Neha Gupta Empowers Orphans

Posted by Gabe on August 11, 2010 under Featured Hero, Kids are Heroes | 2 Comments to Read

Sometimes I do get frustrated when it comes to what I do.  The reason is simply because I cannot share what I learn with everyone.  Everyone should indeed know about what Neha Gupta is doing.  She is our newest featured hero.  And although I cannot reach everyone, the ones who read this blog post will know what I mean.  It is truly amazing what our younger generation is capable of accomplishing.  Neha is a young teenager who has created a non-profit called “Empower Orphans” which aims to better the lives of orphans in India.

At what age would you say you started getting involved in philanthropy and what started you down this road?

As my grandparents live in India, I often visit the country.  In keeping with family tradition, we volunteer at an orphanage each time we visit my grandparent’s hometown, located in northern India.  When I was nine years old, I realized that the 200 children who live at the orphanage did not have adequate money to gain a proper education; I felt very sad when I heard this because I know the importance of education.  Moreover, it was heartbreaking for me to think that these children had no mother or father to guide them, protect them, or love them.

Instead of internalizing these feelings and merely showing empathy for the orphans and underprivileged children, I decided to take action by raising money.  The money would help the children gain a better education, be able to stand on their own feet and ultimately become positive contributors to society.

How did you initially discover the orphanage you are helping?

My grandparents have a tradition to volunteer at the orphanage, Bal Kunj, in their hometown in India every year, so I have been going there since I was very little.

How did your non-profit, “Empower Orphans” get started?

To formalize my fundraising efforts, I created and registered a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Empower Orphans; www.empowerorphans.org).  The mission of Empower Orphans is to address the problems associated with orphans/abandoned children and children born into homes living in poverty by motivating individuals to translate empathy into action.

The organization’s goal is to help create self sufficiency by supplying the children with the tools to gain a basic education and technical skills to enable a sustainable livelihood; helping them to become productive and positive contributors to society. In addition to education, Empower Orphans provides food, clothing, healthcare, and medical supplies to establish an effective learning environment.

What does the organization mean to you?  Why is it so important to you that you help the orphans?  What has been achieved so far?

I believe that every child should have the opportunity to gain a proper education, and since these orphans do not have the means to, I feel that it is extremely important for me to help them, and that is what Empower Orphans stands for- bettering the education of the children.

Significant strides have already been made to make a difference in the lives of more than a thousand orphaned, underprivileged and abused children.