Developing Social Entrepreneurs through chess
By Kiran Frey
Community Member
Today at 9:45 a.m.
Developing Social Entrepreneurship through Chess
Students at Chess Without Borders have made new moves as social entrepreneurs. This new role has inspired students to lead as documentarians, fund raising organizers, artists, musicians and social entrepreneurs.
On February 19th, 2011, Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois hosted a screening for the documentary, “A Future for Meher”. In 2009 Good Shepherd Hospital had presented Chess Without Borders with an Unsung Hero Award for the humanitarian work accomplished by chess families and the community. The screening at Good Shepherd was able to inform the community about the impact of their contribution.
Zein Bertacchi from Good Shepherd Hospital introduced documentarian Brian Gruber. He had traveled to India in 2009 to obtain footage for the documentary. He filmed the chess club in India sponsored by Chess Without Borders and Meher, the subject of the documentary. She is a little girl who was severely burned by a fire in her home. As a result she was disfigured and unable to use her hands. Chess Without Borders was introduced to Meher through Nina Sethi, who was volunteering as a teacher at the organization called Project Why that provides services for families in the slums of Delhi. Nina approached GM Shulman for help with fund-raising for medical services for Meher.
At this point, Chess Without Borders families also became medical service providers. The network of people involved in raising funds grew to involve a school in Berlin, Germany and friends in India. Two years later more than $18,000 has been raised and Meher has had several surgeries on her face and hands. Chess students have even donated their clothes for children from Project Why and enjoy seeing their clothes being modeled by children in India in the documentary. The Plastic Surgeon who operated on Meher, Dr. Rakesh Khazanchi, also donated his services after being inspired by the story of the chess players turned medical service providers.
Full article here.
Great idea.