In September and October, 2024, our fundraising initiative was in collaboration with our trusted partners at Momentum Global, and their impactful program, “Asha,” which translates to “Hope” in Hindi. Asha’s mission is to empower girls and young women, many of whom are from impoverished communities and vulnerable to human trafficking and child marriage.
Just over $5,796 was donated, which will fund the construction of Asha’s program facility, including a space for a vocational tailoring center. The center is located in Pratappur, India, a village several hours from Kolkata, India. The Asha facility will not only provide a secure place to gather to learn tailoring training and vital budgeting skills, but will offer a space to forge a strong sisterhood among the young women of Asha, thereby helping them become catalysts for positive change and to live lives – together! – of culture-shifting love, freedom, and hope. | Sept & Oct, 2024
Join Us in Making a Difference
Your support is vital to champion Asha’s is dedication to see, value, and equip young women in and around Kolkata, India, as they build strong and sustainable futures. By focusing on girls and young women aged 13 to 21, Asha is committed to break generational cycles of poverty and foster deep community roots of support and practical care. This initiative is crucial because, without such a sisterhood of support, many young women in Asha are at significant risk of labor or sex trafficking, early marriage, and being deprived of educational opportunities.
By contributing to this fundraiser, you ARE an everyday philanthropist, change-maker, and warrior of love who is breaking generational cycles of poverty and building a global human family that cares for one another.
With all our hearts, “धन्यवाद” (“Dhanyavaad” – which means “Thank You” in Hindi)!
GRATITUDE for Doubling Our Fundraising Impact!
THANK YOU, with all our hearts, to John Schwartz and our dear friends at Coup De Foudre Winery in Napa Valley, California, for DOUBLING the impact of this fundraiser with a $5,000 donation to Momentum Global’s Asha Program. Learn more about this PowerFULL Pairing of Human Rights, Stories, Philanthropy, and Wine HERE and our part in “Chapter 8” of the Les Bouquinistes ever-expanding story.
ABOUT Asha’s founder, Rita Mondal
Rita Mondal has spent years working within impoverished communities in Kolkata, where she has observed the immense challenges young girls face as they grow up. Often deprived of the opportunity to envision a promising future, these girls and young women, particularly among impoverished families, are sometimes seen as a burden. This perception leads to premature responsibilities and very limited prospects.
From a very early age, these girls are pushed to navigate complex life challenges, often prematurely. Many are either encouraged to seek employment at a very young age or are compelled into early marriages. For some, the only options left are to work as domestic help or engage in other means to survive. In a world that is rapidly evolving, they must also contend with emerging cultural influences among their peers, but without proper guidance or support.
Recognizing the urgency of intervening to empower these vulnerable young women, Rita’s work is focused on creating a safe and nurturing environment where they can be heard, counseled, and guided toward a more promising future. Through providing essential education – both social and academic – Rita is determined to uplift these young women and equip them with the necessary tools to overcome obstacles and realize their true potential.
If I see somebody dying, I pick him up. If I find somebody hungry, I give him food. He can love and be loved. I don’t look at his color, I don’t look at his religion. I don’t look at anything. Every person, whether he is Hindu, Muslim, or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. -Mother Teresa (one of the team of Momentum Global’s favorite quotes)
A 40-second video glimpse of the beautyFULL community of Momentum Global …
Join Us in Everyday Philanthropy: Making a Difference Together
Embrace Everyday Philanthropy:
At Seeds of Exchange, we believe in the power of everyday philanthropy—a form of unrestrained generosity rooted in the reality of your everyday life. Each month, we spotlight a project or program around the world, focusing on at least one of these five categories:
- Human Rights
- Education
- Health
- Community Emergencies
- Art-Activism
We are blessed with a huge pool of changemakers in our community, ensuring there is never a lack of trusted organizations with whom to partner. This is about sharing your treasures, whatever they may be, and making a difference through both small and large acts of kindness.
Why Generosity Matters:
Generosity feels good. It is part of your purpose on this planet. It finds ways to share with others the treasure trove of whatever you have and whatever you love. It makes a difference with your small and large acts alike, living with a commitment and connection to your sisters and brothers near and far.
Discover Your Unique Calling:
Explore and discover your unique calling to be an everyday philanthropist today. I understand that these stories and the very invitation to give and to BE philanthropists aren’t always comfortable or easy. Sometimes, it’s the world’s pain pricking our hearts that wakes us up to see—and say yes!—to our destiny.
Join the Seeds Giving Fund:
When you donate (THANK YOU!), we invite you to JOIN the Seeds Giving Fund as a monthly donor. It’s simple to set up once, and your donation will be automatically directed towards our fundraisers throughout the year. Know that you are helping people each and every month. Consider stretching and giving as much as you can. If that’s $10 (the equivalent of 2 lattes a month!), that is plenty. All donations are tax deductible.
Our Impact:
Over the past 10 years, we’ve partnered with people in more than a dozen countries around the world and raised over $260,000. We raise funds to support communities in need and people who are making a powerful difference.
Redefining Philanthropy:
Today and together, let’s dispute the suggestion that philanthropy is an exclusive club only for those deemed wealthy. Let’s dispute the notion that the only thing that matters and makes a difference is giving in “big” ways. The movement that will be unleashed when we live as generously unrestrained philanthropists WILL light up the world.
You Are Loved.
We belong to each other. Let’s standTALL together and light up the world!
xo, Sarah Davison-Tracy, Seeds of Exchange
