Social Change in India

Two generations apart, Ravi Chopra and Zubin Sharma had a single-minded vision -- to see social change in India.
What inspired them? Listen to their passion and dedication to start their “100-year-old project.”

“You may not see the change happening now but the impact is far-reaching. It is a 100-year-old project.”
“The need to help people is more than just providing a platform.”
“Building strength and resilience.”

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Dr. Ravi Chopra addressing students at the 'Development Practitioners Training' program at PSI for kids who had passed their 12th grade but for various reasons had not been able to attend college. It is an 11 months residential program. The pedagogy consists of classroom sessions, lab work, field visits, exposure tours and internships. Dr. Chopra taught Development theory, Arithmetic, Language (Hindi & English). At the end of the program, the students got jobs in PSI or other organizations.

Dr. Ravi Chopra’s association with ICA is 50 years old. He joined ICA in 1970 after FREA was formally merged with ICA. Prof. Mehta was Raviji’s mentor. “I first met Prof. Mehta in the summer of 1967 in Bombay. We worked closely together despite the physical distance.”

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Letter from ICA

We celebrate a new moment in history as a democratically elected President takes over in Washington DC.

ICA wishes you a wonderful new year! We hope you will continue to “lend a hand” to quote our new President, to the underprivileged.

We start the new year knowing how all of you supported ICA’s charities during the past year darkened by a crushing pandemic in the world and racism in the US.  Your moral support and monetary contributions for the pandemic, BLM, food for the hungry, floods, charitable efforts in India all strived to make a better world for those in need.

A silent prayer for the 400,000 who have lost their lives to the pandemic.

May the New Year herald a new beginning, may it encourage ordinary people to do extraordinary things, may this be the start of a peaceful year.

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ICA Project Leaders Speak at the 2020 Annual Event
Comments from Event Attendees

  • Great ICA program. Wonderful people, the guests and the ICA team as well, equally.

    I was aware of the Bang couple and their great selfless service. I am so impressed with Dr Raj Jayadev.

    Serving justice for the untrodden. Salute to ICA to recognize such gems and support them in their endeavors. 👏👏Thank you ICA and the guests.

    - Lata Shinde

  • Always great to listen to Dr. Bang! Very interesting and impactful work.
    Glad to have learned about Raj Jayadev!

    - Jay Naikwadi

  • Glad I attended the whole event. It was good. Thanks

    - Dr Ashok Rokade, ENT Specialist

  • I appreciate ICA selecting Drs. Abhay & Rani Bang for this year’s awardees. I know them for long and they are a wonderful couple. The place GadChjiroli they have chosen to work is mostly known for violence! And, at such a place, Dr. Bangs are very popular. It speaks for their work. Please convey my love and congratulations to them and my best wishes to Shri Raj Jayadev for his good work.

    - S. N. Subba Rao

  • Thank you for the opportunity to attend this event. It was very well organized and very inspirational.

    - Rahul Akhaury, Vidya & Child

  • I am really impressed with the work of Drs. Abhay and Rani Bang. The work they are doing from last 35 years is fabulous. Would really love to visit ShodGram and see the actual project. Their SEARCH team is really doing deep penetrated work in Gadchiroli District. Their "Home base New born Care" with the help of AASHA's is great and successful for reducing new born death ratio. A Grand Salute to their work. Mr. Raj Jayadev, is also doing great work through his De-Bug organization. His approach and work is really amazing at this young age.

    ICA is doing really great work and I liked their approach of working with these Front runners. I saved these few very well thought Impact projects 3.0 slides from the presentation sharing for our future reference in our organization as a guiding light.

    - Avinash Mehetre

  • It was a nice annual program on-line by ICA, we enjoyed it.

    - Kishor Mistry, Koshish-Milap Trust, Vadodara, India

  • Congratulations to you and your team for wonderful virtual meeting. It was very well organized, very informative and inspirational.

    It is amazing to see a voluntary organization like ICA growing year after year and sustain even after 50 years. Many good organizations are finding it difficult to sustain for more than few decades. Credit goes to all those who have served this great organization. My compliments to all who have dedicated themselves to ICA.

    Incidentally, I had an opportunity to meet Dr. Rani Bang personally and had opportunity to share ideas. I was really impressed with their work and had written an article in a leading newspaper in my column.

    On behalf of HEALTH AND CARE FOUNDATION, I am highly thankful to ICA for the invitation to attend the meeting and for continuous support in our activities. Mr. Kirit Shah who is president of our international committee has lot of praise for all of you and working of ICA.

    - Dr. Bharat Bhagat, Chairman, Health and Care Foundation

  • ICA indeed is doing such a fantastic job. I can only say a "BIG THANKS".

    It was so nice of you all to felicitate Dr. Rani and Dr. Abhay Bang and Mr. Raj Jayadev. It wasn't just a hollow appreciation, but supported by donation to their charities. The Bang duo are so selfless and so visionary that I am falling short of words to express the gratitude. Dr. Raj and his simple idea has made such an impact on so many families which otherwise are stamped as nuisance to the society. I liked the ICA 3.0 concept as well. Replicating the success is a great way to spread the good work in a shortest span on time.

    Thanks for giving us an opportunity to attend and know so many good things and great people..

    *THANKS ICA*

    - Rohit Kale, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • It was a pleasure catching up with you in the virtual conference. Warmed the heart to see Abhay and Reshma on the screen and listen to all of you. Dr Bang I have had the good fortune of interacting with personally and have heard him before. Though he gave a much broader perspective and vision in his ICA talk. Great guy. He had OKed a visit of mine to his Center in Gadchiroli in March, but unfortunately because of the Covid, my going fell through. Such is life. The other speaker Raj Jayadev was a revelation. Sensitive soul. Tough task which he has undertaken. I fully identified with his cause because of late we are seeing so much of incarceration of human rights activists for the flimsiest of reasons in India these days. Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grover (who had represented Shraddha way back in 1997) fighting tooth and nail for the incarcerated victims. The battle of justice vs injustice is an ongoing human battle all over the world.

    Thanks for sharing the link and inviting me for the virtual conference. ICA is an inspirational soul-force.

    - Dr Bharat Vatwani

During last 12 months ICA distributed $1,914,055 to 70+ projects in India and 5 projects in the US
Testimonials
Nagin Bhai
Arpan Foundation, Rajkot

" We are honored to award you this certificate as a gesture of our gratitude for helping us in this fight against the global pandemic. Your contribution to our endeavor has supported our mission to help the very needy, to fill the hungry stomachs of little children, feeding the cows, feeding the birds, planting trees to offset our carbon footprint, and distributing masks to the many thousands of people. These masks were made by the women to whom we empowered with sewing machines and they earned a fair wage for making these masks. As humans we are privileged and honored to make a difference to the people that are the most needy. "

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Indians for Collective Action (ICA) is a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit group. ICA believes in a secure life for every Indian, in a sustainable environment and a just society.

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