Bhandaris’ mite for new Ekal initiative

HOUSTON , TX – Houston-based entrepreneur Amit Bhandari and his wife Arpita not only shaped their own American dream but, along the way, they also nurtured the aspirations of thousands of children, whether in the remote village of Rampura or the slums of Mumbai.

Ekal was one of the first charities the Bhandaris supported and they have consistently raised this support. They recently topped it by donating $50,000 to outfit a bus with 10 laptops for the Ekal-on-Wheels Mobile Computer Labs program.

The Mobile Computer Labs initiative is working to enhance digital literacy and has helped over 50,000 children become computer-literate. The solar-powered bus has pre-installed self-learning software developed by IIT, Mumbai and accommodates two students per computer.

Bhandaris have also supported the Jain Society of Houston, donated six acres of land for the Gujarati Samaj center in Houston, written a quarter-million dollar check to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey relief work, paid off the loans of a temple in Phoenix and raised $3 million for Magic Bus, an NGO that is deeply personal to them and aims to bring children out of poverty through a unique sports- based curriculum.

Amit’s entrepreneurial leanings kicked in as early as middle school when he and a friend made paper bags and sold them to local vendors. At 17, he was accepted in the Rotary Student Exchange Program and attended High School in Hicksville, Ohio. America turned out to be “a tremendous experience” so much so that he got his aunt to sponsor his green card.