Indian-American group, Soor Aur Saptak to host concert for blind children in India

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A group of Indian-American singers has planned a rollicking Bollywood style event Feb. 24, in Portland, Oregon, to raise funds for a foundation that treats visually impaired children in India.

Soor Aur Saptak, which means “Notes and Octaves” in Hindi, was founded in 2012, and held its first event in 2013, raising $6,500. But in 2017 the event raised more than $43,000 which enabled almost 69,000 children to have eye screenings, it said in a press release. “Selling out each year, bringing people together for an all-singing, all-dancing Bollywood evening continues to be a successful way to help raise awareness and funds for a good cause,” the group says. The Feb. 24 event will be held at the Sonrise Church in Hillsboro, Oregon.

In India, there are an estimated 400,000 blind children out of the 1.5 million around the world. It also notes that 75 percent of visual impairment is avoidable, in a world where there are some 217 million visually impaired and 36 million blind people.

“Recognizing the significance of sight for a child – which includes tremendous opportunities for education, socializing, productivity, and family life – Soor Aur Saptak dedicated their efforts to restoring vision for children in rural India,” the press release says. It chose Seva Foundation to channel the funds it raises because this organization has worked globally to eradicate visual  impairment and blindness, Soor Aur Saptak says.