The Ninash Foundation

Why was the foundation formed?
The Ninash Foundation was formed in memory of Nina J. Malhotra during 1996. Nina was a pre-kindergarten teacher, a social worker, and a counselor. While she taught Hindi at the State University of New York at Oneonta, she was instrumental in the co-founding and co-directing the SUNY Intersession and the SUNY Semester in India Program.
Nina's life at SUCO and Oneonta was dedicated to bringing cultural interchange between diverse groups and especially between India and the USA. Though Nina's short life was spent helping members of the Indian family by bringing them to the USA, educating them into the ways of America, and finding for them proper employment, she was always interested in finding ways to educate the poor and forgotten children of India.

Since in her own life time, she could not get involved directly in assisting the poor children of India to get an education, the Ninash Foundation was formed to incorporate Nina's desire 'to actively support literacy among children throughout the world.'

The Mission Statement of the Ninash Foundation:
The Ninash Foundation actively promotes literacy among children and adults throughout the world.

Purposes of the Ninash Foundation:

• To mitigate suffering for the socially and economically disadvantaged within the US and abroad;
• To provide educational funding for individuals within US and abroad;
• To contribute to the advancement of medical and scientific research within US and abroad; and
• To assist the cultural community within US and abroad by providing monies for operating and capital expenditure.

Budget of the Ninash Foundation:
Initially the Ninash Foundation was started by the Ashok Malhotra family. Beiginning 1999, the Ninash Foundation will be actively soliciting contributions from individuals and organizations for the furthurence of its stated purposes.

Officials of the Ninash Foundation:
Ashok Malhotra, President, 17 Center Street, Oneonta, New York 13820 (Tel 607- 432-0496
Ashwinpaul Sondhi, Vice President, 403 Elmwood, Maplewood, NJ 07040 (Tel 973-762-2884)
Raj K. Malhotra, Secretary, 550 Second Street, Apt. # 4, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Christina Malhotra, Treasurer, (address: same as above), (Tel 201-420-1945)

Activities of the Ninash Foundation: Past , Present, and Future

1. East-West Philosophy Awards : Two awards will be given each year to two students participating in the Undergraduate Conference in Philosophy conducted by SUCO Philosophy Department. Two best papers in East-West Philosophy will be awarded $100 each. The selection committee consists of the SUCO Undergraduate Conference Organizers.

2. SUNY Semester in India Award: An award of $100 to $500 will be given to a student who will be attending the SUNY Semester In India Program and shows that s/he needs this money to carry out the goals of this program. The program directors of SUNY Semester in India will select such a student from the list of participants.

3. Music and Drama Scholarships at Center Street School: An award of $50 is given to a student who has shown a dramatic development in music at the elementary school. An award of $50 is given to a student who has contributed to the dramatic performances at the elementary school. The students are selected by the drama and the music departments at the Center Street School.

4. Music and Drama Scholarships at High School: The first award of $100 is given to a student who has made the greatest improvement in the field of Dramaitcs and the second one of $100 to a student who has shown a dramatic improvement in the field of music. Students are selected by the Music and the Drama Departments of the High School.

5. The Ninash Foundation also contributes to The Orpheus Theater, Hospice, Bassett Hospital, The Carter Center, Habitat For Humanity, American Cancer Society, and WCNY Public Radio.

6. To bolster the music instruments holdings of the Center Street Elementary School, the Ninash Foundation helps buy instruments for students who cannot afford to buy or rent one. Till 1998, the Ninash Foundation has helped in buying 4 music instruments.

7. An ambitious project of the Ninash Foundation during 1999-2000 is to raise a minimum of $20,000, which will be used toward constructing an elementary school building in the Town of Dundlod, Rajasthan, India as a new addition the the Indo-International School.. The construction of the school will begin during the first week of January 2000, to mark the beginning of the new Millennium.

8. The Ninash Foundation will be assisted by the rotaries, of Oneonta, Syracuse, and Hobart and other generous people to raise the needed funds.