Association for Indias Development

1
Association for Indias Development

• Amherst chapter

2
Past Present and Future

• Started in Maryland in 1991, by a group of
  students
• Vision to be a voice for and provide assistance
  to underprivileged sections of Indian society
• Started a 501 (3) (C) non-profit organization to
  fund grassroots work in India
• Currently has 35 established and about 10 new
  chapters in US and 3 in India
• Successfully reviewed about 150 developmental
  projects in India

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Mission

• To solve interconnected problems holistic
  solutions are required

Micro credit Rural development Health Womens
empowerment
Poverty Illiteracy Child labor Overpopulation Ge
nder issues
4
What does AID do?

• Actively project soliciting, fund raising,
  funding, are the primary activities that any
  volunteer in AID undertakes

5
How does AID do this

• By having moderated discussions on issues of
  development and the role of different
  stakeholders with academicians and activists
• Fundraising drives
• Film screenings and interactive discussions
  social political documentaries and films to
  raise awareness
• AID annual conference best practices, self
  evaluation

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Past activities of AID-Amherst

• Begun in UMass Amherst in April
• Organized a lecture on Nuclear policy of India,
  and Environmental issues in Golden corridor of
  Gujarat
• Events in the pipeline Lecture and film series
  in fall, dance party, food fair, sport event
• Project review review of Hundred Block project

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Hundred Block Project

• Massive series of developmental projects in 6000
  villages in Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
• 5-7 year plan in the areas of health, credit
  co-operatives, literacy/adult education, rural
  enterprise, agricultural initiatives and women
  economic development
• Local projects are being funded by about 9
  chapters in US with the goal of the blocks
  finally being self sufficient

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Volunteer Now

• Attend an AID-Amherst meeting
• Subscribe to aidamherst_at_yahoogroups.com
• Read the aid newsletter (DISHAA)
  www.aidindia.org/dishaa
• Volunteer visit an AID projects, arrange a talk,
  help spread the word
• Contribute monetary/non-monetary, ideas,
  organize a fund drive

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AID-Amherst contact list

• Contact persons in AID-Amherst
• Hema hema_at_cs.umass.edu
• Puru purukulk_at_cs.umass.edu
• Pranesh pvenugop_at_cs.umass.edu
• Nidhi Shah nshah_at_student.umass.edu
• Swati sbirla_at_schoolph.umass.edu
• Sirisha naidu_at_resecon.umass.edu