Houston, TX (December 20, 2021): Sewa International had a gala celebration on December 12, 2021, highlighting the year-round work of its volunteers and their accomplishments in responding to and combating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as serving the local communities in other ways and making an impact beyond the city’s borders.

Houston Chapter President, Gitesh Desai, welcomed the Indian Consul General Aseem R Mahajan, Congresswoman Lizzie fletcher, and Dr. Peter Hotez to the gala and thanked them for gracing the occasion. He said that " local presence and global impact" was the theme of the Chapter’s twelfth annual fundraising event.

Participating in the virtual event, Consul General of India, Aseem Mahajan, (commended Sewa for working with several community initiatives organizing food distribution, imparting education, and offering other services in a demanding and challenging year. “Sewa has played a vital role in promoting people-to-people contact between the two countries and deepening India's partnership with the US,” he said. 

Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, who was the chief guest, said that he valued working hand in hand with the Indian government's extraordinary developers in Hyderabad, India, of the COVAXIN vaccine to combat COVID-19. He wished to scale up the vaccination production, as billions of doses are needed to vaccinate the world, including the African continent and many Southeast Asian countries. He thanked Sewa International for joining hands in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm with you in spirit celebrating the Sewa Houston chapter in its accomplishments," said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher” She added, "Sewa International is working tirelessly in responding to COVID-19 affected families in our community in recent years, helping even through days of heavy rainfall and flooding events. Thank you for working for our community as your mobilizational efforts have resulted in transformational changes in our community. Thank you for all you do." 

Arun Kankani, President, Sewa International, USA, said the clarion call for service was heard by Sewa in 2021. He recounted the selfless service of thousands of Sewa volunteers who rose to the occasion with compassion in their hearts and the courage of a fighter. He made a special mention of Madan Luthra, a senior volunteer who, forgetting his age, served COVID- impacted families. He added, “We are humbled by the accolades, recognition, and awards given to us by the President of United States, elected officials, and various community organizations for recognizing the impact created by Sewa International during tough times: “2021 marked the tremendous collaboration with community organizations, corporations, media partners, elected officials, and more importantly, more than 150,000 donors who supported Sewa completely in serving the community. We continue to serve through vaccination drives, food distribution, and various initiatives across the globe to support families impacted by the pandemic”.  

During the virtual gala had Sewa Houston showcased and appreciated partner organizations (more than one hundred). In the cultural events was a dance performance by Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan, Manjusha Jadhav and their team, and another performance by Kalpana Subbarao, Nilamani Venisetty, and Supradipta Dattaa. The gala ended with a melodious musical performance choreographed by Hemang Thakkar (Rhythm of Dreams) with Mansi Pandya and Tanweer Mian mesmerizing the audience with their rendition of old and new songs  

Sewa volunteers delivered delicious dinners to more than 150 homes all around Houston within a three-hour window

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

 

India's Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Guest at the event, presented the award to Sewa International’s President Arun Kankani and the Houston Chapter President Gitesh Desai. More than 600 business and community leaders from Houston participated in the gala. Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, at the Baylor School of Medicine in Houston delivered the keynote speech. Sylvester Turner, the Mayor of Houston, Aseem Mahajan, Consul General of India in Houston, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Harris County Judge Linda Hidalgo, and Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George attended the event. 

In the gala, a video presentation showcased the services that Sewa International offered   COVID-19 patients and their families in Houston, including distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE kits) to frontline and essential service workers, and food to the needy in the community. Highlighted in the video was President Biden’s letter to Sewa praising its contribution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the ASPIRE educational program for underprivileged and underserved communities, Case Management and Family Services, the LEED internship for high school students, the Stop Diabetes Movement (SDM), Know Your Healthy SELF, and Sewa’s partnership with AmeriCorps.

Gitesh Desai, in his acceptance speech said, "We feel happy and proud that the Indian Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston has given its Community Service Award to Sewa during this Diwali. We did not make this journey alone as people and organizations supported us. We thank all Sewa donors, volunteers, and supporters. The recognition will inspire to us remain focused and dedicated to our service projects and achieve more in the future."

"Our sincere gratitude goes to the Indian Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) for recognizing Sewa and the work done by volunteers. The award will help us increase our reach," Sewa’s President Arun Kankani said.

  

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

 

Atlanta, GA (September 13, 2021): In a letter received from the White House, President Biden has commended Sewa international for its efforts in “getting out friends, neighbors, and loved ones vaccinated and protected against the deadly coronavirus”. The letter dated August 23, 2021 President Biden says “We need your support more than ever,” recognizing that Sewa International volunteers have given their time, energy, and money traveling across the country to help in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s drives to get people vaccinated, as well as helping local authorities – from mayors and state representatives to city council members – in getting senior citizens to signed up to get vaccinated and taking them to medical centers for their vaccinations. Sewa’s volunteers have included school children and college students, and their efforts in getting people to sign up to get vaccinated is one of the highlights of the work over the past six months this year.

Sewa International’s volunteers in seventeen chapters have actively participated in FEMA-led or in state, city, or county level vaccination drives. Over 600 volunteers have assisted with FEMA vaccination drives in both medical and non-medical capacities in nine cities and states. Another 200-plus volunteers have contributed to vaccination efforts in state, city, or countywide efforts. Available data indicate that these volunteers helped with vaccination of close to half a million Americans. The places that Sewa International volunteers have stepped in to offer much needed help in these efforts to get people vaccinated include Atlanta (GA), Phoenix (AZ), Denver (CO), Portland (OR), Washington DC, Houston (TX), Dallas (TX), Austin (TX), Tampa (FL), Los Angeles (CA), Las Vegas (NV), Albuquerque (NM), Santa Fe (NM), Bay Area (CA), Indiana, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

MedStar Foundation donated over $1.4 million worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and two CPAP machines to Sewa International on Friday, July 9 in an event held at the Foundation’s warehouse in Hyattsville, Maryland. The PPE received by Sewa include  N-95 equivalent masks, face shields, gloves, goggles, and full length PP attire.

Ed Robinson, MedStar Health’s Vice President of Integrated Support Operations, presented the PPE material to the Maryland Chapter Coordinator of Sewa International Dr. Anita Roy.  Dr. Siva Subramanian,  Indian American community leader from Washington DC, and pediatric cardiologist at the Georgetown Medical Center acted as liaison between MedStar and Sewa International. Right after the event, the donated material was sent from Hyattsville, MD to Sewa International’s Atlanta, GA warehouse in seven 18-wheeler trucks.

“We saw some of the challenges caused by the shortages of PPE in the rest of the world and we had some surplus PPE in or system. We thought it would be great if we could donate it to some other relief efforts that are going on. I thank Dr. Siva for connecting Sewa with MedStar and we wish Sewa the best and appreciate the work they are doing,” Ed Robinson said, speaking at the event.

Largest in-kind Donation

“This is the largest in-kind Medical equipment donation Sewa has received from a hospital system in the US. Sewa is sending the PPE to Trinidad and Tobago and to a few countries in South America which are experiencing the second wave of COVID-19 cases. The CPAP machines will go to India,” said Prof. Sree Sreenath, former president of Sewa International, who was present at the event.

Dr. Siva Subramanian, speaking at the event, said the PPE will help patients as well as frontline COVID-19 workers such as physicians, police officers, firefighters, and healthcare workers to stay safe while they strive to stop the spread of the pandemic. Dr. Anita Roy, who received the PPE on behalf of Sewa, thanked MedStar for their donation and said that Sewa International would put the PPE to great use. Volunteers from Sewa‘s Maryland and Washington DC chapters were present at the event.

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

 

Houston, TX (June 21, 2021): Within eight weeks of starting its ‘Help India Defeat COVID-19’ campaign, Sewa International has distributed over 5,996 oxygen concentrators and 177 ventilators to 566 hospitals and COVID-19 Care Centers across India, covering 26 of 28 Indian states.

Sewa International, India has received over 7,900 oxygen concentrators so far from Sewa units around the globe and 6,850 of them from USA. Sewa International USA has procured and shipped over 10,000 oxygen concentrators to India so far and some of them are still in transit. As COVID-19 situation is improving in India, Sewa is keeping some concentrators in reserve for future use.

Overcoming numerous challenges, starting from transporting odd sized pallets, housing oxygen concentrators from the airport to the warehouse to supplying lifesaving equipment to hard-to-reach corners of India, volunteers from Sewa and its partner organizations have successfully tackled a huge logistical challenge in the middle of a raging pandemic.

Sleeping less than optimal hours a day and braving the pandemic while many of the Sewa volunteers tested positive with the virus, the team arranged 60+ trucks for transporting the essential medical equipment, have already distributed medicine and food kits to 1,25,000+ households, and juggled between priorities while working under constant pressure to pick the right hospitals and NGOs from among  a long list.

Working with a well-tested hub-and-spokes model, Sewa volunteers worked from the primary hub in New Delhi, where they received the supplies sent from the US and other countries. They later transported the oxygen concentrators and other supplies to 44 secondary hubs in the country, and then to nearby 410+ locations by trucks and couriers, supported by partner NGOs.

Kumar Subham, Chief Operating Officer, Sewa International, India is coordinating the distribution of oxygen concentrators. He said that over 1,000 Sewa volunteers and more than 10,000 volunteers from Sewa’s partner organizations are involved in the distribution: “Yes, the work has been demanding and the team  has been working round the clock. But it is not tiring at all.  It’s like working for our families. In this case it is the extended family, the whole of India, as we say, Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam, so none of us mind the hours we put in” he said.    

Sewa distributed equipment in seven phases and prioritized their delivery based on the severity of cases and population density. Maharashtra which reported the highest number of cases in India, got 725 concentrators. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu received 485, 400, 301, 300, 300 and 235 concentrators respectively and occupied the top seven spots.

 “In the last 50+ days, we doubled our partnerships in India to 240+ partners, and Indian Diaspora from 35+ countries have supported us. So much was possible due to the collective strength of Global Indians and the non-profit ecosystem in India. Thanks to the spirit of Sewa in the Indian ethos”.,” Shyam Parande, the Global Coordinator of Sewa International said.

“In Sewa, we say, Together We Server Better. All the work that has been done in the past  two months by Sewa International teams in the USA, in India, and many other countries across the world amply reflect the essence of this statement. We are glad that we have been able to serve India in its direst hour of need,” said Arun Kankani, Sewa International’s President.

 

 

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

San Bernardino, CA (June 21, 2021): A planeload of medical equipment, bound for India, took off from the San Bernardino Airport on Tuesday, marking yet another milestone in Sewa International’s efforts to reach much-need medical equipment. Sandeep Khadkekar, Vice President, Marketing & Fund Development, Sewa International, who had traveled to San Bernardino to oversee arrangements for the transportation of this equipment said, "I consider it to be a great privilege to be present here as a Sewa International representative at the San Bernardino Airport on this occasion to send oxygen concentrators to India by air. We are partnering with Another Joy Foundation in this humanitarian work and my heartfelt thanks go to its founder Alden Crowley, for his willingness to help in transporting this lifesaving supplies to India that is battling the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, Another Joy Foundation has been involved in supplying medical equipment, medicines, toys, clothes, and other essential supplies to many countries around the world. I congratulate Mr. Cowley and his organization for bringing airlines and non-profit organizations together to fill in a critical need to help humanity”.

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

 

HOUSTON, June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Within eight weeks of starting its ‘Help India Defeat COVID-19’ campaign, Sewa International has distributed over 5,996 oxygen concentrators and 177 ventilators to 566 hospitals and COVID-19 Care Centers across India, covering 26 of 28 Indian states.

Sewa International, India has received over 7,900 oxygen concentrators so far from Sewa units around the globe and 6,850 of them from USA. Sewa International USA has procured and shipped over 10,000 oxygen concentrators to India so far and some of them are still in transit.As COVID-19 situation is improving in India, Sewa is keeping some concentrators in reserve for future use.

Overcoming numerous challenges, starting from transporting odd sized pallets to its warehouse from the airport to supplying lifesaving equipment to hard-to-reach corners of India, volunteers from Sewa and its partner organizations successfully tackled a huge logistical challenge in the middle of a raging health crisis.

Braving the pandemic while many of their volunteers tested positive with the virus, the Sewa team arranged 60+ trucks for transporting the medical equipment, distributed medicine and food kits to 1,25,000+ households, and juggled priorities while working under constant pressure to pick the right hospitals and NGOs from among a long list.

Sewa volunteers received equipment sent by the Sewa units from USA and other countries in their primary hub in New Delhi. They later transported them to 44 secondary hubs within India, and then to 410+ nearby locations by trucks and couriers.

Kumar Subham, Chief Operating Officer, Sewa International, India is coordinating the distribution. He said that over 11,000 volunteers are involved in the distribution: "Yes, the work has been demanding and the team has been working round the clock. But it is not tiring at all. It's like working for our families. In this case it is the extended family, the whole of India, as we say, Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (World is One Family), so none of us mind the hours we put in," he said.

Sewa distributed equipment in seven phases and prioritized their delivery based on the severity of cases and population density. Maharashtra which reported the highest number of cases in India, got 725 concentrators. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu received 485, 400, 301, 300, 300 and 235 concentrators respectively and occupied the top seven spots.

"In the last 50+ days, we doubled our partnerships in India to 240+ partners, and Indian Diaspora from 35+ countries have supported us. So much work was possible due to the collective strength of the diaspora and the non-profit ecosystem in India. Thanks to the spirit of Sewa rooted in the Indian ethos," Shyam Parande, the Global Coordinator of Sewa International said.

"In Sewa, we say, Together We Server Better. All the work carried out by Sewa teams from the USA, India, and many other countries in the past two months amply reflect the essence of this statement. We are glad that we have been able to serve India in its direst hour of need," said Arun Kankani, Sewa International's President.

About Sewa International
Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

Contact
Vidyasagar Tontalapur – 1 - 720-526-993
Viswanath Koppaka – 1- 404-304-0563
Email: 312605@email4pr.com
Web: http://www.sewausa.org

As the world has become more aware of India’s still-grim COVID crisis, concerned and well-meaning citizens of the world have shared links through which to donate money and supplies to India’s beleaguered populace and overcrowded health and funeral services. One of the most popular of these has been a group called Sewa International.

According to the organization’s press releases, Sewa’s “Help India Defeat COVID-19” media campaign has raised millions of dollars from more than 100,000 donors since late April, with this money going toward purchasing and sending oxygen concentrators, oximeters, and other essential equipment to India, which is grappling with a dire shortage of these technologies. The organization—which is not to be confused with India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association, commonly known as SEWA—has also raised money and sent equipment for COVID relief in Nepal and Trinidad and Tobago.

Sewa’s initiative has become well-known within and beyond the Indian diaspora: Stories of distraught Indian Americans encouraging Sewa donations have proliferated in the news, and outlets like ABC News have highlighted Sewa’s work. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey earmarked $2.5 million for Sewa as part of a $15 million donation for Indian COVID relief. Internal communications provided to me by a source showed that Microsoft and Google encouraged their employees to donate to Sewa and offered matching funds, in Microsoft’s case through the donation-management platform Benevity. New Jersey’s Monroe Township partnered with Sewa to provide India aid, while the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the largest organization representing Indian American doctors, also held a fundraiser for India with Sewa. The group also has partnered with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to ramp up domestic vaccination efforts in both Philadelphia and Texas, where Sewa’s U.S. branch is based.

Houston, TX (May 24, 2021): Sewa International will be funding the installation of 100 oxygen generation plants in hospitals across India to ease oxygen scarcity in the country. It has ordered 20-tonn Zeolites (molecular sieves that absorb nitrogen and produce oxygen as a product) from Honeywell to establish up to 30 plants immediately. As part of these efforts, it has placed orders for 15 oxygen generation plants to be set up in the next 8-12 weeks at a cost of about $1.8 million.

Sewa International has started a fundraising campaign to construct these oxygen plants. A donation of $61,000, $81,000 or $121,000 can help establish one such oxygen plant of a desired size. The campaign will help distribute oxygen generation capability equitably to different parts of the country bridging the urban and rural divide in India’s healthcare sector. “Based on our reading of the current situation, Sewa International has made a strategic decision to establish oxygen generating plants in India to enhance India’s capacity to face the present COVID-19 crisis. This will also make India future-ready to face a possible third wave of the pandemic,” said Arun Kankani, President of Sewa International.

Sewa has identified three vendors from India to supply machinery required to build these plants. The first 15 plants will be a mix of 250 LPM and 500 LPM capacity and each can support about 20 to 40 ICU beds. Sewa International is working with forty to fifty hospitals across India to establish these plants. The number of hospitals we work with is expected to grow to more than 100 depending on support from donors.

“The primary targets for installing these oxygen generation plants are charitable hospitals in the rural and tribal areas and second and third tier cities. The plants, with good care and maintenance, have a life of twenty years,” Mukund Kute, Project Manager for Sewa’s oxygen generation plant initiative said. According to Kute, Sewa International has established technical team of experts and project managers to assist selected hospitals in seeking permits, setting up electrical systems, pipelines, and in constructing industrial workshops, training, etc., to install and operate such plants quickly and efficiently.

 “Sewa is going to be involved from concept to completion in installing these plants. Once operational, they will eliminate the need for transporting liquid oxygen from place to place. The Zeolites we have ordered from Honeywell are going to be shipped to India very soon. It is going to take about 10-14 weeks for these plants to become operational as some of the mechanical components required are on back order,” Sewa’s Vice President for Technology Services, Anil Deshpande said.

“One 500 LPM plant can support a 200-bed hospital with 40 ICU beds or can produce 110 cylinders of oxygen a day. Including site preparation expenses and taxes, one such plant would cost about $121,000. When we calculate the initial investment and annual maintenance costs, it will still work out to be less expensive for hospitals than buying oxygen cylinders or liquid oxygen from a vendor,” Deshpande said.

India’s daily production capacity of oxygen is 7127 MT per day, and 46 percent of which is for industrial consumption and 3842 MT is used for medical consumption. Medical consumption is expected to increase to about 6,000 to 7,000 MT per day going forward with the current trajectory of COVID cases and any potential third wave of the pandemic. The more than 100 oxygen generation plants that Sewa International is planning to set up with the help of donors is going to help rural and semi-urban India prepare to face future challenges more confidently. 

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

 

 

HOUSTON, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sewa International will be funding the installation of 100 oxygen generation plants in hospitals across India to ease oxygen scarcity in the country. It has ordered 20-tonn Zeolites (molecular sieves that absorb nitrogen and produce oxygen as a product) from Honeywell to establish up to 30 plants immediately. As a part of these efforts, it has placed purchase orders for 15 oxygen generation plants to be set up in the next 8-12 weeks at a cost of about $1.8 million.

Sewa International has started a fundraising campaign to construct these oxygen plants. A donation of $61,000, $81,000 or $121,000 will help install one oxygen plant of a desired sizeThe campaign will help distribute oxygen generation capability to different parts of the country equitably bridging the urban-rural divide in India's healthcare sector.

"Based on our reading of the current situation, we have made a strategic decision to start building oxygen generating plants in India to enhance India's capacity to face the present COVID-19 crisis. This will make India future-ready to face a possible third wave of the pandemic," said Arun Kankani, President of Sewa International.

Sewa has identified three vendors from India to supply machinery required to build these plants. The first fifteen plants will be a mix of 250 LPM and 500 LPM capacity and each can support about 20 to 40 ICU beds. Sewa International is working with forty to fifty hospitals across India to establish these plants, and the number of hospitals is expected to grow to more than one hundred depending on donor support.

"The primary target for installing these oxygen generation plants are charitable hospitals in rural and tribal areas and hospitals in 2nd and 3rd tier cities. The plants, with good care and maintenance, have a life of twenty years. One 500 LPM plant can support a 200-bed hospital with 40 ICU beds or can produce 110 cylinders of oxygen a day. Including site preparation expenses and taxes, one such plant will cost about $121,000," Mukund Kute, Project Manager for Sewa's oxygen generation plant initiative said.

About Sewa International
Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

Contact
Vidyasagar Tontalapur – 1 - 720-526-9939
Viswanath Koppaka – 1- 404-304-0563
Email: 310619@email4pr.com
Web: http://www.sewausa.org