Sowji Kilaru dropped by the Free the Slaves office recently to drop off a remarkable donation. She’s president of an organization to harness the creative potential of New Yorkers to make a difference in the world. We asked Sowji to tell us about her group:
“We created Dancing For A Difference with two different goals in mind. The first was to establish an organization that was dedicated to raising awareness and money for important social issues impacting the South Asian Community. We found that in our communities, people are often reluctant to talk about the difficult things: illness, poverty, abuse – all of which are affecting millions of South Asians around the world every day. And we wanted to shed light on these difficult topics by sharing one of the most beautiful parts of our culture – dance.
“Our vision is to create an outlet for people to express themselves and foster a community of dancers, performers, and activists who use the arts to heal both themselves and the world. We raise awareness and funds via dance classes, choreography and shows. Our first show in New York City was held on November 1st at the Helen Mills Theater. In addition to a sold-out show, donors from around the world poured in their support for our cause. The show consisted of dance groups and artists from all around the New York area, including our own Dancing For A Difference Group. Thanks to all our supporters and performers we raised approximately $7,000 and we were able to present Free the Slaves a donation of $1,000. We hope to collaborate with one another on future programs!”
Thanks to Sowji and everyone involved with Dancing For A Difference for choosing to support the work of Free the Slaves.
