Association for India’s Development (AID), a non-profit organization, is holding its year end online fundraiser campaign, “One for India” (www.oneforindia.org/boston), to continue supporting and initiating projects for just, sustainable, and equitable development in India, which it has been doing for the past 20 years.

Through the OFI campaign, AID will highlight how contributions from the Indian diaspora have been used effectively towards projects in interconnected spheres of development, such as anti-corruption,
agriculture, education, health, environment, livelihood, woman’s empowerment, disaster relief and rehabilitation, and social justice. In 2011, AID has disbursed $1.4 million to support around 100 projects in 19 states of India. The Boston chapter of AID has disbursed approximately $140,000 towards projects thus far in 2011. To show an example of how far these contributions have gone in this past year, AID was able to help more than 17,000 families receive job cards under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and the minimum wage for NREGA work was raised across the states of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan through campaign work via Right-to-Information (RTI) applications. AID was recently honored with Times of India’s Social Impact award for its Global Contribution to development in India.

AID has reached out to the most marginalized people of India as it believes that they are central to the process of positive change in India, and has relied on community contributions in the U.S. and throughout the world in its mission to help the marginalized lead their lives with dignity. Stressing on the need for a wider participation from the Indian diaspora, Mona Mandal, the OFI campaign coordinator and a volunteer of AID in Boston, said, “When 320 million people in India live with less than 50 cents a day, every contribution counts. For the total price we pay in a year for our daily cup of coffee, 40 marginal farmer households in West Bengal can become empowered to shift to self-reliant organic farming.”

In an effort to broaden visibility of its work, AID-Boston will also be participating in the “31 Nights of Light” event at the Prudential Center. On December 22nd, we will “flip the switch” to light the top of the Prudential Tower with orange, white, and green lights, that symbolize the Indian flag.

WHO: Association for India’s Development (AID)
WHAT: One-for-India Campaign
WHEN: November 11th 2011 - January 15th 2012
WHERE: www.oneforindia.org/boston

Having closely partnered with the marginalized people for 20 years, AID has witnessed the empowering impact its supporters have made to the lives of the poor and that resonates in AID’s campaign mantra "Create a ripple with your ONE contribution a day. Together, we can make everyONE count."

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