The Desai Foundation Announces the Chandu Shah Memorial Fund to Support the Heroes for Humanity Program

WOBURN, Mass.–The Desai Foundation announced the creation of the Chandu Shah Memorial Fund, established by Eshani, Shailee, and Kushaan Shah in loving memory of Chandu Shah. The five-year commitment will support the Desai Foundation’s Heroes for Humanity program, which recruits and trains community health facilitators drawn from the very communities they serve across rural India.

A dear friend of the Desai family for many years, Chandu Shah was a remarkable entrepreneur, artist, poet, playwright, filmmaker, and community leader whose impact on the greater Boston community continues to be felt by so many. As President and CEO of S4 Inc., he built a successful business while dedicating his life to uplifting others through mentorship, creativity, and service. A longtime advisor to the Desai Foundation and early supporter of the Heroes for Humanity program, Chandu was also a familiar and beloved presence at the Desai Foundation’s signature fundraising event, the Lotus Festival in Boston.

Launched in 2021 in partnership with S.P. Hinduja Banque as a rapid response to the COVID-19 crisis, Heroes for Humanity has since grown into the Desai Foundation’s flagship program for community-led change in rural India. The program recruits and trains local women as “Heroes,” embedded community facilitators who deliver health screenings, menstrual hygiene education, banking and savings guidance, and vocational training directly within their own villages. To date, more than 1000 Heroes trained through the program have reached upwards of 26 million people across 8 states, extending dignity, opportunity, and essential services to communities that are often the hardest to reach.

“Chandu poured his whole heart into everything he did, his work, his art, his community, and the people he loved,” said Eshani Shah. “This fund is our way of making sure that spirit keeps going. We can think of no better tribute than to invest in the women and communities that the Desai Foundation serves, because that is exactly what Chandu would have wanted.”

Each year, the Fund will help train and nurture new Heroes, extending Chandu’s legacy of service far beyond Massachusetts and into the heart of rural India. A $1,000 annual gift sponsors one Hero, who goes on to directly reach more than 2,400 people in their community with essential health, livelihood, and menstrual equity programming. Those inspired to support this work in Chandu’s honor can learn more about sponsoring a Hero at www.thedesaifoundation.org/our-work/heroes-for-humanity

“We are deeply grateful to Eshani, Shailee, and Kushaan for honoring Chandu’s extraordinary legacy in a way that will continue creating opportunity, hope, and lasting impact for years to come,” said Megha Desai, President of The Desai Foundation. “Chandu embodied the values our programming was built on: dedication to others, courage, and commitment to making the world better. This Fund ensures that spirit lives on.”

The Shah family has also supported the Desai Foundation’s Lotus Festival year after year, and Chandu’s memory will be honored there as well. This year’s Lotus Festival takes place on October 10, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The Festival has been shaped by the generosity of the greater Boston community, and one of the best ways to carry Chandu’s legacy forward is to join in celebrating it. Tickets and more information are available at www.thedesaifoundation.org/events/lotus-festival-boston

The Desai Foundation is a nonprofit organization that empowers women and children through health, livelihood, and menstrual equity in rural India. The organization has directly impacted more than 12 million lives across more than 4,000 communities in eight states through over 30 community-driven programs. The Desai Foundation believes every person deserves the dignity and opportunity to dream beyond their circumstances.

Learn more at www.thedesaifoundation.org.