Akshaya Patra Houston Chapter Hosts Community Outreach Luncheon

from Indo-American News: May 26, 2023

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sugar land: On Saturday, May 20th, 2023, the Akshaya Patra Houston Chapter organized a Community Outreach Luncheon at Telfair Central Hall in Sugar Land. The event served as an opportunity for the Houston chapter to express their gratitude to the compassionate and caring Houston community for their remarkable support in 2022. The community’s generous contributions enabled the sponsorship of nutritious midday meals for over 50,000 students throughout the entire school year.

Geeta Rai, the Development Director from Akshaya Patra USA, delivered an insightful presentation on the Akshaya Patra program, highlighting its mission and accomplishments. Attendees were moved by the organization’s efforts to alleviate hunger in school-age children in India attending government schools.

Janardan Thakkar, an advisor to the Houston chapter, emphasized the importance of expanding the chapter’s reach to further spread Akshaya Patra’s mission and its programs. Mr. Thakkar also shared inspiring details about his and his wife Linda’s commitment to funding a mid-day meal kitchen in the Bangalore area of India, which will provide meals for 35,000 children. He called upon all those present to join the Houston team in their noble cause. Sanjeev Yamdagni and Ashok Shah provided detailed information about the various activities and initiatives undertaken by the Houston Chapter.

The luncheon featured an engaging question and answer session, allowing attendees to further understand the impact of their contributions. The event concluded on a delicious note with a delightful lunch for all participants. Numerous community members attended the event, reflecting the Houston community’s strong support for the cause.

Looking ahead, the APUSA Houston chapter plans to organize additional community outreach sessions across various parts of the metro Houston area. Those interested in hosting a program in their local community are encouraged to reach out to the Houston team for more information.

Akshaya Patra is a renowned non-profit organization that has been providing hot mid-day meals to millions of school children in India for over 20 years. The organization’s commendable work has gained recognition from prestigious platforms such as Time Magazine, BBC World News, and other social media outlets. The ini- tiative aims to combat the unfortunate reality faced by many children from low-income families who are often deprived of education due to being forced into menial jobs to support their families.

Akshaya Patra’s main objective is to ensure that these children have access to mid-day meals, which often serve as their only meal of the day, enabling them to attend school and receive an education. Presently, the program feeds and educates over 2 million children, empowering them to build a brighter future.

One striking fact highlighted during the luncheon was that a mere $20 can provide meals for a child in India throughout an entire school year, underscoring the tremendous impact that even a small contribution can make. For those interested in getting involved and making a difference, please reach out to apusa.houston@gmail.com

With the continued support of the Houston community, Akshaya Patra remains steadfast in its mission to nourish young minds and foster a better world for generations to come.

Navroze 2023 Celebration at Zoroashtrian Association of Houston Center

By teHmi dastoor

Houston: The ZHCC’s 25th Salgirah and Navroze celebration was a grand success on all counts.

The proudly paraded gaaras and daglis (traditional Parsi outfits), delicious Parsi cuisine catered mainly by Naushad Mehta, and a local dance band headed by DJ Farrokh Firozgary, all contributed to a memorable gala evening.

However, the icing on the cake undoubtedly was the Parsi naatak, BAWA MANE PANNAAVO.

A typical, farcical Parsi Gujarati/ English play; it revolved around a family’s desperate effort to find a bride for their middle aged son.

The play was the brainchild of Jasmine Mistry. Rather than spend around 10K on out of town entertainment, and in an effort to keep the cost per person to a reasonable figure, she took it upon herself to try her hand at writing a Parsi play. That gave birth to a naatak that Jasmine created, wrote, produced, and directed.

The chips soon fell into place. The invitation to participate was extended to the entire community. Local actors came forward to showcase their talent, local backstage engineers sprung forth to offer their expertise; and before long, a complete naatak took shape.

Characters in the play were fash- ioned after considering the talents and personalities of the individuals who made a commitment to act. This was a unique concept. With different work schedules and family responsibilities, it was a marathon task to coordinate the practices. However, the commitment and team spirit shown by the cast and crew of 30 members was truly remarkable. Kudos to Jasmine who embodied in her, all the qualities of good leadership coupled with the patience of a saint! She was the caring and smiling shepherd who kept the whole flock together. Ever ready to imbibe ideas from different cast members, the play became a team effort.

The final day was filled with reasonable tension and great anticipation. The common mindset of all was to make the play successful at all costs.

The cast performed with aplomb before a full house of 375 cheering, laughing, and whistling spec- tators. Many were taken back to their days in India and Pakistan, where watching a naatak on Navroze was a welcome tradition.

Jasmine had put her heart and soul into the play and the participants stepped up to her expectations.The camaraderie among the group made it a happy family which one hopes will continue into the future. The play remains a sweet memory in the minds of those who were part of it and those who watched it.

Jasmine, we the play members, applaud your spirit, and thank you for inviting us to join you in translating your vision into a reality.

CAST MEMBERS: (In alphabetic order of Last Names)

Scheherazade Aresh, Natasha Atashband, Diana Balsara, Persis Behramsha, Tehmi Dastoor, Barjor Dastur, Khursheed Dastur, Khursheed Hormuzdi, Percy Master, Naushad Mehta, Zubin Mistry, Zubin Mory, Afreen Pargaonkar, Bomanshah Sanjana, Nazanin Sarkari, Anita Thakore, and Parynaz Vimadalal.

BACKSTAGE HELP: Percy Behramsha, Noshir Bhathena, Aban Chhor, Edul Chikhliwala, Tanaaz Chikhliwala, Khursheed Dastur, Jamshed Dudha, Yezdi Engineer, Zubin Mistry, Jidina Mory, Khushrav Nariman, Aderbad Tamboli, and a few Sunday School parents and kids.

Chemical Engineers: Req. BS Chemical Engineering w/3 years specialty chemical mfg. experience