Five Indian-American youth have been recognised by an NGO in New York for their contribution in promoting philanthropy and public service.
Rajiv Jayadevan, a graduate of Brown University who is pursuing an MD degree in Mt Sinai School of Medicine; Ankit Shah, doing BS degree in Economics at Wharton School of Business; Yaagnik Kosuri and Patrick Hendrik Christian van Nieuwenhuizen, graduates of Princeton University and Neel Chugh, a graduate of Tufts University were recognised by Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Foundation (KKSF) at a gala event on Sunday.
Jayadevan was recognised for his dedication in teaching children in Indonesia and in orphanages in China as a Fulbright scholar.
Shah taught Math and English to poor kids in a village near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh through Givology, a rural education non-profit that he has worked with during his time at University of Pennsylvania and 'Asha for Education', one of India's largest grassroots education NGOs.
Kosuri and Patrick Hendrik Christian van Nieuwenhuizen were recognised as they worked in Zimbabwe to help fight diseases especially Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and malnutrition. This parasitic worm infection has affected nearly two million people in Zimbabwe.
Chugh has taught underprivileged children in Washington DC through Teach for America programme.
L Shanti Kumar, one of the co-founders of KKSF in his welcome remarks, said the aim of the gala event was to celebrate the success of youth who are role models for the entire community.