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Sewa
International
Houston Chapter
T o g e t h e r w e c a n s e r v e b e t t e r.
Newsletter for June 2011
2 Sewa Houston - www.sewahouston.org - houston@sewausa.org
Sewa Houston Newsletter Together we can serve better.
Greetings,
Summer is in full swing and Sewa has
welcomed the newest group of summer
interns. As in the past, the young students
and professionals participating in the summer
Get Inspired Houston (GIH) internship will
engage in various Sewa empowerment
programs.
We are excited to have 10 interns who will be
working in the areas of women empower-
ment, children activities, youth mentorship,
public relations and grant writing. This year
we are also adding a lecture series as a new
experiment to the internship.
These young interns will gain invaluable
experience that will shape them into
successful members of society.
What we do would not be possible without
the help of our supporters and volunteers. So
it is with gratitude that we send you this
monthly newsletter to inform you of our past
and upcoming events.
We look forward to your responses, queries and
feedback throughout the year.
Sincerely, Sewa Houston Team
In this issue:
New GIH Interns
ASPIRE Picnic on June 11
Medical Drives on June 9
and 13
You are invited to our
Annual Fundraising Gala
on September 10, 2011
Click here to like us
on facebook!
Team of Sewa interns and volunteers with patients
at the Medical Drive at Los Arcos apartments
Sewa Houston - www.sewahouston.org - houston@sewausa.org 3
Sewa Houston Newsletter Together we can serve better.
Announcements
Orientation for Summer Interns
The Orientation for summer interns was held
on June 4th at the Sewa Office located on 3908
Westhollow Parkway, Houston, TX 77083. Ten
interns will be working in the areas of children‘s
activities, women‘s empowerment, youth
mentorship, public relations and grant writing
throughout the summer.
Wish List
Empowering low income families through
education is one of the main purposes of Sewa.
As we work with children and families, we are
always looking for supplies to support and
improve our programs. We would greatly
appreciate donations, whether they are newly-
bought items or supplies that have been lying
around in your home.
Educational materials and supplies
TAKS prep guide for teachers (two sets)
Books for reading assignment class - (two novels/
books for each term, 15 students)
ESL books for students (15 students, level 1 and
level 2 books)
ESL books for instructors (6 books)
Copying machine
Educational board games for small children
(Math and English)
Two small white boards for classes in the
apartment complex
Colors, papers, pencils etc. for art classes for
small kids
Candle making supplies for vocational training
class for women
Volunteers Needed for After School Programs
We are in need of volunteers for after school
programs. If you are able to lead/teach
English, Computer, Reading and Comprehension
classes or serve as a one-on-one mentor, please
let us know. There are opportunities to volunteer
in the evening on Wednesday or Saturday and
Sunday.
Volunteer to teach ESL
If you have an interest in teaching English as a
Second Language and have a background in ESL
teaching & curriculum, please email us at
houston@sewausa.org.
New Facebook Page
Facebook is a great tool to raise public
awareness for our cause. Since Facebook will
archive all old groups soon, Sewa Houston
moved to a new page:
www.facebook.com/sewahouston
Please "like" it and suggest it to your friends. You
may also help us by contributing pictures or
comments to our page.
New Sewa interns Nikki, Anu and Sarah (from left)
Click here to read
our blog about the
Get Inspired Hou-
ston Internship
4 Sewa Houston - www.sewahouston.org - houston@sewausa.org
Sewa Houston Newsletter Together we can serve better.
This month‘s events
About ASPIRE
Assuring Student Performance in Refugee Educa-
tion (ASPIRE) is Sewa Houston's initiative to pro-
vide motivated kids with extra academic help.
ASPIRE aims to provide practical support that
kids need in order to successfully graduate from
high school and pursue a college degree.
ASPIRE is addressing the different learning needs
of refugee kids. Current sessions of ASPIRE are
focused on helping kids get through the TAKS
exam. The course offers reading sessions, TAKS
lessons and one on one mentoring.
ASPIRE Picnic on June 11, 2011
On June 11, 2011, Bhutanese students from the
ASPIRE program met at the Arthur Storey Park
for a picnic with their teacher Shivangi Tomar,
the President of the Houston Chapter of Sewa
International Manju Gupta, and volunteers from
Sewa including Esther Ok, Allissa Abdelwahed,
Amelia Parsons, Brianna Deutsch, Kriti Dogra,
and others.
Throughout the day, the boys played cricket,
while the girls enjoyed three-legged races and
limbo. On that hot Saturday morning, the chil-
dren ate sweet watermelon while engaging in
conversation. We enjoyed delicious Indian food
for lunch and wrapped up the picnic with an
Awards Ceremony for the children.
All ASPIRE students received certificates for par-
ticipation. The two graduating seniors were con-
gratulated, and two others students with perfect
attendance to Shivangi’s classes were awarded a
certificate and a backpack to encourage them as
they further their education. The picnic was a
success and we look forward to other events
with the students.
Teacher Shivangi Tomar (back row, far left) and her
ASPIRE students with certificates
Dr. Raman Sewa Scholarship
Sewa Houston is very glad to
introduce the Dr. Raman Sewa
Scholarship, sponsored by Dr. Jay
Raman and Dr. Viji Raman.
The scholarship is set up to support
Bhutanese students financially in
their full-time undergraduate stu-
dies for four years.
Candidates can apply until July 10,
2011 at: www.sewahouston.org
Sewa Houston - www.sewahouston.org - houston@sewausa.org 5
Sewa Houston Newsletter Together we can serve better.
Click here to see new
videos and pictures of
Sewa Houston!
Medical Drives on June 9 and 13, 2011
Sewa Houston collaborated with the Mobile Clinic
of the Texas Children’s Hospital to host two free
immunization drives for children of low-income
families. The first drive took place on Thursday,
June 9, at the St. Cloud apartment complex and
the second one on Monday, June 13, at the Los
Arcos apartment complex in Southwest Houston.
In total, 42 children received free immunization
and many of their family
members got a medical check-up.
The greatest challenge for the Mobile Clinic
workers and volunteers was communicating with
the patients. The families who have benefited
from the drives are immigrants and refugees from
countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Kenya, Somalia,
Mexico and Colombia. Most of them speak little
to no English, therefore volunteer translators
greatly contributed to the immunization drive’s
success.
Girl gets free immuniation at Medical Drive
First “Lead Houston“ Lecture on June 24, 2011
As part of the leadership training for the Get Inspired
Houston internship, all interns were invited to attend a
lecture by Dr. Bobby Kapur at the Emergency Center of the
Ben Taub General Hospital.
Dr. Kapur is currently director of the Emergency Medicine
residency training program at Baylor College of Medicin. He
also developed and implemented emergency medicine
training programs for international physicians and health-
care workers. Dr. Kapur’s projects have included estab-
lishing training programs in Beijing, New Delhi, and Kolkata.
In his lecture, Dr. Kapur talked about his own career path ,
encouraged Sewa interns to have set goals and visions for
their future and inspired them to become strong leaders in
society.
Sewa interns with Dr. Bobby Kapur at the Ben Taub Hospital
6 Sewa Houston - www.sewahouston.org - houston@sewausa.org
Sewa Houston Newsletter Together we can serve better.
Upcoming Events
Independence Day Celebration on July 4, 2011
Join us to celebrate Independence Day on July 4,
2011 at Tinsley Park. Bhutanese families and Sewa
volunteers from the Children‘s Activities and
Women‘s Empowerment teams will meet to watch
the fireworks and do fun activities in the park
together. For more information email Allissa
Abdelwahed at abdelwahed14@sbc.edu.
Children‘s Art Gallery: The Story of a Travelling
Home on July 23, 2011
On July 23, 2011, Sewa will host an art show at
Caroline Collective (http://carolinecollective.cc/) in
the Museum District. We are going to present art
work and sculptures by the Bhutanese kids who
participate in our Children‘s Activities program at
Villa Bella Apartments. For more information
email Luna Oliveira at gih@sewahouston.org.
About us
Sewa USA is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with International presence. Sewa International and partner NGOs have over 25 years of experience. Sewa International USA helps victims regardless of caste, class, creed, color or religion. Sewa International USA supports projects in the areas of health care, education, women empowerment, environment and disaster relief and rehabilitation in India, USA, Caribbean countries and South America. The pictures in this newsletter were taken by Ajay Sarpeshkar, Stella Wojdyla, Allissa Abdelwahed and Luna Oliveira.
S A V E T H E D A T E
S e w a International
Annual Fundraising Gala
September 10, 2011, 6pm
At the University of Houston Ballroom
www.sewahouston.org & (512) 554 6498