Poonam Khatoon, a sixteen-year-old girl in northern India, demonstrated her karate moves for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday, May 6th, 2012. Mrs. Clinton was taking part in a meeting with the leaders of nine non-profit organizations working to end sex trafficking, moderated by Ruchira Gupta, founder of one of the programs, Apne Aap (“self help” in Hindi). Secretary Clinton promised her support for the cause, but she didn’t realize that Ms. Khatoon and her friends already receive the help of Mrs. Clinton’s neighbors in Westchester, NY.
The daughter of a woman working in prostitution, Ms. Khatoon takes her karate lessons in an Apne Aap program that is sponsored by a charitable group called KEEP (short for Katonah Education Exchange Program) based in Katonah, a village in the town of Bedford, home to the Clintons. “KEEP is a huge part of keeping Poonam and her friends at the hostel in karate,” explains Lindsey Swedick, who works in the New York office of Apne Aap and coordinates the interaction with the Katonah charitable group.
KEEP is a community effort spearheaded by seven Katonah moms: Ruthie Rosenberg, Cynthia Braun, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Celeste Crosby, Sioban Keane, Jeanne Cass, and Elena Rover. Inspired when their book club read Half the Sky, the friends selected Apne Aap from among the many worthy causes featuring women who have helped themselves and others despite overwhelming challenges.
KEEP sponsors 130 girls from 13 girls groups based out of three community centers run by Apne Aap in Forbesganj, Uttari Rampur, and Babuan, in the Araria District in the Indian state of Bihar—. These girls are at risk for being sold into the sex trade or born into a part of the Untouchable caste, in families that traditionally engage in intergenerational prostitution.
In addition to underwriting karate, KEEP funds support tutoring, English-language instruction, and other non-formal education such as sewing and self-advocacy skills for girls ages 10 to 16. Ms. Rosenberg, who manages much of the team’s daily operations, traveled to India and witnessed the positive impact that Apne Aap’s work is having on vulnerable communities. She helped shape the KEEP agenda, which provides marketable skills, teaches the girls about their rights, and fosters the confidence to break out of the “family business.”
Wanting to do more than raise money, KEEP also runs a penpal exchange. It began with mother-daughter pairs here, a dedicated corps of New York based Hindi translators, and the girls in Bihar. On the American side, the correspondence has expanded to include a sixth-grade class at the Wooster School in Danbury, CT, and the teens in the Smart Girls after-school program at the Boys & Girls Club in Mt. Kisco, NY.
On May 1, the KEEP founders, supporters, and their friends celebrated the group’s first year accomplishments—raising $11,875 and exchanging 100 penpal letters. The event also served as the kickoff for the second year’s efforts, raising funds through new members and the sale of $10 note cards that sponsor a Bihar girl for one month. The highlight of the evening was when Ms. Swedick shared an email about the penpal program written by Soumya Pratheek, an Apne Aap officer in Bihar and KEEP’s contact in India. She wrote: “I have seen the joy and excitement in the eyes of the girls when they get these letters. They feel very happy and honoured when they realise that there are people who have not even seen them but respect their emotions, their culture and want to know about them. For them it boosts up their self confidence and I have seen this in them. So, on behalf of Apne Aap we thank the entire KEEP group.”
The evening’s festivities were hosted by KEEP co-founder Ms. Crosby, who also is part of the KEEP penpal program. Her correspondent: The very same Poonam Khatoon who confidently demonstrated her karate skills for Mrs. Clinton, causing Madam Secretary to remark: “I agree with the approach of Apne Aap to invest in marginalized girls in small communities.”
Ms. Khatoon came away with a strong impression as well. “Men generally think women are useless,” she said. “But look at her. She has so many bodyguards, and most of them are men. All men must think of women as important, and that they are able to do important things.”
Concluding her visit on Sunday, Mrs. Clinton told Ms. Gupta: “I am totally your cheerleader. Continue what you are doing and I’ll stand by you.”
Her neighbors in Katonah will KEEP helping too.
Last Updated: March 7, 2016 by Elena
KEEP featured in Woman’s Day magazine
We are excited to announce that KEEP’s work has been featured in Woman’s Day magazine’s April 2015 issue.
See the full story here
Clicking on the image of the story should make it appear in a larger size.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
KEEP visit to the Whitby School
In February, KEEP Board Members Celeste Crosby and Cynthia Braun visited The Whitby School in Greenwich, CT, to discuss KEEP’s work with seventh and eighth grade student members of the Model United Nations Club. Invited by Andy Greene, Whitby teacher and Model UN Club Advisor, Celeste and Cynthia presented a slide show detailing KEEP’s partnerships with Apne Aap and the Kakenya Center for Excellence. Photos from KEEP’s trip to India and from the KCE in Kenya gave the students an idea of the issues that face girls in developing countries. Many students expressed amazement that if they were typical girls in India or Kenya, they would be already preparing to marry. They commented upon the stark differences between educational opportunities for girls in the US compared to those in India and Kenya. Later, Andy Greene noted that KEEP’s presentation showed his students how a small group of people, or even one individual, could make a big difference in the lives of girls around the world.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
KEEP Kenya Launch Party
On a cold winter’s night in February 2015, supporters gathered to celebrate the new partnership between KEEP and the Kakenya Center for Excellence (KCE). With traditional Kenyan Dawa cocktails to sip and exotic treats to nibble, attendees came together to toast the new venture. It was a heartwarming evening of solidarity with friends new and old committed to keeping girls in school.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
Our New Partnership in Kenya
We are thrilled to announce a new partnership in our effort to keep girls in school: The Kakenya Center for Excellence (KCE), a boarding school for girls in rural Kenya. These girls, who typically are forced to marry when entering puberty, instead pursue their education at KCE. Enrollment at KCE also protects all students from female genital cutting. Learning how KCE educates, protects and empowers these most vulnerable girls, we feel inspired and motivated to help. We have set a goal of sponsoring the fifth grade class of 37 girls. Please join us in forging this new relationship between two communities dedicated to education.
The 5th Grade at the Kakenya Center for Excellence
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
Apne Aap Director’s Visit Inspires KEEP Members New and Old
Under a waxing October moon, supporters new and old of the Katonah Education Exchange Program (KEEP) gathered to listen as Dr. Abhilasha Kumari, Director of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, spoke about the valuable impact KEEP is having on the ground in Bihar, India. Dr. Kumari, a woman of small stature but tremendous presence, mingled with guests at the home of Ruth Rosenberg and then gave a formal presentation.
While outlining specifics of the program like health screenings, academic supports, and enrichment classes, Dr. Kumari interspersed vignettes about the girls and their lives in the red light district: how a troop of girls returned exhilarated and triumphant after having convinced the parents of one of their group members to delay an early marriage in favor of staying in school, how another group of girls confronted local police officials to address the harassment they experienced as they made their way to and from school each day, and the momentous occasion when Poonam and Resham accepted diplomas, their mother uneducated and prostituted as a young girl herself, standing beside them.
Dr. Kumari did not shy away from sharing the less-glowing reports. She paused from speaking for a moment when the picture of a particular young woman with bright eyes came on the screen. This girl, she explained, had gone missing while visiting her family. All Apne Aap’s efforts to locate and return her to safety had been stymied. The trail was cold. She was lost. Stories such as these brought some of the realities the girls and staff living and working in the red light districts of India must face – never mind the inconsistent electrical power, harassment and imprisonment of employees, and deep-seated hindrances presented by acculturated inter-generational prostitution. Keeping the girls physically safe is an ever-present challenge.
She spoke about implementing feedback from meeting with the KEEP board in the spring, in particular, taking the girls on field trips. The excursion to a public park in the mountains spurred a paradigm shift for young women who have literally never left the neighborhood in which they were born. Experiencing in a small way, the concept that there is a wider world where things can be different was new and powerful for these youngsters.
The visit from Dr. Kumari, with her impassioned and frank conversation with KEEP illustrated her deep connection and commitment to the program as a whole and to the girls as individuals. It was a step in further affirming one of KEEP’s primary charter intentions: to be connected to the change we wish to effect – to people beyond their ‘profile’ and even beyond the organizations that strive to assist them.
Cynthia Braun concluded the presentation describing the common experience of reading and hearing about horrendous situations around the world and feeling powerless. KEEP’s connection with Apne Aap gives one something to do. It’s real change, with real people.
Dr. Abhilasha Kumari, director of Apne Aap Worldwide
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
KEEP Fall News Update
KEEP Superstars Start College
Our first KEEP graduates are starting college this fall! Poonam and Resham Khatun have matriculated at Arvind Mahila College in Patna, a women’s college affiliated with Magadh University. Although their older sister was married at age nine, Poonam and Resham enrolled in KEEP’s program and are now among the first young women from their community to attend college. The sisters will study Economics, Sociology, Political Science, English and Hindi. Resham aspires to take her studies “very far” (pursue higher degrees) and Poonam plans to become a lawyer to fight for the rights of girls and women in her community.
With funds raised to date, KEEP will pay the tuition expenses (totaling $3,000) for Poonam and Resham this year. Moving forward, KEEP hopes to raise the additional monies needed to continue this crucial support for these ambitious and determined young women throughout their college years.
Runners Race for KEEP
The Running Goddess 5K on June 2 raised an amazing $4,000 for KEEP! 287 runners and walkers hit the trails of Lasdon Arboretum on a beautiful spring morning to race for fitness, fun and philanthropic goals. Running Goddess founder, Bettina Sementilli, and Race Director, Annie Bai, created this race to promote well-being, build community spirit and support the education of at-risk girls here and abroad. We are extremely grateful to The Running Goddess for such generosity and dedication to improving the lives of girls worldwide. Thank you to all the KEEP members who participated.
Apne Aap Wins Big in Huffington Post Contest
Thanks to the Running Goddess’ donation to Apne Aap on behalf of KEEP, Apne Aap finished among the top ten organizations in the Huffington Post’s RaiseForWomen Challenge. Collecting over $32,000 in donations in response to this challenge, Apne Aap won numerous prizes from the Huffington Post, including the opportunity to publicize Apne Aap’s efforts though Huff Post blogs, tweets and a front-page article.
JJHS Welcomes Students for KEEP
John Jay High School student Susannah Rogers, inspired by her pen-pal connection with the girls in Bihar, founded Students for KEEP in the summer of 2012. Last fall, Students for KEEP became an official club at John Jay High School to raise awareness of the issues affecting at-risk girls in India and help underwrite their education. The club brought in hundreds of dollars for the cause with their “KEEP the Change” fundraiser, placing canisters at local businesses to collect loose change. The club also presented a film, Born into Brothels, to the JJHS freshmen as part of a ninth grade debate on traditional gender roles around the world. For many, the event was eye-opening. Club members also fundraised with bake sales throughout the year and enjoyed participating in the Running Goddess 5K.
Susannah is now working on a project with Apne Aap Women Worldwide, creating a pamphlet that Apne Aap can distribute to younger children as a way of explaining the women’s movement in age-appropriate terms.
Apne’s Aap’s New Director Visits Katonah
In May, Apne Aap’s new Director, Abhilasha Kumari, visited Katonah to meet KEEP’s board members and provide an update on KEEP activities. Ms. Kumari, who joined Apne Aap in December, expressed deep gratitude for the many ways that KEEP is making a difference in the lives of girls in Bihar, India. She described the difficult and often dangerous job of outreach workers who enroll girls in KEEP’s educational programs. However, despite many challenges, the work is extremely rewarding: once out of the brothels, KEEP girls are escaping enforced prostitution and learning skills that will enable them to support themselves. The early success of this model has impressed Ms. Kumari, who hopes to develop similar projects in other Indian communities.
Girl Rising Raises Awareness
In March, KEEP hosted a reception following the screening of a new documentary film entitled Girl Rising in Bedford. This film tells the story of nine amazing girls from nine different countries who dream of attending school. In their struggle to rise above enormous obstacles, they draw upon deep reserves of courage and determination. Inspired by these girls’ stories, attendees gathered after the film at Erica’s Kitchen to enjoy wine and cheese and discuss the importance of supporting girls’ education throughout the world. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who joined us and especially to Erica Miller Wallace of Erica’s Kitchen for so graciously subsidizing this special event.
KEEP Meets Fundraising Goals
At the end of April, KEEP concluded its second year of successful fundraising. Thanks to all of you, we have raised $10,800 each year for the past two years to fund our educational program for 160 girls in Bihar, India. KEEP pen pals in Katonah and Bihar continue to write letters to each other, which provides a wonderful sense of connection. You all, as a community, have been incredibly supportive and generous in helping KEEP achieve its mission of keeping girls in school. As we move forward into our third year, we thank you for making this goal a reality.
The Running Goddess 5K raised $4,000 for KEEP, helping Apne Aap win the Huffington Post challenge and helping KEEP meet our annual fundraising goal.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
KEEP Gift Cards
We are pleased to offer KEEP Gift Cards, the perfect solution to a variety of gift-giving conundrums. Instead of chocolates or flowers, consider giving a KEEP gift card for…
• Your child’s teacher at the end of the year
• Mother’s Day for your mother-in-law The wedding of your colleague’s daughter
• Your teenage niece’s birthday
• A Thank You for the neighbor who took care of your pet while you were away
You’ll be giving the gift of a future.
Each $10 gift card funds one month’s enrollment in a daily program that provides education and protection for one girl in rural India who is at risk of being sold into the sex trade.
The card is not only a thoughtful and unique gift; it also helps spread the word about KEEP and its mission. Giving a KEEP gift card is an effective way to become part of the worldwide movement to keep girls in school.
KEEP gift cards are available for purchase at:
Special orders can also be accommodated. Please contact us with your request.
100% of proceeds go directly to Apne Aap, a non-profit organization delivering vital services in the fight to end sex trafficking.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
KEEP the Change Program Grows
On February 2, two of the co-founders of Students for KEEP, Susannah Rogers and Emily Pickup, visited four local merchants. Their goal: Spread the word about KEEP’s fundraising efforts to support Apne Aap, and ask the merchants to place a KEEP the Change spare change canister in their stores. The students were thrilled with the response: “We got cans into all four!” reported the pair. “The owner of Suburban Groove even said she would be willing to match the donations.”
Please support our local merchants who are willing to make a difference—and consider dropping some change in the KEEP the Change canisters while you’re there. The new locations are:
The four new cans join the existing canisters at:
Congratulations to the Students for KEEP.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
Ruchira Gupta Visits Katonah
On the evening of October 11th, Apne Aap founder Ruchira Gupta presented to a standing-room only crowd at the Katonah Village Library, sharing her perspective on the fight against modern-day slavery and sex trafficking. The presentation was held on the first annual International Day of the Girl, and was registered as participating event.
The powerful speech was part of an event sponsored by KEEP, the Katonah Education Exchange Program, a local grassroots organization in its second year. After the speech, a wine-and-cheese reception was held, made possible by donations from a corps of KEEP supporters who donated everything from napkins to platters. The reception was lively, with many questions and comments for the Ms. Gupta, the two Apne Aap representatives, and the seven KEEP founders.
The event raised more than $2200, which is one-fifth of KEEP’s annual fundraising goal of $10,800. All funds raised are part of a grant to Apne Aap, supporting the education of 130 girls, ages 10 to 16, in northern India. At the event, KEEP founder Ruthie Rosenberg introduced the group and explained their mission: Keeping Girls in School.
After Ms. Gupta’s speech, another KEEP founder, Cynthia Braun, described several fundraising initiatives including a new “KEEP the Change” program, led by four students at John Jay High School—Susannah Rogers, Emily Pickup, Olivia Paulhac and Helen Eifert—who call their group Students for KEEP. The students designed donation containers that are available to merchants for placement near checkout. At the evening’s reception, Don Healy, owner of Out of the Blue in Mount Kisco, became the first merchant to request a can. Dr. Braun also described the gift cards KEEP sells, each supporting one girl for one month at a cost of $10. The cards are available at Ebba in Katonah, Gypsy Roots in Cross River, and now at Out of the Blue in Mount Kisco.
Prior to the event, KEEP had raised $5,940 toward its annual goal, representing 55 percent of the total. All event expenses are donated by KEEP founders and supporters, allowing the full $2,200 raised to go directly to the Apne Aap grant. KEEP has now reached 68 percent of its goal for the year, leaving $3,500 remaining to raise before the fiscal year ends on May 1, 2013.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015 by Elena
Hillary Clinton Meets a KEEP Student
Poonam Khatoon, a sixteen-year-old girl in northern India, demonstrated her karate moves for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday, May 6th, 2012. Mrs. Clinton was taking part in a meeting with the leaders of nine non-profit organizations working to end sex trafficking, moderated by Ruchira Gupta, founder of one of the programs, Apne Aap (“self help” in Hindi). Secretary Clinton promised her support for the cause, but she didn’t realize that Ms. Khatoon and her friends already receive the help of Mrs. Clinton’s neighbors in Westchester, NY.
The daughter of a woman working in prostitution, Ms. Khatoon takes her karate lessons in an Apne Aap program that is sponsored by a charitable group called KEEP (short for Katonah Education Exchange Program) based in Katonah, a village in the town of Bedford, home to the Clintons. “KEEP is a huge part of keeping Poonam and her friends at the hostel in karate,” explains Lindsey Swedick, who works in the New York office of Apne Aap and coordinates the interaction with the Katonah charitable group.
KEEP is a community effort spearheaded by seven Katonah moms: Ruthie Rosenberg, Cynthia Braun, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Celeste Crosby, Sioban Keane, Jeanne Cass, and Elena Rover. Inspired when their book club read Half the Sky, the friends selected Apne Aap from among the many worthy causes featuring women who have helped themselves and others despite overwhelming challenges.
KEEP sponsors 130 girls from 13 girls groups based out of three community centers run by Apne Aap in Forbesganj, Uttari Rampur, and Babuan, in the Araria District in the Indian state of Bihar—. These girls are at risk for being sold into the sex trade or born into a part of the Untouchable caste, in families that traditionally engage in intergenerational prostitution.
In addition to underwriting karate, KEEP funds support tutoring, English-language instruction, and other non-formal education such as sewing and self-advocacy skills for girls ages 10 to 16. Ms. Rosenberg, who manages much of the team’s daily operations, traveled to India and witnessed the positive impact that Apne Aap’s work is having on vulnerable communities. She helped shape the KEEP agenda, which provides marketable skills, teaches the girls about their rights, and fosters the confidence to break out of the “family business.”
Wanting to do more than raise money, KEEP also runs a penpal exchange. It began with mother-daughter pairs here, a dedicated corps of New York based Hindi translators, and the girls in Bihar. On the American side, the correspondence has expanded to include a sixth-grade class at the Wooster School in Danbury, CT, and the teens in the Smart Girls after-school program at the Boys & Girls Club in Mt. Kisco, NY.
On May 1, the KEEP founders, supporters, and their friends celebrated the group’s first year accomplishments—raising $11,875 and exchanging 100 penpal letters. The event also served as the kickoff for the second year’s efforts, raising funds through new members and the sale of $10 note cards that sponsor a Bihar girl for one month. The highlight of the evening was when Ms. Swedick shared an email about the penpal program written by Soumya Pratheek, an Apne Aap officer in Bihar and KEEP’s contact in India. She wrote: “I have seen the joy and excitement in the eyes of the girls when they get these letters. They feel very happy and honoured when they realise that there are people who have not even seen them but respect their emotions, their culture and want to know about them. For them it boosts up their self confidence and I have seen this in them. So, on behalf of Apne Aap we thank the entire KEEP group.”
The evening’s festivities were hosted by KEEP co-founder Ms. Crosby, who also is part of the KEEP penpal program. Her correspondent: The very same Poonam Khatoon who confidently demonstrated her karate skills for Mrs. Clinton, causing Madam Secretary to remark: “I agree with the approach of Apne Aap to invest in marginalized girls in small communities.”
Ms. Khatoon came away with a strong impression as well. “Men generally think women are useless,” she said. “But look at her. She has so many bodyguards, and most of them are men. All men must think of women as important, and that they are able to do important things.”
Concluding her visit on Sunday, Mrs. Clinton told Ms. Gupta: “I am totally your cheerleader. Continue what you are doing and I’ll stand by you.”
Her neighbors in Katonah will KEEP helping too.
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