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PLANNED GIVING: The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation ”Making an impact around the world by funding innovative solutions and programs that enrich communities and
serve the common good.” Why Pathfinder? We believe that Pathfinder International is a leader in the field of CHOICE. Their work around women’s health and reproductive access is incredibly powerful. For us in particular, what makes Pathfinder unique and why we support their efforts is their model of incorporating staff into the communities being served. We feel this level of integration is one of the biggest differentiators in creating successful outcomes. Most importantly, we strongly subscribe to the principle that every woman has a fundamental human right to choose what is best for her body, her life, and her future. Do you think access to SRHR has made your life or the lives of those around you different? As a family, we have faced a range of access to sexual and reproductive health rights. Growing up in India looked very different for our matriarch, Kalpana Bhatia. At the time she grew up, it was taboo to discuss female reproductive issues. Girls were expected to get married at a young age and begin families as soon as possible. Today, Kalpana’s daughter and granddaughter live in Los Angeles, and experience a very different, open environment where SRHR is valued and seen as fundamental. The contrasting experiences three generations have faced has been eye-opening for us, and it is what has led our Foundation to champion SRHR issues and women’s health around the world. Why did you choose to support the YUVAA program? As a family, we believe that educating young people is at the heart of a community’s success. Combine our passion for education with our strongly held belief that women should have the fundamental right to govern their own bodies, and it was an easy decision to partner with Pathfinder. From there, we narrowed down our area of interest, and in this case, the YUVAA program hit home—literally. Our Founder, Ramesh Bhatia, was born and raised in Bihar—one of the two states in India in which YUVAA operates. It is imperative to educate young couples on the various sexual and reproductive options available to them so that they may make informed family planning decisions. What would you love to see Pathfinder accomplish in the future? At the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, we think big! Our hope is that Pathfinder can expand the YUVAA program into more states in India and then further out into other countries, eventually being an essential part of every international community.
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