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AID JeevanSaathi Dr. Ravi Kuchimanchi receives Community Service Award from Association for Indian Americans (AIA)
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Web:http://www.aidindia.org Phone: 301-422-4441
Association for Indian Americans (AIA), DC chapter felicitated Association for India's Development (AID) JeevanSaathi
Dr. Ravi Kuchimanchi, co-founder of AID Inc. in their 26th Annual
Academic and Outstanding Achievement Awards Ceremony on July 17th
2005. Three volunteers from AID, College Park and recent college
graduates, Namrata Vasavani, Somu Kumar, and Brunda Kattekola were
also honored with "Scholastic Awards".
AIA is one of the oldest national association of Asian Indians in
America. The organization that was founded in the year 1967, concerns
itself with the social welfare of the Asian Indians in the United
States, and to help them become a part of the main stream American
life. AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of the immigrants who
are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American
Commitment.
Ravi Kuchimanchi was honored with the prestigious "Community Service Award"
for his efforts towards holistic development of rural India.
The awards function was attended by the children from local high
schools and colleges along with their parents and older members of the
Indian community.
Ravi Kuchimanchi founded AID in 1991 while
working on his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Maryland. He
initiated the weekly chapter service hours to promote volunteerism and
democratic decision-making, India Beckons, AID's cultural program, and
has served as the editor of Dishaa, AID's newsletter. He returned to
work in India in January 1998. Since then he has given direction to
various aspects of our work, most importantly, with the struggle in the
Narmada valley, initiating local community development, visiting
projects and providing in-depth reports, and ideas for alternative
energy devices. Ravi has been also writing on different social issues
and one of his poems called Infant Mortality is included here.
This function was a recognition of AID's work and all the AID
volunteers who are involved in bringing about a measurable change in
the lives of people in India.
Infant Mortality...
I don't remember, but
when I opened my eyes
to the wonders of earth,
I must have seen in my mother
a trace of fear.
Lovable that I was,
she must have hugged me
before she wept.
I don't remember, but
anxiously from face to face
I must have looked
for the sight of my father
as friends and family
came to see me arrive.
In the end I don't remember
but before I slept,
I must have thought
the man who kissed my mom
must be my father.
And that night when the
neighbours came, to tell
my mom that I would die
in my sleep, I don't
remember but I must have
tried to comfort her,
told her I'd be okay,
and asked her not to weep.
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| - Ravi Kuchimanchi |
| Below 5-year mortality rates: |
India: 122 per 1000 per year.
Sri Lanka: 19
USA: 10
Kenya 90
Ethiopia: 204 |
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