Contributed by Mohini Singh.
After two years of the COVID lockdown, we were finally able to host our annual Diwali fundraiser. It was an amazing success.
The attendees opened their hearts and wallets and two months later donations are still coming in! So far this year as we add up our donations we have received over $100,000.
This has given us the ability to kick-start our support for those who need our help. The East Meets West Children’s foundation is helping collect toys and presents for children of Ukrainian immigrants who have had to flee their homeland and are now living in the Central Okanagan. We just want every child to have a gift to open at Christmas.
We have joined hands with Access Dental Centre operated by Dr. Vikas Raj in Kelowna. On Jan. 7 and 14, Dr. Raj will open his clinic for children who have no dental plan and are between the ages of 6 and 12 to get their teeth cleaned for free. East Meets West will give each child a paw patrol electric toothbrush to encourage them to continue good dental hygiene. You must book an appointment, to book please call Access Dental Centre at 250-861-8777.
In early December we sent $5,000 to the REHMA project in Kenya. The money will be used to help teenage mothers.
Our support for our regular projects will continue. Those include a preschool outside Kolkata West Bengal India for children of the working poor, and orphanages called Navajeevan and Navadiganta. In the province of Odisha we support several hundred indigenous communities by providing medical kits and in Mumbai, we support educational programs at a boys’ orphanage called Family Home.
Locally, we will continue to support Starbright Children’s development centre with equipment needed to meet the needs of children in the Okanagan.
East Meets West Children’s foundation was started in 2008 by volunteers. Today, we are continuing to serve the best way we can. We are just a group of passionate volunteers, we have no overheads and every dollar raised goes to support people in need.
Our philosophy is simple: Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. (Mother Teresa)
Mohini Singh is a Kelowna city councillor and chair of the East Meets West Children’s Foundation.