Massachusetts-based Desai Foundation celebrates 25th anniversary of supporting India projects

September 29, 2022

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Heroes helped rural folks with questions and concerns about COVID-19 on the Desai Foundation Hotline. This picture and a video of the Heroes for Humanity COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Initiative were shared with guests at the Desai Foundation’s annual Lotus Festival fundraising gala, September 24, 2022, at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Photo: The Desai Foundation

The Desai Foundation recently celebrated 25 years of work on empowering women and children in rural India, particularly in the areas of livelihood, health, and menstrual equity.

On September 24, 2022, the Foundation held its annual Lotus Festival event at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The organization says its work to date has directly impacted 5 million people in India.

The Desai Foundation is also celebrating the Clinton Global Initiative’s recognition of their work, particularly the Heroes for Humanity Initiative which launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, a press release from the organization said.

“The Lotus Festival 2022 was an opportunity to stylishly celebrate these amazing accomplishments,” the Foundation said.

Guests enjoyed tours of the stadium, luxury gift bags, a whirl around a 360 video booth.

According to organizers, donors rose to the fundraising occasion and were generous, however, the amount raised was not made public. “One hundred percent of these benevolent donations will be used to fund The Desai Foundation’s programs and activities,” the press release said.

Among the guests at the Lotus Festival were Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014, an activist, entrepreneur and filmmaker; and Avanti Nagral, pop singer, content creator, and activist, who brought the evening to a close with a song.

The Desai Foundation aims to empower women and children through community programming to elevate health, livelihood, and menstrual equity for rural India over the last 25 years. It has 30 programs and operates in eight states in India. The organization has two award-winning flagship programs: Asani Sanitary Napkin Program for menstrual equity; and Heroes for Humanity which started as a COVID rapid response program.