The word "SPARSH" means touch in many Indian languages. SPARSH is an Ann Arbor, Michigan based nonprofit organization which aims to touch the lives of the disadvantaged in India by providing them access to the critical health care and well-being that they need and deserve. SPARSH believes that caring people can come together to make a difference in the lives of these children and women, and hence, engagement of the local community is an important part of the organization's mandate.
The SPARSH Difference
We select projects which address a health or well-being barriers, and ones where we can directly ?touch? the lives of disadvantaged women or children
We seek funding through a portfolio of sources including charitable contributions and earned income in order to support these projects
Fundraisers often take the form of meaningful community cultural events
We involve the youth in our local community through ongoing youth programs, with an objective to foster global social responsibility
We leverage existing programs run by reputable, established NGOs and institutions in India
We incur low or no intermediate or overhead costs so more funds reach those in need
We maintain transparency and full accountability in the entire process of funds transfer and their use
SPARSH History
Sreyashi Dey?s transformative experience in India led to the founding of SPARSH. When she was in Calcutta in December 2006, her father suffered a heart attack and underwent a major heart surgery. Always afraid of hospitals, illness and death till then, she had to suddenly confront her fears and deal with the emotions of seeing him recover from his surgery. She also came face-to-face with the heart-wrenching sight of a month old baby in the same post-operative area, fighting for her life after an open heart surgery.
Issues of life and death now had a different meaning. It was disquieting to realize what the implications of heart disease were across generations and income levels. She learned through conversations with her father's surgeon, Dr. Srirup Chatterjee, that he was deeply committed to finding ways to operate on children whose parents could not afford to pay for surgery. She began to discuss with him the possibility of forming a nonprofit organization that would raise funds for critical surgeries for children.
This was the seed that grew into SPARSH. Sreyashi, an active professional Odissi dancer, realized that she could use her art to help disadvantaged children who need surgeries. Heartened by the encouragement of members in the community, including artists, physicians, academics, and journalists, she got a group of individuals to form the executive board. Though from diverse professional backgrounds, they bring together their experience, talents and passion to the common goal of removing barriers for disadvantaged women and children. And thus touch a life.
