Samyuktha Natarajan, a rising senior at High school North, organized a second annual concert and talent show to benefit KIVA, an organization that works to loan money to impoverished individuals all over the world. The event will be held at Saturday, August 14, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $7 per person, $25 for families; dinner included.
“The people use the loans to start their own businesses and break out of the cycle of poverty,” she says. “Kiva works with the individuals to ensure a profit from their newly started business. As the loan is paid off the money can be used to support another individual working their way out of poverty.” The event raised $1,500 last year.
Natarajan took over the role of planning, co-ordination, publicity and execution of event, venue, and food, with help from her brother, Chaitanya, a rising freshman at North. The music is eclectic — pop, blues, rock, instrumental jazz, Indian classical, and contemporary. The dances focus on Bollywood. The food will be prepared by some of the families features Indian and Italian, and desserts.
Samyuktha Natarajan is involved and passionate about community service. “I have the opportunity to get involved in a lot of service projects throughout the year thanks to the clubs that I volunteer through,” she says. She volunteers with Homefront and has worked as a shadow buddy in the adapted martial arts and the ESL camp for Plainsboro. At North she is in the philharmonic orchestra, president of the environmental club, and an officer in the South Asian Awareness Student Association club at North. She is also president of the greater Princeton chapter of People to People, and has received the presidential service award for 2009 and 2010.
Participants from High School North include Natarajan, Chaitanya Natarajan, Kevin Maa, Robert Grueneberg, Keshav Prasad, Shweta Ravichandar, Abinav Janakiraman, Shreya Jha, Simran Chhabra, Shaili Tanna, Sayeli Jayade, Preeti Phanse, Khushbu Purohit, Aneesha Patel, Ankita Sankla, and June graduates Sophia Liu and Lahari Vudayagiri.
High School South participants include Abhijith Sundaraman, Craig Byll, Pranav Venkatraman, and Mahashreya Sundaraman, a 2009 graduate. Community Middle School participants include Daniel Gruenberg, Brian Zohn, Will Shriver, Janavi Janakiraman, and Madhav Prasad.
Participants also include Ameya Natarajan, a student at Town Center School; Sanjana Ravichandar from Millstone River School; Nikhil Dighe from Princeton Academy; and Zui Dighe from Stewart Country Day School.
— Lynn Miller
Musical Benefit, Kiva, First Presbyterian Church, 154 South Mill Road, West Windsor. Saturday, August 14, 6:30 to 10 p.m. “Lend Some Hope,” a benefit to build global communities and alleviate poverty presented by young people in West Windsor and Plainsboro. $7 includes dinner. Register. 609-945-7315.
