WESTON, MA—The Boston Chapter of AIM for Seva, a 501 (c) (3) registered non-profit organization that supports poor tribal and rural children in India to finish high-school education, presents “Antar Yatra: The Inner Journey” on Sept. 22 at Regis College in Weston, MA.
The annual fundraising celebration dance is choreographed by Sharmila Biswas and is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM. It is the organization’s seventh annual fundraising dance and dinner celebration.
“Keeping with our reputation for bringing high quality dance productions by leading choreographers from India, this year we are delighted to present Sharmila Biswas’ Antar Yatra: The Inner Journey,” AIM for Seva said in a statement.
With a mix of Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, folk dances and martial arts set to four styles of music in five languages, Antar Yatra promises to be a visual and musical treat. It combines mythological, narrative, and abstract visualizations to depict the inner world of the women dancers of India and their spiritual journeys to achieve their artistic aspirations.
Established in 2000, AIM for Seva is a 501 (c) (3) registered non-profit organization that supports poor tribal and rural children in India to finish high-school education. It’s mission is to transform rural India one child at a time. AIM for Seva pioneered the concept of Free Student Homes (FSH, also called chatralayam) to provide needy children with lodging, nurturing care, nutritious meals, healthcare, after-school coaching, and extra-curricular resources, thus enabling them to complete high-school education.
The organization has succeeded in reducing the drop-out rate among such children by 90%. These homes are spread across 100+ locations in 16 states all across India. AIM for Seva services cater to 8,600 students from 1,700 villages every year, including 5 million meals served.
As an example of the difference AIM for Seva makes, Anil Dodiyar, a student from our chatralayam (FSH) in Rohtak, Haryana has secured admission in the BTech course at the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, after a highly competitive selection process. What is noteworthy is that he was coached for the entrance exams by Dinesh Kumar, an alumnus of a FSH in Solan, who is now pursuing a Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery in Shimla. It is heartening to see that paying forward is already happening among our students!
AIM for Seva was chosen for the 20th All India Mahaveer Awards in the Education category in 2017, topping the list of nominee NGOs with its exceptional service through value-based education to rural students. We have also been awarded the coveted Platinum Certificate by GuideStar India, empaneled by Tata Institute of Social Sciences as a partner organization in the National CSR hub, and won the top rating of Four Stars (Exceptional) from Charity Navigator, USA for the third year in a row.
Since 2013, the Boston chapter of AIM for Seva has raised over $650,000 from generous Boston area donors to build and run chatralayams, including adopting four of them in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.
“We appeal to you to support this great cause—enabling underprivileged children to finish high school—as a way of expressing gratitude for all the opportunities that our education has provided for us,” the statement said. “Our goal is to raise funds to support 300 children for a year, at $450 per child. We appeal to the Boston community to help us achieve this goal by sponsoring one or more children’s annual support. We do not sell tickets; we provide free passes to all donors for the dance and dinner (Indian vegetarian) program. Seating begins at 5:15PM.
For more information, please visit/contact: aimforsevaboston@gmail.com .
