Executive Board Statement

The Executive Board of SPARSH shares a common vision to support disadvantaged children and women in India and to create a non-profit organization that supports projects in a sustainable and creative manner and not merely by one-time, ad-hoc fundraising efforts.

Our world today is globally connected. Developing countries like China and India are flourishing. However, the growth in prosperity and economic activity in these countries have come at a price: increased demand on scarce natural resources, heightened environmental concerns, and greater income inequality between the rich and the poor. More than ever, the poor need a helping hand.

Leveraging the power of those of us who are more fortunate, we, as a group, have the ability to touch the lives of those with the most critical needs such as children with congenital heart defects whose parents cannot pay for their treatment or mentally ill women, who seek funds to return to their villages, thousands of miles away, after being rehabilitated.

Since all members of the SPARSH Executive Board were either born in India or have close family ties with the country, we chose to focus on the poor in India . In a country where 95% of its 1.1B population earns less than $600 a year, basic healthcare and education is an unaffordable luxury, and the lack of which can be life-threatening or serve to entrench them in poverty.

We believe that our special connection to India allows SPARSH to provide better project management due to country knowledge, relationships with established non-governmental organizations, and a strong network of contacts to support project sourcing, selection and monitoring. Through community building, creative fundraising methods, and fun and interesting cultural events, SPARSH aims to bridge the gap between India and Michigan .

Lastly, the Board chose to focus on children and women because we are passionate about helping lesser-advantaged women to reach their potential and children to grow up with more opportunities than barely surviving. These values of charity and compassion are what we want to pass on to our own children and inspire in you.