CHI Gala Celebrates Education, Caring and Community in New York
Even in this age of AI, it all begins with the written word. At its gala this month CHI celebrated the future of our children with the power of the written word. You’ll rarely find books at a gala, but the evening was a tribute to education and the power it has to enrich the potential of every child.
There were stacks of beautiful books on the stage, on the elegant dinner tables and there was an actual stem and robotic display set up in the cocktail area, along with a children’s library and an art gallery devoted to the paintings of children from the slums and villages. There is such a yearning for real art from the heart that every piece was sold, bought by the 350 guests at the gala.
The weather played sportingly too – a crisp clear day on the waterfront as guests mingled on Pier Sixty’s beautiful waterfront and enjoyed cocktails, pani puri and pao bhaji, among other Indian delights, before a sit-down dinner. The visual delight of course was the sizzling dance segments by the Atma Performing Arts set to addictive Bollywood tunes.
The emcee of the evening was Monisha Agrawal who spoke eloquently about all that CHI has accomplished in 34 years of service including the 30 by 30 Education Initiative which began with just five pilot sites three years ago and has tripled to over 17 centers in underserved communities across 10 states, reaching over 10,000 children. As the CHI video brought alive: “Behind every number is a child discovering confidence, a teacher rediscovering the joy of teaching, a parent becoming their child’s biggest champion. technology is opening a new world. With computers, STEM kits, and robotics in their hands, children are learning to build, experiment, and turn their own ideas into reality. They are learning to imagine, create, and solve problems.”
This year’s honorees included denizens of the medical and pharmaceutical world: Dr. Makarand Jawadekar, recognized with the Lotus Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. Manish A. Parikh, recipient of the Making a Difference Award. There was also recognition for internationally renowned chef Vikas Khanna and Mysha Rizvi, recognized as Special Impact Honorees; and Roshni Sawhny, recipient of the Rising Star Award.
Roshni Sawhny, Co-founder, Storypie, underscored the importance of investing in the next generation, saying, “We believe the success of our society rests in the hands of our children—not someday, but right now: in classrooms, at kitchen tables and at bedtime. How we prepare them and set them up for success begins now.”
Perhaps the most poignant moment came when CHI recognized Master Chef Vikas Khanna and his protégé Mysha Rizvi, with the Special Impact Award. It was a real life learning moment of how everyone can be included into a more fair and equal world, if there’s encouragement. In her role as special guest relations manager at Bungalow, Mysha has flowered into a confident person finding her way in the world. Her short speech was brave before this big audience and was met with heartfelt applause.
Education is vital to what CHI endeavors to do and Sharmila Sani, who had recently visited the CHI projects spoke eloquently about what she saw. “Today, we partner with over 10 government schools, bringing inspiring teachers, viable early learning, technology and opportunity to 1000s more children. Tomorrow won’t ask our children what they memorized. It will ask, can they think? Can they adapt? Can they create? Our responsibility is not just to prepare children for the jobs of tomorrow, but to give them the confidence to shape tomorrow itself”
Dr. Dina Pahlajani, president of CHI, said: “For us at CHI, the end of this gala is the beginning of a new year. Tomorrow, we go back to planning, building, and delivering on the promises we have made to the children, the families we serve, and most importantly, everybody who has supported CHI.”
For more information on CHI and how you can participate please visit www.childrenshopeindia.org
CHI Gala Photo Gallery
