Ithaca College

In conjunction with the Anthropology Club, students who traveled to Mumbai this past summer on the Anthropology India Field School will be holding a fundraiser for the NGO, ADAPT in the North Foyer of Emerson Suites on Monday September 28th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

One of ADAPT's main goals is to spread the idea of inclusion, educating low caste (dalit) children both with and without disabilities, into India's public school system. As part of the field school, students devoted a week to volunteering at Narika Shakti - a self sustaining, craft based training program at ADAPT. Megan Kelly, Hannah Siebold, Ren Ostry and Matt Portman, had the opportunity to work with mothers and children at ADAPT who produce handicrafts for the global market. Narika Shakti empowers mothers of students through teaching skills they can eventually pass on to their children. ADAPT provides a safe, comfortable space for mothers to work and to enhance their social and business networks.

Although the mothers enjoy many benefits from this program consumers also have much to gain! The students will be selling Narika Shakti's craft products at Ithaca College to raise money for the training program as well as for the seven schools scattered around Mumbai including a small school in the Dharavi slum area. We look forward to working with the Ithaca community to spread awareness and raise funds for this deserving organization.