EDISON: Birthday girl has party to aid charity

Published in the Home News Tribune

By DORE CARROLL
STAFF WRITER

In her heart of hearts, 10-year-old Aditi Natarajan knew she didn't need any more toys or games.

TANYA BREEN photo Aditi Natarajan of Edison asked birthday guests to make donations to an international child-literacy group.

But to forgo all her birthday gifts to help educate poor children in India?

That's what the conscientious young township girl decided to do, and she says she had a better birthday for it.

"First of all, I already have too many things and nowhere to put them," Aditi said, perched on the colorful checkered spread covering her bed.

"And when I visited India this summer, I felt very bad for the people there who didn't have an education," Aditi said. "I asked my parents to send them money, and my grandmother gave notebooks to a lot of children.

So, instead of presents, Aditi requested guests at her Nov. 28 birthday party bring small donations to ASHA Foundation, an international group supporting child literacy in India.

The party, held at an American Legion Post in the Iselin section of Woodbridge, was a blast, and it brought in $600 for the cause, Aditi said. There was pizza, dancing, party games and, of course, birthday cake.

"It was a lot of fun. Everyone was congratulating me for doing it," she said.

Some of her peers weren't supportive at first: when her classmates at John Marshall school in Edison received the pretty pink party invitations asking them not to bring gifts, some said they felt sorry for Aditi because she wouldn't get anything.

"But I already had a $20 certificate for Toys R Us," from a school program, Aditi said.

"We already have everything," she said, in her family's modest Brunswick Avenue town house.

Her friends eventually came around, and a few now want to have similar birthdays.

Volunteer members of ASHA's New York City/New Jersey chapter were "quite touched by her show," said member Ranjeet Ranade.

"This is the first time a child here has got really involved. It's usually students and adults. It was really quite heartwarming to see," Ranade said. "It was quite a remarkable thing."

The ASHA Foundation was started in 1991 in Berkeley, Calif., by a group of University of California students who wanted to help educate poor children in their native India. ASHA's mission is to support child literacy in India, and raise awareness of that cause in the United States, where fund-raising is a major component of the group's activities.

The nonprofit, volunteer ASHA has expanded to include 13 United States chapters, including Central New Jersey and New York City, and others around the world.

Aditi's parents are "undeniably proud" of their daughter.

"'We were overwhelmed. It was quite nice of her to have made this gesture," said father Prakash Natarajan.

His wife, Vasudha, said they try to discourage selfish behavior.

Friends of the Natarajans are active in ASHA's Manhattan chapter, and Aditi had volunteered for the group before -- handing out leaflets and tickets during various events, and helping at concert fund-raisers, her father said.

And Aditi's work for ASHA is not yet finished. Along with some friends from her evening Hindu classes, Aditi is putting on a show next week, at a family friend's home in Manhattan. Proceeds from all "ticket" sales will benefit ASHA.

Source: Home News Tribune

Published: December 07, 1998