Throughout her childhood, sophomore Izna Khanna noticed a striking pattern — various places where she has lived hold totally opposing political views on certain topics and have substantially different basic value systems, regardless of their proximity.
Growing up in Vancouver, Canada, Khanna was always encouraged to develop friendships with her peers and try new things. When she moved to Campbell at age 9, she saw the focus shift. In her new neighborhood, the concerns revolved around relationship drama and her racial identity, which had never been a concern to her prior. When she moved to Saratoga in 2022, she found that her academic success was what defined her among her peers.
“It occurred to me how different societies are, their impact on your perspective, and how much they clash and become ignorant and void once coming together online, via social media,” Khanna said.
On apps such as TikTok and Instagram, Khanna saw heartbreaking videos of kids starving in Gaza following Israel’s invasion. She noted that the comments under the video seemed more focused on political views and who was “right” and “wrong” rather than lessening the suffering of civilians. Because she wanted to help the civilians in need, she helped lead a transition of the existing Nanoseed club, which she was standing VP of, into the Bringing Awareness and Supporting Immediate Crisis (BASIC) club in August.
“What inspired me to create BASIC was the ignorance of incoming generations,” Khanna said. “As more get online, they are influenced by such strong views on international affairs without, one, getting a chance to gather an opinion themselves, and two — most importantly — staying grounded and not forgetting that at the end of the day humanity is what’s being lost.”
At its core, BASIC is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for humanitarian aid without getting entangled with political views, she said. Every few months, BASIC partners with a different non-profit organization to support their goals.
The club’s first partner was World Central Kitchen, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on addressing food insecurity through long-term resilience programs and freshly prepared meals for families. Through this partnership, the club focused on supporting Ukraine, where funds equate to meals distributed in conflict zones. As their first project, BASIC aimed to raise $1,500 to distribute meals to support soldiers in regions of eastern Ukraine.
The club has plans to fundraise through community events, festivals, restaurant fundraisers and the local farmer’s market. Their first fundraising event on Oct. 2 raised $200 through boba sales after school.
In its first year, BASIC has amassed over 20 members. Sophomore Nishi Menon, who is on the club’s fundraising team, is looking forward to seeing the impact that BASIC has.
“Being a part of BASIC is really rewarding because we get to aid people around the world that are facing dire circumstances,” Menon said.
Additionally, BASIC plans on expanding its reach to podcasts and interviews. The club hopes to interview people who have recently left regions of conflict in order to spread awareness about their situations.
“Whether it be one person or millions of people, they shouldn’t be suffering based upon their nation’s decisions,” Khanna said.
