The Xaverian alumni family travelled over 13,000km to raise money for admission of 100 trafficking survivors to the college from the next academic year.

The first-of-its-kind initiative is part of the St. Xavier's College Vision 2020 that talks about the expansion and growth plans of the institute, including the development of the new Rajarhat campus.

A Xaverian team, led by Father Felix Raj, the principal of the college, along with members of the St. Xavier's College Calcutta Alumni Association travelled to San Francisco and Los Angeles last week to raise funds for SXC Vision 2020, a mission that has successfully raised over 50,000 dollars.

The San Francisco fund-raising event on October 8 was hosted by Rahul Roy, an entrepreneur, and attended by such local dignitaries as Bob Wieckowski, state senate leader, and Kenson Chu, state senator.

The Los Angeles event on October 11 was a gala dinner and entertainment programme hosted by the alumni association and the St. Xavier's Foundation and put together by honorary Xaverian Chanda Zaveri.

"Our aim to travel to Los Angeles is to invite you to participate in the mission we call SXC Vision 2020. We realised that there is a need for more seats and we have to expand and respond to the call of the student community. St. Xavier's College has extended its vision to accommodate this new revolutionary mission of admitting 100 students who have been affected by human trafficking. St. Xavier's should set an example to other institutions and other colleges that here is a section that we need to be concerned about," said Felix Raj, who promised not to stop at just a hundred students.

Zaveri, a self-made woman who ran away from her Calcutta home and marriage at the age of 17 and has now become a millionaire, wants to help give the trafficking survivors a chance to fulfil their dreams. "It is a huge responsibility to take on the education of 100 trafficking victims and I am glad that Father Felix Raj has come forward to do something that has not been done anywhere else in the world," said Zaveri, who now has her own company Actiogen based in Los Angeles.

Ruchira Gupta of Apne Aap, the guest of honour at the event, has joined hands with St. Xavier's to make the mission of educating 100 trafficking victims come true.

"You have the example of Chanda Zaveri right in front of you. Here is a girl who chose to walk her own path. Who chose freedom. She has turned her life around and she has become a huge success and is today standing up for a 100 more girls. Each of you can also help some girls and society will benefit. So I'm here to ask you to help the St. Xavier's Foundation, to help Chanda Zaveri's dream, to help my dream, to help Apne Aap's dream and to help the dreams of every little girl who shouldn't be bought or sold, who should be free to fulfil her full potential," said Gupta to deafening applause.