Rangila, Georgetown University’s annual South Asian dance showcase, announced on Sept. 7 a partnership with Action Against Hunger (AAH), a nonprofit aiming to end hunger globally.

Headed by Georgetown University’s South Asian Society (GUSAS), Rangila is the largest charity dance showcase in the country. All of Rangila’s proceeds will go toward AAH’s South Asia initiatives, which work to end hunger in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. 

GUSAS previously donated Rangila profits to Distressed Children and Infants International, a non-profit aimed at lifting children out of poverty, with missions in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Nicaragua.

The showcase brings together over 400 dancers and 50 choreographers, according to Rania Khan (SFS ’26), Rangila’s philanthropy chair. 

Khan said that while Rangila is known for its extravagant dance numbers and complex choreography, philanthropy is an often overlooked pillar of the organization.

“Philanthropy has always been at the heart of Rangila,” Khan told The Hoya. “I think, in the past, it has been overlooked, just because it hasn’t been, you know, publicized as much. But it has always been a part of Rangila to have a philanthropy partner, to have this be a fundraising showcase.”

Most of Rangila’s end-of-semester donation comes via ticket sales to their showcase, according to Khan. Each semester, Rangila sells 1,400 tickets over the course of its two-day showcase at approximately $15 each. A smaller portion then comes from corporate sponsors and philanthropy events.

Khan said that this semester’s AAH Campaign is the result of a long search process that began in May. The process consisted of researching nonprofits that meet criteria outlined by Rangila’s board, such as scope of impact, status as a U.S.-based non-profit and lack of religious affiliation. The board then evaluated proposals on how said organizations would use Rangila’s donation, which ranges between $25,000 and over $40,000. 

Ananya Shah (SFS ’25), Rangila’s co-director of marketing and communications and one of the team’s choreographers, said that when looking for a philanthropy partner, Rangila focused on finding organizations that impact all of Southeast Asia.

“That’s a big thing that we look for, non-profits that operate throughout Southeast Asia. Not just in one Southeast Asian country,” Shah told The Hoya.

Khan said that the choice to partner with AAH came from their proposal’s focus on building sustainable climate-resilient communities in South Asia.

“I found Action Against Hunger to be so sincere in the work they do. It’s because they have a climate resiliency angle,” Khan said. “It’s not just swooping in to save these developing countries from disaster, but it’s also to make them resilient.”

Khan said that AAH plans to use Rangila’s donation to teach local agriculture experts how to use climate-resilient farming techniques, create kitchen gardens and support groups for mothers facing food scarcity due to climate change. 

Khan said that AAH’s work is particularly important as South Asia begins to face more and more disproportionate effects of the climate crisis.

“South Asian countries are facing the brunt of climate catastrophe, despite not contributing very much in emissions,” Khan said. “And so that’s just become the reality and it’s time to adapt and mitigate these circumstances.”

Rangila raised over $42,000 last Spring for Distressed Children and Infants International, according to Sanaa Mehta (SFS ’25), one of Rangila’s current coordinators and last year’s philanthropy chair. 

“We’re still kind of balancing out exactly what our numbers were. But it was above $42,000,” Mehta told The Hoya.

This donation shattered past donation records — a trend that Mehta hopes to see continue this fall.

“I hope that we raise even more money than last year,” said Mehta. “That’s the goal.”

Mehta said she hopes to expand fundraising further this year to include more donation networks and diverse groups, like family friends and South Asian partners, encompassing countries outside of India.

“This year, I think the biggest thing we also want to do is tap into our family, family friends, the network that we know,” Mehta told the Hoya. “And I think tapping into outside of just India networks.”

This year, Rangila set their fundraising goal even higher at $50,000, according to Khan. This is double the amount Rangila raised in Fall 2022.

Mehta said that she hopes students will view Rangila as more than just a way to have fun but as a way to learn about South Asia and the important work of their community partner.

“Sometimes we’re scared that students don’t want to learn,” Mehta said. “Rangila is having fun, dancing, food, that vibe. And I think there’s a way to make it also educational in a way and teach about our partner.”

Khan said Rangila’s AAH campaign will both raise money for a good cause and help build a South Asian community at Georgetown that centers around giving back to their global community.

“Rangila is just one of the very few initiatives on campus that aims to cultivate this community,” Khan said. “A huge role of philanthropy is to also host events that bring people together.”