Meet our Hosts
Dr. Raj Aluri
Dr. Raj Aluri, the founder and president of IFM, is originally from India, where he studied political science. Raj came to the U.S. as an international student in 1976. He earned two more Master’s degrees (in Media Arts and International Studies) and a doctorate in Education at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Aluri founded International Friendship Ministries in 1981 to serve his fellow international students. He and his wife Kathy have six children and currently live in Columbia, South Carolina.
Marilyn & Tom Bassett
Tom and Marilyn serve with Bridges International and have been "on loan" to IFM for over ten years. Marilyn lived in Swaziland, Africa for many years before marrying Tom in 1998. Tom spent seven years in Bolivia, South America. They have been serving internationals for many years both here in Columbia, SC as well as overseas.