
BY A STAFF REPORTER
PLACENTIA, CA-A reception for eminent Bollywood star Waheeda Rehman was held on May 9th by Pratham Los Angeles Chapter, hosted by Ramesh and Hema Patel of The Chugh Firm at their home here. The event was graced by Pratham Los Angeles Board Members and its long term supporters that included B. U. Patel,
PLACENTIA, CA-A reception for eminent Bollywood star Waheeda Rehman was held on May 9th by Pratham Los Angeles Chapter, hosted by Ramesh and Hema Patel of The Chugh Firm at their home here. The event was graced by Pratham Los Angeles Board Members and its long term supporters that included B. U. Patel,

Sudhaben Mody and Ritu Chugh. Padma Bhushan Waheeda Rehman has acted in multiple hit films in the fifties, sixties and seventies like `Pyaasa,’ `Sahib, Bibi and Gulam,’ and `Guide’. In her prime years in the sixties and seventies her acting and dancing talent had won the hearts of millions of cinema fans with hit songs from ` Chaudahwi ka Chand’ and `Guide.’
In 2003- 2005, she traveled across the US as the Goodwill Ambassador of Pratham USA that helped to seed 14 new chapters in cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Thanks to Rehman, Pratham USA – a small Houston based NGO- that used to raise half a million a year in 2002 grew through its 15 chapters that raised $20 million in 2017! Addressing the gathering, Rehman praised Pratham’s work in India’s urban slums and villages. She talked about her visits to Pratham’s children and teachers and how their lives are positively impacted by education. She profusely thanked Indian-American donors for their generous support of Pratham’s noble mission.
Another distinguished visitor was Farida Lambay who has served on the Faculty of Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work in Mumbai for 40 years and retired as Principal in 2017. Responding to Ashesh Kamdar, Lambay briefly described the history of Pratham in India. Pratham started as a UNICEF pre-school initiative. Lambay and Dr. Madhav Chavan- a UDCT chemistry professor grew it from zero in 1994 to 60,000 children by 1998 with funding from ICICI Bank. In 1998, ICICI Chairman N. Vaghul introduced Pratham to Vijay Goradia – a philanthropist in Houston.. Goradia and a few of his friends led by Yogi Patel registered Pratham USA as a 501 C-3 non-profit. And the rest is history. Lambay thanked Pratham USA for stepping in at the right time and fuelling Pratham’s massive expansion in India that serves 5 million children. Pratham USA Co-Founder Yogi Patel then shared the pains in raising money for the newly formed Pratham USA in 1999. Raising money from friends in Houston was easy, but going to a new city and to get an audience for a charity talk was extremely difficult. The new NGO needed a celebrity to come to the US pro bono to reach out to the Indian-American community in other cities. Fortunately, for India’s neediest children, Rehman agreed to serve as the Goodwill Ambassador. She toured in about 20 cities over a period of two years in 2003-04. Pratham USA was able to get traction in 14 cities to form chapters that started raising money. Patel stressed that “ Waheedaji, without your help as our Ambassador, there was no Pratham USA; only Pratham Houston. You helped us grow in other cities. Thank you”.
Also featured at the event was 28 year old Ganpat Luche – a beneficiary of Pratham Vocational Training Center in Aurangabad. After training for three months at the Residential School in Hospitality taught by Taj Hotel, he got a job in Dubai where he worked for three years, saved enough money and now is back in India to start a small business.
Rajesh Thokale, the Head of Pratham Vocational Institute from Mumbai talked about his work at Pratahm Arora Education Center in Aurangabad. This project is funded by Sudesh & Chitra Arora of Los Angeles. He also spoke about PMI- Pratham Mody Institute - a vocational training center in Ahmadnagar funded by late Pravinbhai and Sudhaben Mody. Pratham Los Angeles President Rajen Dhami welcomed the guests and emceed the event sharing stories of his own childhood where kind hearted people had helped him with education. For more about Pratham, visit www.prathamusa.org
In 2003- 2005, she traveled across the US as the Goodwill Ambassador of Pratham USA that helped to seed 14 new chapters in cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Thanks to Rehman, Pratham USA – a small Houston based NGO- that used to raise half a million a year in 2002 grew through its 15 chapters that raised $20 million in 2017! Addressing the gathering, Rehman praised Pratham’s work in India’s urban slums and villages. She talked about her visits to Pratham’s children and teachers and how their lives are positively impacted by education. She profusely thanked Indian-American donors for their generous support of Pratham’s noble mission.
Another distinguished visitor was Farida Lambay who has served on the Faculty of Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work in Mumbai for 40 years and retired as Principal in 2017. Responding to Ashesh Kamdar, Lambay briefly described the history of Pratham in India. Pratham started as a UNICEF pre-school initiative. Lambay and Dr. Madhav Chavan- a UDCT chemistry professor grew it from zero in 1994 to 60,000 children by 1998 with funding from ICICI Bank. In 1998, ICICI Chairman N. Vaghul introduced Pratham to Vijay Goradia – a philanthropist in Houston.. Goradia and a few of his friends led by Yogi Patel registered Pratham USA as a 501 C-3 non-profit. And the rest is history. Lambay thanked Pratham USA for stepping in at the right time and fuelling Pratham’s massive expansion in India that serves 5 million children. Pratham USA Co-Founder Yogi Patel then shared the pains in raising money for the newly formed Pratham USA in 1999. Raising money from friends in Houston was easy, but going to a new city and to get an audience for a charity talk was extremely difficult. The new NGO needed a celebrity to come to the US pro bono to reach out to the Indian-American community in other cities. Fortunately, for India’s neediest children, Rehman agreed to serve as the Goodwill Ambassador. She toured in about 20 cities over a period of two years in 2003-04. Pratham USA was able to get traction in 14 cities to form chapters that started raising money. Patel stressed that “ Waheedaji, without your help as our Ambassador, there was no Pratham USA; only Pratham Houston. You helped us grow in other cities. Thank you”.
Also featured at the event was 28 year old Ganpat Luche – a beneficiary of Pratham Vocational Training Center in Aurangabad. After training for three months at the Residential School in Hospitality taught by Taj Hotel, he got a job in Dubai where he worked for three years, saved enough money and now is back in India to start a small business.
Rajesh Thokale, the Head of Pratham Vocational Institute from Mumbai talked about his work at Pratahm Arora Education Center in Aurangabad. This project is funded by Sudesh & Chitra Arora of Los Angeles. He also spoke about PMI- Pratham Mody Institute - a vocational training center in Ahmadnagar funded by late Pravinbhai and Sudhaben Mody. Pratham Los Angeles President Rajen Dhami welcomed the guests and emceed the event sharing stories of his own childhood where kind hearted people had helped him with education. For more about Pratham, visit www.prathamusa.org