Meet our Volunteers: Jyoti Krishnan

Continuing with our “Meet the Volunteer” series, we would like to introduce you to one of our newest volunteers, Jyoti!

Name: Jyoti Krishnan

I am an US citizen from San Ramon, Northern California.  I lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1998 and worked in Silicon Valley over 20 years as a software developer.  I was born in India and after finishing my college degree in India, moved to the US in 1990. I’ve a Masters degree from Virginia  and lived in the US till late last year.  In December 2019, my husband and I moved to Zurich Switzerland with the intent of traveling and experiencing different cultural environments.

What personal experiences drew you to charity work?

I studied sociology and social problems such as poverty, child labour, women’s issues, and environmental problems in India. I have been sensitive to these social problems since my college days. I strongly believe that education helps people break out of poverty and become financially independent.  Education also makes people aware of injustices in society and why human rights are important. In the past, I’ve volunteered in raising funds for Middle and High Schools in the US. I was Treasurer for the Education Fund at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon.  I was a committee member of a cultural fest—a fundraising event for the Education Fund. Now in Switzerland, I’ve joined Zharity to help with Humanitarian and Refugee Assistance Efforts.

How did you get involved in Zharity?

I met Alicia Altmueller at one of the Zharity virtual events.  During a conversation with Alicia, I explained my deep interest in helping refugees and underprivileged people around the world.  We talked about how Zharity could benefit from my US volunteer work experience.  Zharity was forming new committees and I joined Zharity as a Humanitarian and Refugee Assistance Coordinator. 

What projects are you working on right now? 

I am working on strategy and planning for future humanitarian aid projects through Zharity.  Currently, I am coordinating the blanket drive for refugees in Greece.