Our next generation of leaders
CH2 is a group of young professionals, with a wide range of interests, skills and experience, who work directly with the board members and staff of Children’s Hope India to support and extend initiatives of the organization. The CH2 team organizes a number of networking and leadership events in New York City – helping to raise funds for a variety of programs and keep supporters connected and updated on CHI projects and activities. Attending annual events, like the ‘Summer Soiree’ and ‘Cocktails and Conversations’ at the Harvard Club’, has helped hundreds of new people get more familiar with organization and find ways to get involved. In addition to being active in community, CH2 has also become increasingly more involved with CHI Projects in India.
During the past year, CH2 members have travelled to Bhopal and Delhi, along with several doctors, as part of a medical mission organized by CHI. Just one accomplishment during their trip to different parts in India, included workshops for doctors and health screenings conducted for patients, as well as much needed translation and logistical support.
Another CH2 initiative included an opportunity to power digital classrooms in rural areas of Maharashtra using solar energy. Several fundraising initiatives, like the Fitness Challenge, helped launch sports programs for hundreds of children in India.
CH2 continues to help raise money, reach new donors and make a difference – In the next year, CH2 aims to inspire more like-minded people to get involved, while also helping transition into the next generation of leaders.
Kanishka is a third-year law student at Columbia Law School. She also received her B.A. from Columbia University in Political Science and Human Rights in 2018. She loves tutoring and mentoring younger students and was a Mock Trial coach in 2015 for kids from underserved communities in NYC and a volunteer tutor throughout her time in high school and college. Kanishka is a dedicated CH2 board member and works actively on CHI fundraising initiatives, event organization, and community outreach. She is proud of the amazing work and mission of Children’s Hope India and is excited to be a part of its continued success.
Sunjana Khubani, known for her demeanor as “Sunny,” earned her B.A. from University of Michigan in 2014 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. She currently works both as co-founder of a personal care and wellness brand, Hempvana, and as Brand Manager at Bulbhead.com. As co-chair of the Young Professionals’ board, Sunny is passionate about uplifting and supporting those in need, dedicating time to spearheading and organizing CH2’s initiatives through fundraising, event planning, and donor outreach. In her free time, Sunny can mostly be found singing and writing music, and you may even be able to catch her performing at a local venue in NYC.
Nikita Farhadi is a board-certified Physician Assistant at a private Dermatology practice on Long Island, NY. She received her masters degree in Physician Assistant studies from St. John’s University. Nikita has always had a passion for community outreach and has volunteered at numerous assistant living centers, soup kitchens and health centers over the years. As a member of the CH2 young professionals chapter, she continues her passion through fundraising efforts and event organization. Nikita is excited about combining her medical background with her dedication to giving back to the community by partaking in the incredible outreach of Children’s Hope India.
Neel Pahlajani is a Thought Leadership Specialist for Samsung SDS America, focusing on digital and content marketing. He received his B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University, and has varied professional experiences including Live Video Broadcasting, Product Management, and Sports Management. He has been a member of CH2 for 15 years, and has spent time in India working with Hoops India – to promote basketball in India.
Puja Pahlajani has been involved with Children’s Hope India since its inception and is a founding member of CH2 focusing on outreach and fundraising efforts. She graduated from Boston University and currently works at Bloomberg L.P.
Silky has been an active member of Children’s Hope since 2011. In addition to volunteering for local CH2 events she has visited ongoing projects in India, such as schools supported by CH fundraisers. Silky is a physician at Weill Cornell and specializes in memory disorders, ranging from brain injury to various dementias. She’s passionate about integrating her leadership experience and medical profession to serve and empower underprivileged communities.
Arya is currently an Operations Associate on the COO’s team at Guggenheim Partners. He graduated from Binghamton University with a B.S. in Economics & Finance. He is looking to get involved and contribute in every aspect of CH2’s initiatives
Samir has led projects with Children’s Hope over the years and has held a variety of positions in other organizations focused on impacting children, including serving as a member of the Advisory Board at A Precious Child and President of Columbia HEART. Samir graduated from Columbia University and currently works at Partners Group.
Manisha Bahrani, Omesh Lund, Neel Pahlajani, Puja Pahlajani, Nicole Rajani
Nikita Farhadi, Namrata Israni, Kanishka Kewlani, Sunny Khubani, Monica Kukreja, Puja Pahlajani, Silky Pahlajani, Ekta Thani
Arya Doshi, Tiya Gulanikar, Hitesh Kewlani, Kareena Pamani, Krish Pamani, Prachi Udeshi, Samir Wadhwani
The group is comprised of young professionals from a myriad of sectors including media and entertainment, finance, information technology, and nonprofit. The organization, therefore, greatly benefits from significant knowledge capital with skills ranging from web design, social media and digital video, to accounting, event planning, and donor management.
“Get to Know Us” events in New York City are the hallmarks of CH2. They always attract hundreds of like-minded young people. Nothing better than networking, having a great time and supporting your favorite charity. Help spread the word and join the fun.
The CH2-led Fitness Challenge helped create a full sports program at one of the Children’s Hope schools in Hyderabad. A Winter Wine and Wishes event, was another major success when so many children had their wishes come true with the generosity of the attendees. Most recently, a comedy event at the Gotham Comedy Cub in Manhattan brought hope to children in the slums.
Each spring, CH2 hosts a “Cocktails and Conversations” event at the Harvard Club, which serves as a kick off for the Annual Gala. It is an intimate event which is a forum to share ideas and enable supporters to meet the Gala Lotus Award Honoree.
CH2 seeks to identify challenges and key issues that help to improve the lives of children in India. Below are a few of the many projects CH2 has supported over the last few years:
An estimated 70% of India’s population lives in villages. And approximately 400 million Indians, in 72,000 villages, do not have access to power in any form. Their day ends when the sun goes down. Students from a college in Mumbai started an initiative to light up 33 villages in eight months, providing light to 1,000 rural houses in Maharashtra. CH2 teamed up with them to light up several villages–including Dongaripada, a tribal coastal village in Dahanu Taluka–where we helped provide solar panels and lanterns.
In many parts of India, children often lose their vision due to preventable eye disease. In 2012, CH2 partnered with a renowned eye institute to expand screenings and corrective procedures for children in rural India. Since July 31, 2012, we have trained 124 teachers, conducted vision checks on more than 7,000 children and referred more than 700 for further treatment. Early detection helps prevent blindness and by catching eye disease early we are making a huge impact in the lives of these children.
Thank you to all those who joined CH2 for our “Light Up the Night” event on Thurs, Nov 1 to celebrate Diwali and to raise funds for the electrification of schools ...
Join us today at 7PM!