Director of IAEF Ashwin Bora said, We the bunch of like minded people always wondered how to give back to India. The meeting with Modi ji showed us the way.
Speaking with Anita Barar, Mr. Bora talks about the Swatcch Bharat Abhiyaan and how a very short personal meeting with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Australia in 2014, resulted this involvement in the project.
He added that the IAEFs involvement with Swatcch Bharat Abhiyaan is to help for a cleaner India and how NRIs in Australia care for the India and the cause.
He told that with their earlier contribution of more than 16000 dollars, helped Mera Jaunti village which is not very far from Delhi in the construction of six toilets there.
IAEF, a not-for-profit organisation was formed in Melbourne to facilitate bilateral relations, intellectual property transfer, education, trade, business and cultural exchange between Australia and India.
When asked that how one ensures that the money contributed has gone to the right project and right channels, Mr. Ashwin told that transparency has always been a concern for any donor around the globe.
He clarified the concerns stating that the Govt. of India had set up an India Development Foundation which reports to directly External Affair Ministry. IAEF is working with them and is under strict guidelines.
He added that since there is no middle man involved, all the funds raised go directly for the project.
Mr. Ashwin said, IAEF was able to donate RO water purifier at a public school and a waste management pit for Mere Jaunti villagers. So, there is now clean water for the children in this school.
He added further that with collaboration with the Buddha Education Foundation,India IAEF has conducted a Sensitise to Sanitise (S2S) campaign .
Now their next project is for Bekaner, Rajasthan to help build toilet complex instead of individual toilets. This facility would have shower, WC facilities . As statistics suggest from Bikaner municipality, this would benefit more than 25000 people (more than 15000 men and 10000 women) per month
Mr. Bora said, I am proud to say that we have just deposited a contribution and Ms. Shushma Swaraj is going to recognize our contribution in forthcoming IDF meeting.
Thanking everyone involved with IAEF and its ambassadors, he added that anyone who wish to know more about the projects can visit the website of AIEF.
IAEFs key ambassadors who are helping and supporting the cause are Preeti Daga, Rashi Kapoor, Dheepa Awtani, Tanvi Mor, Monica Raizada, Shagoon Vaid, Mandy Bose, Anita Rai, Rashi Budhiraja, Tripti Gupta, Rohini Verma, Venkat Nookala.
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