Our History

Lend-A-Hand India (LAHI) is the outcome of an idea nurtured over five years. The motivation behind it was and continues to be to give back to the community and to confront the challenge of poverty wherever it exists. The personal journey and experiences of Sunanda Mane and Raj Gilda, the founders of Lend-A-Hand, go a long way in this motivation.  

After working in the social development sector for over ten years in various parts of India, Sunanda moved to the United States in 2000 with the intent to remain in touch with the work that she had started in India. For Raj, besides making a successful career in consulting and banking, his primary interest was to get involved in social activism to bring change to the lives of poor and underprivileged people. 

Together, they worked to bring the dream of LAHI to reality. The founders' network of friends, well-wishers, and linkages with the non-profit sector in India and the US helped LAHI launch its program. The first projects were launched in 2004.
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LAHI was incorporated in December 2003 in the State of New York and holds 501(c)(3) status. 


To learn more about LAHI, please visit http://www.lend-a-hand-india.org/