AIF's $5 million initiative to fight AIDs in India

[Guest guest]

AIF's $5 million initiative to fight AIDs in India

Suman Guha Mozumder, October 24, 2006 15:38 IST

The American India Foundation (AIF) announced a new $5 million

(about Rs 22.5 crore) initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in India during

the non-profit organisation's third annual Fall Benefit Gala in San

Francisco recently.

Victor Menezes, former senior vice chairman of Citigroup and AIF co-

chair, made the announcement at the gala attended by over 700

people, including corporate executives, diplomats, artists,

journalists and AIF's well-wishers.

AIF Trustees Asha and Raj Rajaratnam made the first commitment & #65533; of $1.5

million (about Rs 6.75 crore) & #65533; for the project.

Mythili Sankaran, AIF's West Coast Regional Director, told rediff

India Abroad the gift of $1.5 million would go a long way in

speeding up AIF's work on prevention education, equip community

clinics with trained healthcare providers and provide care and

support, particularly to vulnerable children and pregnant women.

The gala brought into focus the work AIF is doing in India, and the

great deal more that can be done when pooling minds and resources,

Sankaran said.

The September 23 gala, that included a cocktail reception, awards

ceremony, dinner and a musical concert, finally raised a record

$1.75 million for AIF's developmental work.

Sankaran said the proceeds from the gala would go to furthering

AIF's three pillars of development work in India & #65533; education,

livelihood and public health.

" The amount we raised at the gala will be allocated for all

grassroots programs, including public health, " she said, adding that

in future the foundation wants to expand other public health

concerns as well.

Recent figures of HIV/AIDS infections among adults and children in

India, which has the second-largest HIV-positive population after

South Africa, are estimated at over 5 million.

Without appropriate action and given the risk factors in India, some

predict the infection levels will rise as high as 20 to 25 million

by 2010, equal to the combined population of London, New York and

Tokyo.

Although AIF was launched soon after the Gujarat earthquake

primarily to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the

calamity, in his speech Menezes focused on how the AIF has grown in

terms of developmental work in India in the past five years.

" He mentioned that today the AIF is considered a premier

organisation when it comes to scaled and sustainable work in India

for the marginalised people in the country and he did talk about the

new areas of focus for AIF and where it wants to go in future from

where the organisation is today, " Sankaran said.

" We want to become the primary point for the Diaspora, the most

trusted channel when it comes to giving to India for developmental

work. That is why, going forward, a large part of our focus would be

on scaling our efforts to continue to work more effectively, "

Sankaran said.

" We will scale our work with both the central government and various

state governments in India and create innovative models to reach

more number of marginalised people. That is where we see our value

addition, " she said.

At the gala, Hollywood producer Ashok Amritraj and Silicon Valley

venture capitalists Vinod Khosla and Bill Draper served as gala

chairs. AIF also recognised Otellini, President and CEO of

Intel Corporation, and Nandan Nilekani, CEO of Infosys Technologies

Ltd for their leadership, entrepreneurial endeavors and commitment

to corporate social responsibility in India.

In his address Otellini spoke about Intel's commitment to further

proliferation of technology in India as well as its community

outreach efforts.

Intel's focus areas of work in the community in India include

education, where it is providing technology and training support to

institutions such as the SOS Children's Villages of India, India

Sponsor Foundation, among others.

It also launched volunteer matching grant program last year in 25

Karnataka government schools, five special schools, and two Intel

Computer Clubhouses. For every 20 volunteer hours spent by an Intel

employee, the institution gets $50 from the Intel Foundation.

" Intel is looking at AIF as one of their partners to do the

community outreach, " Sankaran said.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/oct/24suman.htm