Uplift Humanity, founded in 2010, is an organization that works towards enabling American youth to empower juveniles in India through education. Since UHI’s inception in 2010, they have launched programs at three juvenile rehabilitation centers throughout India, Gujarat, Hyderabad, and the newest in Mumbai.
In the past 6 years, Uplift has successfully brought 250 students to India from the United States and contributed approximately 150,000 hours of volunteer work with the demand growing exponentially each year. Uplift’s rapid growth has enabled the organization to educate more than 500 different juveniles and orphans and donate in excess of Rs. 250,000 in scholarships funds to dozens of children who are seeking higher education or vocational studies.
Uplift Humanity, a passion project of Founder Anish Patel, was started when he took a trip to India with his family. Whilst delayed in traffic on the roads of Vadodara, Anish noticed a group of children playing behind the gates of a dilapidated juvenile detention facility. Anish’s curiosity led him to research the treatment of juvenile inmates and orphans in India. He found that many of these children committed crimes out of economic desperation, and would likely never receive the education, or life-skills training necessary to secure a higher standard of living. And thus, Uplift Humanity India was born.
Anish believes that through cross-cultural education, the relevant instructional materials, and the right people, we can change the way that education is delivered across institutionalized facilities in India. The two key platforms that contribute to the success and growth of Uplift Humanity are the organization’s Academic Program and their Annual Summer Program.
The academic program is the most crucial element of the on-site work done at juvenile centers year-round, where local educators teach how to read and write in English, and how to use computer technology. The summer rehabilitation program brings students from the United States over to one of the three rehabilitation facilities in India where the volunteers teach orphans and juveniles life skills such as moral decision-making, self-esteem development, anger management, daily etiquette, and public speaking.
In June 2013, Narendra Modi witnessed first-hand the impact of Uplift Humanity’s work with juveniles and orphans in India and invited the team to discuss ways to increase education levels in institutionalized facilities in India. This new partnership allowed Uplift to strengthen their impact in India. With the aid of local and national governments, Uplift Humanity was able to launch in Mumbai.
“Uplift Humanity's expansion into Mumbai shows our commitment to eradicate juvenile recidivism throughout the Indian subcontinent. We're so excited to be in Mumbai because it’s such a bustling city with so much potential. What makes Mumbai even more special for our team is that it’s the first location that we're allowing non-Indians to apply to our programs. Essentially, now any teenager from any demographic can apply to volunteer with our organization” says Founder Anish Patel.
Uplift Humanity has also appointed Hollywood actor, Arjun Gupta as a brand ambassador for the organization. With Gupta’s fan following in hit series such as Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and Syfy’s “TheMagicians,” Uplift hopes to draw attention of the younger generation for a passion for community service and volunteering with the organization.
Uplift Humanity continues to make huge strides in India and encourages millions to join their journey. They invite volunteers and sponsors to come onboard and help their fight in sending one of 31 million orphans back to school. For more information on Uplift Humanity, visit uplifthumanityindia.org
