[dropcap sid=”dropcap-1446585320″]G[/dropcap]rowing up in Delhi, Harbani Rana (’07) came face-to-face with India’s child-poverty epidemic. Although she was fortunate to live in a home with a host of basic amenities, some of her neighbors were not so lucky. “I would often play outside with children who lived in back alleys,” recalls the alumna. “I would wish that they had the resources and opportunities to get ahead in life.”
Now Ms. Rana, who currently resides in Manhattan, is doing her part to improve those lives. She is a trustee of the U.S. chapter of Butterflies, an international nonprofit dedicated to promoting education, skill development, and the overall health of Delhi’s street and working children. “Every year, Butterflies provides more than 1,000 children with access to education and sports programs, medical care, professional training, and banking,” she explains. Furthermore, the organization is unique because it offers support for children without taking them away from their families.
Over a decade ago, Rana—who studied accountancy at Baruch through the Macaulay Honors College—first visited Butterflies’ home headquarters in Delhi on the recommendation of Dr. Myrna Chase, her professor and a former dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences. Rana’s positive report helped persuade Dr. Chase and a handful of her Baruch colleagues to create the U.S. chapter, which aims to increase American support of the grassroots organization.
Between her professional career as vice president, Investor Services Sales, at J.P. Morgan and her volunteer work, Rana remains closely connected to Baruch. “I feel like I
never left,” she says. “It’s a network that I will forever treasure.”
— Gregory M. Leporati