Bhavana Chilukuri

Modern Knowledge in Tribal Schools (Manchar, Maharashtra)

Bhavana Chilukuri recently graduated from the University of Maryland as a double major in Economics and History. During her college career, she had the opportunity to recruit and train over 40 teenagers to serve as volunteers for the Arc of Montgomery County, an organization that supports people with mental disabilities. Motivating kids to volunteer made her realize the value of empowering people, namely children, to give back to their communities. Later on, she traveled to the Gulf Coast to volunteer as part of a Hurricane Katrina relief team, where she discovered that the most powerful kind of change can only be made at a grassroots level. These experiences, coupled with her desire to truly understand India, drove Bhavana to become an Indicorps fellow. She will spend the coming year in Manchar, Maharashtra designing a new curriculum that bridges modern pedagogy with traditional tribal culture.

bhavana07@indicorps.net

Fatima Alloo

Encourage Youth Civic Action (Bangalore, Karnataka)

An August 2007 Indicorps fellow, Fatima Alloo graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Asian, Middle Eastern and International Studies. As a Muslim American in a post-September 11th environment, Fatima came to understand the importance of community participation in the democratic system. This inspired her to join the Buxton Initiative, an organization located in Washington, DC which strives to improve relations between the Muslim and Christian diplomatic communities. Her professional experience, coupled with an eye-opening study abroad experience in India which inspired her to further explore the country of her origins, led her to apply to Indicorps. She will be working on youth civic engagement initiatives in Bangalore, Karnataka, and hopes to assist the local community to engage more effectively with their government.

fatima07@indicorps.net

Ishtar Lakhani

Energize the Gandhi Ashram (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

Ishtar Lakhani is Indicorps’ first South African Fellow. In 2006 she graduated from Rhodes University with an Honours degree in Anthropology. Among her various volunteer experiences she has extensively worked on issues concerning HIV/Aids and women empowerment. However, before joining Indicorps as part of the August 2007 Fellowship class, she assisted in publicising arts and cultural events in Durban, South Africa. It is in this regard that she has taken on a project in Ahmedabad at the Gandhi Ashram.

ishtar07@indicorps.net

Naveen Lakshmipathy

Bottom of the Pyramid Energy Solutions (Dharwad, Karnataka)

As an August 2007 Indicorps fellow, Naveen Lakshmipathy works on developing economically and environmentally sustainable models to bring renewable energy sources to rural merchants in and around Dharwad, Karnataka. Naveen believes strongly in the power of essential infrastructure to lay a foundation for sustainable and equitable development. Previously, as an analyst at a Washington, D.C. think tank, he researched and advocated policies to expand access to the Internet in rural and underserved communities. Naveen is thrilled to be moving from the policy level to the grassroots level with his Indicorps fellowship, and is particularly grateful to confront the challenges of serving in India. He hopes this will help him develop a deeper understanding of his country of origin. Naveen grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the London School of Economics.

naveen07@indicorps.net

Parth Thaker

Public Health on Wheels (Gujarat)

Parth Thaker is an August 2007 Indicorps Fellow, working on the “Public Health on Wheels”
initiative based out of Gujarat, India. His project involves travelling to remote villages throughout the state educating those communities on good health and sanitation practices. Parth is a graduate of the University of Virginia in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Upon graduating, he moved to Washington D.C. and was working as a management consultant for two years. In a complete turnaround, he decided to join Indicorps, taking advantage of an opportunity for grassroots involvement with underserved communities. Born in Ahmedabad, Parth hopes to explore his Indian heritage and Gujarati roots.


parth07@indicorps.net

Rashida Merchant

Urban Community Center Initiative (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

A native of Northern New Jersey, Rashida Merchant recently graduated from Boston University with a B.A in International Relations. A previous experience in Bangalore, India studying public health inspired Rashida to further explore her cultural identity and seek out a way to serve her country of origin. She hopes to apply skills gained throughout her various work experiences -- from serving in restaurants to aiding program management at a women\'s policy center -- during her fellowship year in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Rashida anticipates a challenging, yet constructive year as she collaborates with the NGO Manav Sadhna to maximize the usage of a community centre in the Ramapir no Tekro slum while strengthening their non-formal school and hygiene programs.

rashida07@indicorps.net