Every year, Cardozo’s South Asian Law School Association (SALSA) holds a spring festival, which entails a night of food, drinks and entertainment. This is usually SALSA’s biggest event, and a way for the club to share South Asian culture with the rest of the Cardozo community.

This year, however, SALSA approached its February 25th event with a mindset geared toward the new decade—one that kept the global community in mind. SALSA paired with Pratham, an international organization, to do more than create a single night of entertainment and cultural awareness. Together with Pratham, SALSA raised money to fight illiteracy in underprivileged children across 21 states in India.

According to the United Nations and UNESCO, India has the largest number of illiterate adults in the world. This is compounded by the fact that, due to poverty, 72 million children in India are not enrolled in school. India is the world’s largest democracy, yet a majority of citizens cannot read voting ballots, much less do things that literate people take for granted. The potential and reality for abuse of the illiterate in India is a very real concern given the level of poverty that affects much of the nation.

This is why SALSA chose to pair with Pratham for its event. Started by UNICEF in 1994 in the slums of Mumbai, Pratham is India’s largest nonprofit organization in primary education. Pratham’s direct programs reached over one million children in 43 cities across India last year. Since the launch of Pratham’s “Read India” campaign in 2007, more than 33 million children have benefited. The program’s success is due to the fact that Pratham’s programs are low-cost and scalable. As a result, Pratham has emerged as a powerful voice in education reform in India.

SALSA and Pratham were able to contribute to the fight against illiteracy in India with the donations of the South Asian and law school communities who attended the spring festival. Performances of the night included Infin8, a NYC-based dance company, which integrated various dance styles, including Bharatnatyam, Kathak, jazz, hip-hop and modern in each performance. Columbia University’s Dhoom also performed Bollywood-fusion dances, combining classical Indian forms of dance with contemporary western traditions. An exhibit of still and moving images called “Photos for Hope” was displayed, providing a glimpse into the lives of Pratham children and the subsequent positive impact they have since experienced.

SALSA’s decision to look beyond just the law school community in its annual spring festival contributed to something much greater this year. SALSA’s involvement with Pratham helped a global organization that fights illiteracy using grassroots efforts—an impact that is sure to be felt for longer than the short duration of the spring festival itself.