Light up a child’s Christmas with a $21 Gift of Joy
This Christmas, encourage your children and grandchildren to make a small donation of just $21, which will brighten the Christmas of a child in Gujarat. For many children in rural areas of Gujarat, basic necessities such as shoes, backpacks, or even a simple set of clothes are out of reach. Your contribution will provide one backpack, a pair of tracksuits, shoes, and sweets, allowing these children to enjoy Christmas with the essentials they often go without.
In collaboration with Love Sports, this campaign, led by the youth of Gujaratis of North America (GONA USA), aims to raise funds for 1,000 underprivileged schoolchildren in the Tapi district and impoverished villages of Charotar. These children come from families that struggle to afford basic educational supplies, let alone extras for festive occasions.
The youth team is spearheaded by Varun Gandhi and Ilesha Gupta from Los Angeles, alongside Juhi Mehta and Tanmay Mistry from New Jersey, all driven by the mission to make a tangible difference in these children’s lives.
GONA USA and Love Sports are nonprofit organizations committed to encouraging 2nd and 3rd-generation Asian Indians to actively engage in cultural activities like Uttrayan, Holi, Navratri, and Diwali. For the past five years, GONA USA has been hosting Uttrayan in Los Angeles, with funds raised from these events supporting charitable initiatives like this one.
In 2021, GONA USA launched the “Gujarati Shikho Abhiyan,” a free Gujarati language learning program in which 100 students participated. These lessons are now available on the GONA USA website: www.gonausa.org. The organization’s future plans include starting a Youth Exchange Program, where American youth will travel to India to teach sports and music to underprivileged students in rural schools.
GONA USA works closely with the Love Sports India Foundation, which is based in Surat. Over the past two years, Love Sports has raised funds to build an athletic ground in Surat district, providing facilities for running tracks, volleyball, Kho-Kho, free Taekwondo classes, table tennis, chess, and exercise equipment for 30 schools. Many students benefiting from these initiatives come from households where a pair of shoes or a proper uniform would otherwise be a luxury.
Thanks to generous donors like Mr. Sudhir and Dr. Daksha Kapadia, cricket grounds and exercise equipment have been provided to schools in Sarbhon near Bardoli, along with free Taekwondo classes. They also donated $50,000 to build an athletic ground in Amalsad near Navsari and a school in Savli near Vadodara.
Special thanks also go to Mr. Ketan and Janki Sharma, Mr. & Mrs. Mahesh and Usha Wadher, Dr. & Mrs. Jaggi and Harsha Patel, and Dr. & Mrs. Harisinh and Mina Chauhan, among many others, for their continued support.
Looking ahead, GONA USA and Love Sports plan to develop more athletic grounds in Vyara, Mandvi, and other schools across the Surat, Tapi, and Navsari districts. Love Sports India Foundation is a recognized nonprofit by the Sports Authority of Gujarat.
GONAUSA and Love Sports are actively seeking volunteers to participate in the Gujarati Shikho Abhiyan, the Student Exchange Program, and fundraising efforts for future projects. We’re also working to engage mainstream American youth in our initiatives.
For more information and to get involved, visit www.gonausa.org OR www.lovesportsindia.org
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