Spotlight: The Soondra Foundation’s Partners

Soondra reaches communities in India through our partnerships with registered organizations working directly with individuals on-site! Soondra’s current partnerships include work with Teach for India, The Milaan Foundation, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation.

An Educational Need

Education is a key factor in social mobility—however, children living in poverty often cannot access high quality education. As this education is a necessary stepping stone for future opportunities, poverty becomes cyclical, as families have no means by which to improve their living conditions.

While public schools provide an option for low-income families, these government school facilities can lack infrastructure like electricity or clean water, and suffer from teacher shortages. Teach for India aims address this gap in educational opportunity.

Teach for India’s Role

Teach for India runs a fellowship program where recent college graduates work in low-income government schools across India, helping students attain quality education, and emphasizing a holistic approach to learning. Campus locations include Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. Students are provided academic support and encouragement, as well as a warm, collaborative environment where they can learn.

How does Soondra fit in?

If students have pressing health issues they cannot afford treatment for, Teach for India reaches out to Soondra. Our microgrants help cover student health expenses. Good health is the baseline for a good education, and a better life–donations to Soondra help low-income students finance necessary treatment, uplifting their futures.

Education for Women

Girls in India are disproportionately impacted by lack of access to education–in rural communities, this marginalization is compounded. The lack of access to school facilities feeds into gender inequities, reinforcing patterns like child marriage and gendered violence, as young girls have limited opportunities for education. Female empowerment begins with health and education, as health is the baseline for all progress, and education is the ladder to socioeconomic development–the Milaan Foundation works to secure these opportunities for young girls in India.

The Milaan Foundation’s Role

The Milaan Foundation serves low-income and lower caste girls in Uttar Pradesh, and young women across India. In Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, the Foundation’s accredited K-12 school, Swarachna, offers a full-time education for young girls, including free meals, access to menstrual products, and hostel support during COVID. The Foundation also directs a female empowerment program for young girls in social impact, reaching women across India. The Foundation’s work has been recognized by Sony’s Global Social Justice Fund, the Obama Foundation, and Action for India.

How does Soondra fit in?

In rural areas, healthcare institutions often lack the infrastructure for regular checkups, and lower awareness of health issues contributes to illness in the long term. Soondra’s microgrants cover regular health checkups for girls at Swarachna, ensuring that all students can remain healthy and continue learning.

Blood Cancer in India

India has the world’s third highest number of leukemia and lymphoma cases, ranking behind the United States and China. More than 70,000 individuals are affected by blood cancer. Treatment for those with cancer can be extremely expensive, and the working poor often cannot finance healthcare out of pocket.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation’s Role

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. The Foundation works to support those with blood cancer through a set of patient-centered programs. Initiatives include support groups for patients, counseling services to help patients and families work through disease, and networking to provide funding for the treatment of marginalized patients. The Foundation also works to spread awareness about Leukemia and Lymphoma in India.

How does Soondra fit in?

After the Memorial Hospital determines which patients need help paying for treatment, the Leukemia and Lymphoma society reaches out to Soondra. Our microgrants cover a patient’s first round of blood cancer treatment. This initial contribution enables patients to enter the healthcare system for treatment, where they can receive help from other nonprofits like Soondra for long-term financing of further healthcare needs.