Founders:

Urvi Shah Jariwala

India

Early on, Urvi gave up her corporate life to follow her passion of helping children reach their educational goals. Prior to founding Links Charitable Trust, she worked with Sharon on the revitalization of a local anganwadi in Bangalore.

Urvi is originally from India, but grew up in Chicago and California before moving back, and settling in Bangalore with her family. While in the US, she spent 2 years teaching autistic children in an elementary school in Santa Clara, USA.

Urvi can be seen in Munnekollal almost daily. She is the person who community members call for any emergency or need. She is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week without payment of any kind. She is the true heart and soul of Links Charitable Trust.

Nane, 2013-2018

Urvi and Sharon met Nane in 2017 right before they started Links. He was a sweet, serious, and watchful boy who lit up when he heard singing or went for a ride in a car. He had a serious heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. Despite countless attempts to educate his parents about life-saving treatment options, his mom and dad decided that they did not want him to have the surgery. He passed away at the age of 5. For Sharon, Nane is why she co-founded Links, and to date, … children have had life-saving Tetrology of Falot surgery.

Sharon Otmar, EdM, MA

USA

Sharon is an artist and activist who has been working in impoverished communities in Bangalore since her arrival in 2016. Her work prior to Links involved volunteer consulting for a local women's empowerment project, called anulife, helping revitalize a local community by linking with an NGO to provide teacher health and hygiene training for anganwadi (preschool) teachers, and English classes for mothers. She also fundraised and partnered with Sachara to build a toilet in an impoverished neighborhood anganwadi, which provides hygiene and safety to kids 0-5.

Sharon's career has always been about helping children, first as a mental health counselor and later as an elementary school and career counselor in New York City.

Sharon currently lives in Mumbai, India where she paints to raise money for Links Charitable Trust and other important causes. Her work can be seen at Instagram.com/ocdartinmumbai

Sara Janssens, RN

Belgium

Sara utilized her background in nursing in the migrant camps of Bangalore for several years as part of a mobile team analyzing the health needs of children before co-founding Links. She used these skills and experience to assess the needs of the children of migrant communities and link them to quality health services.

Prior to Bangalore, she utilized her speciality in Tropical Medicine in the bush of West Africa, working with local NGOs without a doctor or electricity. Realizing that poverty not only affects developing nations, she worked in her home country of Belgium as a street nurse providing health and hygiene to Brussel's homeless population.

Sara is currently living in Belgium, but continues to fundraise for Links Charitable Trust.