Students raise money to aide, volunteer at orphanage in India

It’s not uncommon for college students to be involved in volunteer work. For one Ball State student, this means raising money for an Indian orphanage — and even going overseas to work there.

Richu Aby, a senior international business major, has been raising money for an orphanage in Mysore, India, after her uncle told her about the opportunity.

“My uncle is a pastor and told me stories about orphans being dropped off at his church,” Aby said. “He told me about businesses he knew that could use my help. I could apply the skills I’ve learned from Ball State there.”

Aby has always been a big advocate for philanthropy. She wanted to start the project because she knew she would be working in industry for a long time and is just as passionate about service, she said.

Her goal is to raise $5,000 for 19 orphans. The money will go toward whatever is most needed but can help for the longest amount of time.

“The kids have to choose between new clothes or new shoes, a backpack or books,” Aby said. “My personal goal is to send kids to college, but that’s a long way off.”

Currently, Aby is working on a team with two other students on a campaign named Go Mysore. The goal is to is to help all the orphans at the Lord's Home Orphanage in Mysore, India, and improve their lives, according to its website.

Aby plans to keep donors involved through weekly newsletters. Donors can also see how their money is being spent through the website and and social media.

“This isn’t one of those programs where you donate once and never see what happens to your money,” Aby said. “I want there to be a lot of interaction.”

Jacob Logeman, a junior telecommunications major, is one of the team members. Logeman met Aby while working on the campaign team for Atlas, the SGA slate Aby was a part of. 

He and Aby became friends through all of the time he spent with the slate working on videos.

Logeman also has experience with fundraising through his involvement in Dance Marathon. Aby thought he would be a great candidate to help her with creating promotional content for Go Mysore, he said.

“We started with a video that summarized what our mission was,” Logeman said. “Then we promoted that through our website and social media. I’ve learned multiple methods of fundraising, and I’ve been able to bring that knowledge to the table and help [Aby] reach her fundraising goal.”

Marissa Olson is the third team member. A senior public relations major, Olson met Aby through a mutual friend. Aby approached her about five months ago, asking her to join the project.

“I was really drawn to the idea,” Olson said. “It really spoke to me. I like helping people, being a part of something bigger than myself.”

Olson helps Logeman with graphics. The three of them all have different skills and work together, she said. This isn’t her first time working on fundraising; she’s also involved with Dance Marathon.

“I’ve never been helping fundraise for an orphanage firsthand before,” Olson said. “It’s a really great opportunity; I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

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