Namaskar, my name is Swapna Raina, KOA Zone 4 director. I was born and brought up in Srinagar, Kashmir. I live in Maryland with my husband Rakesh and two kids, Shivani and Sachin. I have been in Maryland, since 1993. 

As an active member of our Kashmiri community, and a member of the Board of Directors of KOA, I have had the benefit of experiencing the ups and downs of our community in the US. It is due to this close involvement and personal experience that I faced during unfortunate times of migration, I am able to closely relate to the community and its members, regardless of age. I feel very fortunate to be an integral part of the KOA, as well as the Kashmiri families in the Washington metropolitan area.

During my term as a VP and then the President of our local KOA chapter, I helped organize several cultural and religious events every year. These events are very helpful in instilling a sense of belonging in our youth, and at the same time familiarizing them with our culture and traditions.

In spite of several challenges, we have prospered and grown to become a well respected and honored community in all walks of life, including medicine, engineering, economics, science, business, arts, etc. Our youth have excelled in almost everything they have ventured in. It will be my single most objective that I devote as much time and energy as possible, to make sure that we continue to grow and prosper at an even greater pace, and at the same time be able to come together as a unified community, so that we can be one in times of need, as much as, on a happy occasion.