will be trained with NGF's value of unity in diversity to become doctors, lawyers, journalist, engineers and even enter politics.

Lokvani: Thanks for taking the time.
Peo: Thanks.

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