Just published in India Currents Magazine!
“From
the Washington Post to local ABC TV news and the San Jose Mercury News, Narika
has been speaking out about the need for holistic measures to end all forms of
sexual violence against women” says Preeti Shekar, Executive Director of
Narika. Speaking about Narika’s upcoming
gala, she adds, “Narika’s gala is all about celebrating the women in our lives
on the occasion of Mother’s Day.” This
Mother’s Day Narika is offering the opportunity for all community members to
support Narika’s mission by attending a gala celebrating women in the
community. “I don’t believe there is a
better way to celebrate Mother’s Day evening than with family and friends at an
event dedicated to women, mothers, and future mothers” says Narika board member
Alka Ramchandani.
“We
tried to incorporate ideas that everyone would enjoy, such as wine tasting from
new and upcoming wineries, specialty cocktails, and artisanal and organic cuisine”
explains Ramchandani. The gala will
feature Kern Wasan as MC, “sure to charm the socks off of every woman in the
audience” adds Ramchandani, cultural
performances, a celebrity style fashion show, and a talk by a survivor client
of Narika. Lata Krishnan will be honored
as well. “She has been an avid believer in Narika over the years. In many ways Narika has survived these twenty
years because of the support of people like Lata,” reflects Ramchandani. Shekar agrees, “In a time of ongoing
recession and funding cuts, grassroots groups like ours are struggling for core
funding to keep us sustainable and build capacity. The gala is a great way to support us and
celebrate our work… [helping] Narika remain a dynamic, flexible organization
and a vital community resource.”
“Narika
is going through a wonderful renewal and revival with dedicated support on our
Helpline and through the re-launch of our flagship South Asian Economic
Empowerment and Development program, as well as increased strategic advocacy,
outreach, and community engagement,” explains Shekar. This revival comes at a crucial time, after an
outpouring of outrage both in India and the US over the widely publicized fatal
gang rape of a medical student in the capital in December. Meanwhile, current protests over two reported
child rapes in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh are making international headlines.
Violence
against women is not only a concern in India, however. “My vision for Narika is to get to a place
where the community acknowledges that abuse happens and therefore steps up to
remedy the situation” says Gayathri Sundar, Narika board member. “Even today as we Indian Americans are
emulated as a model immigrant community known for middle class values of hard
work, commitment to excellence, entrepreneurship and high regard for education…
yet like all other communities there exists domestic violence in our families
and men, women, and children suffer ultimately because of violence” explains
Sundar. Narika staff and volunteers
serve women from the Bay Area’s South Asian community. Women from across a spectrum of religious,
cultural, and class backgrounds, including both recent immigrants and third
generation professionals, turn to Narika for support.
“The
lives of survivors is deeply instructive.
It is remarkable how they put the pieces of their lives together with
limited help from Narika… that is not only very uplifting by also inspires me
tremendously to continue to volunteer for Narika” says Sundar. Although domestic violence is a challenging
dynamic to confront and unravel, it is the success stories of the women who
succeed that energizes and sustains volunteers.
Several former clients remain committed to the organization,
volunteering in a variety of different ways to support Narika.
I
recently went on a South Asian Radical History Walking Tour with Anirvan
Chatterjee and Barnali Ghosh, which highlighted the history of South Asians in
Berkeley since the early 1900’s. One of
the designated stops commemorated the labor and sex trafficking victims of the
Lakireddy Bali Reddy case, and we discussed Narika’s involvement in the case
and advocacy for the victims. Narika is
part of the historical fabric of the Bay Area, born from the experience of the
South Asian community here. “What made
Narika possible was the simple fact that a group of young, educated, and
enlightened South Asian immigrant women came together 21 years ago to address
the issue of domestic violence in our communities when the latent issue of
abuse or family violence was not talked about or even acknowledged by community
members,” reflects Sundar.
There
is still high demand for the work Narika does, yet there’s a sense this is an
important moment to pause and celebrate.
“We have gone through tough fiscal times like most nonprofits, yet it is
the commitment of our current board, staff, and volunteers to continue the work
as long as the community needs our services” concludes Sundar. This Mother’s Day is a chance to reflect,
celebrate, and support Narika. “There
are many ways we get wonderful support for Narika’s work from the community;
volunteers on our Helpline and volunteer instructors for our SEED program and
for individual projects, but supporting our gala is a terrific way for our
supporters and allies to ensure our long-term sustainability” finishes
Shekar.
Mamma Mia!
Narika Mother’s Day Gala
Sunday, May 12, 5pm
India Community Center
525 Los Coches Blvd.,
Milpitas
www.narika.org/gala
gala@narika.org
Tickets
start at $250
