Pratham Houston Holds Annual Volunteers Meet

Pratham-in-1

By Nirali Shah

HOUSTON: This year’s Pratham Gala volunteer’s meeting hosted at the Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land was, per usual, a wonderful success. Volunteers from across the Houston area ranging in age, background, profession, and experience came together to be incorporated into the final details and logistics of the event. Darel D’Souza, the president of Pratham Houston Young Professionals, had a masterful presentation prepared to ensure that each volunteer understood not just their own, but also everyone else’s roles and responsibilities to ensure that the event runs flawlessly.

The meeting began with a short video about the effects of Pratham as an organization, to remind everyone why they were there and how their time and efforts directly and indirectly affect the lives of thousands of men, women, and children through Pratham. The development of this organization over the years has been nothing short of remarkable, having taken the motto of “Every child in school and learning well” and expanding its reach to focus on girl’s education, vocational training, research, advocacy, technology education, and so much more. It humbled us all to become equals in that room and remember that we are all volunteers for the same cause and making a difference in the same way.

With the wonderful changes and new programs Pratham is always striving to develop, it only makes sense that we also found new ways to efficiently do our programming in the states! With exciting developments that the Pratham team has been working on, the volunteers were walked through the event structure and individual roles and responsibilities, and also introduced to an updated method of the check in and ticketing process for this year’s gala. With the training in motion, we are all working diligently to implement it smoothly this upcoming April 1st to ensure that the guests have a wonderful experience!

Gearing up for an event like the Pratham gala each year is always rooted in excitement! Having been able to see how much the event has grown over the past 12 years has been a pleasure, and having been a volunteer for the organization for many years, I can truly say that being a young professional and in the mix of an extraordinary non-profit organization such as Pratham has been a wonderful growing experience personally as well. This year, as with many years before, the Pratham Young Professionals, Houston (PYP) has taken the majority role in the planning process of the gala. They have done an exemplary job in planning new and creative methods of guest involvement, and efficiency in the standard processes. With passionate individuals in the organization, always looking to find a way to make things better, Pratham is sure to grow further in the years to come, and the youth plans to continue it’s unwavering support.

As an organization, there is always room for new and enthusiastic volunteers; so if you or anyone you know would be interested in getting involved, please contact the Pratham Houston Office. This year’s gala features our special guest former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen, our Honorable Dr. Anupam Ray, Consulate General of India as well as our Master of Ceremonies Casey Curry, Meteorologist KTRK TV.

So if you haven’t gotten your ticket to this year’s Pratham Gala yet, be sure to go online to www.prathamusa.org/chapter/houston and book your tickets, it’s going to be a night you don’t want to miss!