About Us
Mission
Udayan Care USA is committed to:
A nurturing home and excellent education for every orphaned and abandoned child in India.
An opportunity for higher education for every young adult, and especially every young woman, in India.
The dignity of self-reliance and the desire to give back to society.
Vision
Independence, dignity, and opportunity for the disadvantaged of India and around the world.
Non-Discrimination Policy:
Udayan Care USA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability (physical or mental), marital status, or sexual orientation in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.
ABOUT US
HOW WE BEGAN
How Our Founder Was Inspired To Start A Charity
Udayan Care USA was born in 2010, created by two Americans inspired by their time volunteering with Udayan Care in India. Both were deeply affected by the challenges facing disadvantaged Indian women and children and by the ceaseless efforts of Udayan Care to help them. These two Americans were impressed, above all, by Udayan Care’s commitment to provide the women and children under its auspices with every possible resource and opportunity—just as any parents would for their own children. Thus, this unlikely pair of American champions—longtime supporter Ricky Surie and newcomer and college student Jesse George-Nichol—vowed to continue their work for the disadvantaged women and children of India when they returned to the United States. To do this they formed Udayan Care USA, a 501(c)(3) organization which has partnered with Udayan Care India to promote the welfare of underprivileged Indian women, youth, and children.
Udayan Care India has been engaged in this work since 1994, and in the intervening years it has won countless awards, including the National Award for Child Welfare from India’s president, a GuideStar India NGO Transparency Award, Top-Rated Nonprofit status from GreatNonprofits, the India NGO Award, and the Karamveer Puruskar and PHD Chamber of Commerce Awards for Excellence, among many others. Udayan Care is also accredited by Give India, Credibility Alliance, Guidestar (Platinum), and GreatNonfprofits.
The support from Udayan Care USA has helped Udayan Care India to elevate disadvantaged women, youth, and children to a better life by supporting three of its programs: the Udayan Ghar Program, the Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF), and Udayan IT and Vocational Training Centers.
How We Operate
- Funds raised via both – public and Trust Foundation donations.
- Funds are disbursed in accordance with the donor’s targeted and preferred beneficiary program.
- Impact reports are created that are both narrative and financial on quarterly cadence and provided to respective donors.
- Our annual budget, annual report and financial documents get archived on our site for public consumption.
Udayan Ghar
For over 25 years, the Udayan Care Ghars (Homes) have taken in orphaned, abandoned, and abused boys and girls throughout northern India.
IT and Vocational Training (ITVT)
This program provides disadvantaged women and youth with access to IT and vocational training—focusing on underserved communities.
Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF)
The Udayan Shalini Fellowship is an intensive five- to six-year program that provides financial, educational, and mentoring support.
The entire Udayan Care USA Board is 100% Volunteer effort
Board / Team Members
Gokul Patel
Board Member
Gokul Patel is a technology executive currently based out of Charlotte, NC. He is originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He completed his bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangaluru and has MBA in finance from UNC Charlotte. He likes cricket, Bollywood, traveling and adventure sports in his free time. He has been associated with Udayan Care for over 3 years.
Anitha Kosanam
Board Member
Anitha is an IT professional and is experienced in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma. She currently resides in Toledo, Ohio. She completed her bachelor’s in chemical engineering at Osmania University, Hyderabad, and master’s at the University of Toledo. She is a mother of two wonderful children and a dog. She enjoys children, meditation, yoga and helping others. She started multiple chess clubs for young children and volunteered as a Sanathana dharma teacher.
Tarun Anand
Board Member
Tarun recently retired from a full time work life as a Technology and Business executive at Cognizant Technology Solutions. He has lived in Orange County, California for the last 27 years and currently lives in Dana Point with his wife, Gunjan. Tarun did his undergrad in Mech. Engg. from IIT Kanpur, India and his graduate studies in Industrial Management Engg. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. Driven by a strong desire to give back to society, he got introduced to Udayan Care USA by a friend in 2022 and soon after a brief meeting with Dr. Kiran Modi, he was convinced Udayan Care India was where he wanted to help out and make a difference. In February, 2023, Tarun joined Udayan Care USA Board to support the fund raising effort.
Shilpy Chatterjee
Board Member
Shilpy Chatterjee holds a BA LLB from the University of Delhi and started her career as a farmer and tribal rights activist. She then worked with survivors of gender-based violence. Currently, she serves as the Senior Prevention Coordinator at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. She believes education and awareness can challenge sexual violence across cultures. She was awarded the Advocate of New York City (2019) and a New York State Assembly Citation. In her free time, she enjoys visiting museums and exploring vintage stores and yard sales.
Ekta Patel
Board Member
Ekta Patel is a healthcare professional with a background in health system strategy, finance, and operations. She currently lives in Austin, Texas. She has a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University. She’s new to motherhood with a newborn daughter and puppy. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and reading.
Ruchi Saran
Board Member
Ruchi Saran has been part of Udayan Care since 2010 when she relocated to India. She volunteered in Udayan Ghar in Chattarpur working with the girls on their communication skills in English. In 2019, she joined the UCUSA board and raised money through fundraisers to support UC India. She is also a member of multiple NGO’s in India and Bay Area, California and is very passionate about making a difference in the community. Ruchi is a certified College Counselor and works with high school students from Grade 8-12 helping them with college and career choices and the college application process. She has a bachelor’s in psychology and an associate degree in Interior Design, Graphic Design and Child Education. She currently lives in California with her husband.
Deepak Sharma
Board Member
Mr. Deepak Sharma is a qualified Electrical Engineer, who served in different Public Sector Units, Multinationals, and Indian corporates for 31 years. He volunteered with the Udayan Ghar program from 2009 onwards and in August 2013, he voluntarily quit his job with Tata Teleservices Ltd, a telecom company, to fulfill his long-cherished dream and desire to give back to society. Mr. Deepak Sharma, apart from being a mentor father to the girls’ home in Greater Noida, is actively involved in Fundraising and matters concerning Policy, Finance, and Strategy in Udayan Care. He is also a Trustee with Udayan Care.
Dr. Kiran Modi
Board Member
Dr. Modi (Founder & Managing Trustee of Udayan Care India; Trustee to the UCUSA board) started Udayan Care in 1994 and established its first Udayan Ghar (Sunshine Home) for orphaned and abandoned children in New Delhi in 1996. She has also been a founding member of several other organizations in India working for the disadvantaged. Dr. Modi holds a doctorate in American Fiction from IIT, Delhi and a strong belief that every individual is a catalyst of change.
