Sankalpa began as a desire to give back to our homeland and help those in need, which was born at an informal gathering during the Ganesh Utsav Celebration in September 2000 at The Ohio State University. we discussed ways to give back to India and came to the realization that as the "crème de la crème" of India [😉] , it was our moral responsibility to contribute to the betterment of our society. We were eager to break from the mundane circle of assignments, mid-term exams, and projects. I [Vinayak] suggested we begin our own special group, dedicated to giving back to our communities in India. Met with a great deal of enthusiasm, we decided to name it Sankalpa - Our Resolution. That same day, we had 40 interested members. We planned to meet over the weekend to see where it went. 

 

The beginning of Sankalpa was marked! We, a spirited group of individuals, came together to brainstorm ideas for developmental projects and discuss social and developmental issues in India. Initially, meetings were held every fortnight and attendance was high. However, over time, attendance dwindled and only a few members remained committed to the cause -- Mukta, Sandip, Ajay, Neeraj, and myself [Vinayak]. Despite this, these individuals remained optimistic and determined to make a difference. After a few months, the group solidified their vision for the organization, focusing on micro-developmental and sustainable projects in the areas of sanitation, health, education, and agriculture. They believed that addressing these issues was crucial for the development of India.