Between juggling school, intramurals, ultimate Frisbee, a psychology and management double major and first-year duties at SJU, Nihal Bhakta is co-creator and junior director of PR and social media of a Minnesota non-profit organization called the Priyanka Foundation.
When Bhakta’s younger sister Priyanka was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four, he and his mother, Leela Priyano Rao, had no idea what was in store for them.
Born and raised in India, Bhakta’s mom moved to Minnesota when he was three years old. Since then, Bhakta has been to India three times, and at six years old, Priyanka had the chance to visit India’s hospitals.
“In India, childcare is awful,” Bhakta said. “My sister went to India and knew that something needed to be done. After she passed away, my mom and I took it upon ourselves to make a difference.”
In 2003, Bhakta and his mother began the developmental stages of the Priyanka Foundation, named for his sister. They knew they wanted to reach out to India’s hospitals and provide care for chronically ill children.
“When we first started out, we met with one of the bigger hospitals in India,” Bhakta said. “They wanted to get involved. I didn’t really know what I was looking for and didn’t know what effect we would have.”
Bhakta and his mother ended up helping 400 chronically ill children and their families in India as of 2011.
“It was a struggle at first,” he said. “We had to get people to donate early and get the ground-work going.”
While Bhakta was in high school and applying to colleges, his mother was able to do most of the front work and get the foundation off the ground. With help from doctors at the U of M, as well as family friends, and by filling out paperwork with the state, the Priyanka Foundation became an official non-profit organization in 2007.
Since then, the Priyanka Foundation has taken off and has paid for many Minnesota and California volunteers to work in India as medical social workers and in Child Life Centers. The Priyanka Foundation’s Website states that, “A Child Life Center (CLC) is an innovative global concept that makes a significant and positive impact in the medical world for sick children and their families. A CLC works with these children and families to minimize the stress they feel during hospital stays or visits to the clinics, emergency rooms, radiology or surgery areas.”
When Priyanka was hospitalized, Bhakta said that every Thursday, a social worker would come to play with the kids and lift their spirits. The Priyanka Foundation offers the same sort of thing.
On Feb. 10, the Priyanka Foundation raised between $11,000 and $12,000 with a silent auction and live music at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Minneapolis.
“We’re really trying to grow and spread to more hospitals,” Bhakta said.
Although being chairman and global director of a non-profit organization is a full-time workload, Bhakta’s mother also works at various other jobs. She and Bhakta do all the work voluntarily and do not receive commission. Bhakta cannot help out as much as he would like to now that he is in school, but is excited to make the Priyanka Foundation his main focus again this summer, and hopes to continue his work there in the future.
“After I graduate my mom will retire and I’ll take it over,” Bhakta said. “It’s been amazing how many people I’ve met. Our board is amazing, and we have great connections with children’s hospitals.”
Although Bhakta says that he does not advertise around campus, he hopes to involve the CSB/SJU community with fundraising and awareness for the Priyanka Foundation.
“I hope it trickles through the grapevine,” Bhakta said.
Future goals of the Priyanka Foundation include spreading the foundation to other hospitals in need, especially in Africa.
Bhakta’s mother wrote on the Priyanka Foundation’s Website: “I would like to give the kids of India a gift from a child in Minnesota who had the foresight to see and understand what the vast medical system of India lacked. A happy place for sick kids and their families, a place to live, a place where kids with cancer can go to bed excited about what fun tomorrow will be.”