Be A Light In Someone's Life Through Your Investments

On Diwali we celebrate the return of the Rama to the ancient city of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile. Rama returned after 14 years having vanquished the demon king Ravan. His path back home is illuminated by diyas lit by villagers celebrating his victory. Like those villagers, we celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

During Diwali, we invite Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity into our homes by lighting diyas and leaving our windows and doors open. This is in the hope that our light will draw her to enter our homes and bless us with happiness and good fortune in the year to come.

Across India and across the world, Hindus will don their finest outfits, light fireworks, and spend quality time with friends and family. For those of us far from home, we’ll recall the smell of puri frying, the colors of rangoli and the sweet taste of mithai. We’ll remember the joy of wearing new clothes and the special solemnity of the family puja.

At Calvert Foundation, we honor the light that brightens India’s social and economic growth. Small and medium size businesses and social enterprises serve as a light to the Indian people by providing jobs and services. By investing in SMEs, we aim to facilitate prosperity for all.

Take for example, Barefoot Power, a solar energy company who is being financed by Intellegrow, one of our borrowers. Barefoot Power provides a wide range of affordable, high quality solar products to rural villages off the electric grid, including lights, fans, televisions and refrigerators. Barefoot Power has presence in over 15 states, and both literally and figuratively have served as a light for over 138,000 Indians to date.

This Diwali be the light in someone else’s life. In 2015, our India Investment Initiative committed $16 million in investments to help connect Indians with basic needs and services. Visit Vested.org/India today and invest in India to be a light for others this Diwali.