Who We Are

Education inspires the student. Students inspire the world.

Started in 2008 by three students at the University of Florida, UF Children’s Hope India is a student founded, student run, subsidiary of the non-profit organization Children’s Hope India. Showcased at Clinton Global Initiatives Conference and winner of the prestigious 2009 Projects for Peace Grant, UF CHI aims to combat poverty in India by empowering homeless children and their families with the powerful tools of education and international trade. Providing them with the knowledge and capital to be successful, UF CHI aims to sustainably alleviate poverty through various initiates in India.  Working with our partner Prayas, UF CHI has successfully educated over 300 students, founded a social business with 15 employees and run two internship programs.

What We Do

UF Children’s Hope India works to alleviate poverty through three central initiatives:  education, social business and student internship programs.

Provide Children Education

UF CHI understands that education is an imperative link in helping children increase their chances of a life free of poverty.  Focusing on students aged 14-16, our education initiative provides students with the knowledge to be the next generation of entrepreneurs in India.  Our curriculum includes lessons on financial literacy, computer literacy, cultural exchange and the arts.

Fund and Operate a Social Business

UF CHI and Prayas India have partnered to form a social business.  This partnership will link the U.S. based organization with one of India’s most highly regarded non-profit organizations.  The goal of the social business is to provide sustainable solutions for poverty, not one time fixes.  The social business gives impoverished women the ability to learn valuable life skills and make a living. Besides extensive training and competitive salary, the women are also given the opportunity to take out microloans in the future.  Without something like this in place many would be forced to live in extreme poverty with little hope of breaking the cycle.  The business also has the added benefit of supporting itself:  all of the revenue goes back to the business for expansion and new initiatives.  It is certainly a social business for sustainable societal change.

Run an Internship Program

Each summer selected students from our organization travel to India to learn the ins and outs of non-profits, gather data for our work, implement our education initiatives and establish valuable on site relationships. Through hands on work with social workers, children and artisans the experience is truly invaluable to the student. Further, by travelling to the site our interns ensure that our programs and funds are aimed directly at fulfilling our mission. Our 2008 and 2009 internship programs reached over 300 students in Dehli.

Current Projects

Currently, UF Children’s Hope India is looking to improve each of its three areas of focus.

Better Education Through Technology

Excelling in today’s business world requires an extensive knowledge of technology, specifically computing.  Many children in India don’t have access to computers.  UF Children’s Hope India looks to fill this void by obtaining computer donations for our Prayas educational facility.  Our goal is to add 20 new laptops to our Prayas facility to aid in our technology education cirriculum.  The additional computers will provide hands on experience for children in the facility and their parents working in our social business.  UF CHI feels that this will provide a vital link to success for our students.

Social Business Expansion

After training over 15 women to produce high quality, environmentally friendly handbags, UF CHI has made it’s first major sale.  The social business has contracted to sell over 1,200 jute bags to Coca Cola.  The bags will be produced solely by employees of the social business and customized to meet Coca Cola’s need.  The sale is a landmark transaction for not only UF CHI, but social businesses across the world.  Support from a major corporation proves that the business model implemented by UF CHI and Prayas is viable and mutually beneficial to employees and clients.

Forging this major sale to Coca Cola, UF CHI looks to only grow from here.  All of the revenue from the project will be reinvested into the business.  This will provide capital to expand into other projects, provide more jobs for impoverished women and increase funds for microloans.  Not only that, but UF CHI looks to revamp the business this year by improving marketing efforts internationally.

Improving our Internship Program

The past two summers UF CHI has successfully completed two internship programs.  Each spanned two weeks in length and include two University of Florida students.  Looking to expand upon this success this summer UF CHI looks to send four students to India for over six weeks.  The internship structure will include three weeks of intensive training with Prayas, our non-profit partner.  Training will include learning more about how to run a social business and efficiency studies to ensure that our funds are being used properly.  After completing training with Prayas, the students will teach a three week curriculum to children in our Dehli facility focusing on core skills for success.

Sponsor UF CHI

UF Children’s Hope India would not be in existence without generous donations from businesses and individuals alike.

Please check out our Sponsorship Packet for more details.  If you are interested in making a donation please send a check or cash payable to UF Children’s Hope India to:

Your donation to UF CHI is a sustainable one – it will not be a “one time use,” but rather will impact the organization for years to come through our social business.

Platinum Level

Yearly giving of $500 or more

• Featured on our website and any advertising material we produce
• Framed picture of our interns in India with your company logo
• Monthly email updates on progress of UF CHI

Gold Level

Yearly giving of $250

• Featured on our website
• Receive monthly updates on progress of UF CHI

Silver Level

Yearly giving of $100

• Receive monthly updates on progress of UF CHI

Current Sponsors

Get Involved

Join UF Children’s Hope India today!

UF CHI is currently work on some very exciting projects.  If you are a UF student interested in joining please contact us through email at UFChildrensHopeIndia@gmail.com or use the Contact Us page.