The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Charity at home and foster home

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Charity at home and foster home

T.S. Ranganna

Ramesh R. Gowda

Bangalore: Gone are the days when the idea of social work of a non-resident Indian was no more than helping out a few relatives and friends in need back home. With improvement in their fortunes and having lived for generations in the United States, many Kannadigas are thinking of helping the less-privileged around their immediate neighbourhood, especially Americans, with a genuine desire for emotional integration.

Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA) president Ramesh R. Gowda, who was here to promote the three-day AKKA World Kannada Conference at Chicago, which starts on August 29, said that many second-generation Kannadigas were working towards providing shelter to the homeless Americans.

Mr. Gowda said that some youth, who were members of AKKA, had started soup kitchens for these homeless Americans.

Another band of 150 young Kannadigas had been working as volunteers of the Habitat for Humanity and assisting in conducting health check-up camps for those suffering from diabetes, eyesight problems and high cholesterol. The AKKA members were also conducting classes in Kannada for the members as well as American hosts in their neighbourhood, he added. Kannadigas have not forgotten their duty to the people in their homeland, Mr. Gowda said. AKKA had organised Rasamanjari and Manoranjini cultural programmes to raise Rs. 20 lakh for five orphanages and Rs. 40 lakh for the Shankara Eye Hospital to help the needy in Bangalore.

Mr. Gowda said Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate who hails from Chicago, would be invited to the AKKA conference.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka