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Sikh Human Development Foundation Awards Eighty Two
Review of “Washington (February 24, 2003) - The Sikh Human Development Foundation (SHDF), based in Washington, granted eighty two scholarships for this academic year to bright and needy students pursuing professional degree courses in India. This brings the total number of scholarships awarded to Sikh and non-Sikh students by this foundation since the year 2000-01 to 201. SHDF, a non-political, non-profit and tax exempt body, is dedicated to poverty alleviation, human development and gender equity." "Founded by a group of Sikh professionals in the Washington metropolitan area in 1999, this foundation is investing in higher education of meritorious but financially disadvantaged students in selected parts of India; it gives special consideration to students affected by social upheavals or natural calamities. For instance, it granted 13 scholarships amounting to Rs. 156,000 to financially crippled Hindu and Muslim students in Gujarat in the wake of a devastating earthquake there on January 26, 2001." "Amar Jit Singh Sodhi, Chairman of SHDF and former World Bank official, stated that, the inspiration for this effort comes from the Sikh principle of seva: rendering service to humanity (i.e. God in man), and responding to the pain and need of others, without expecting any reward in return, is the Sikh way of life. It is a very fulfilling experience to see students from needy circumstances improve their grades and succeed with this help." The Sikh immigration into North America began towards the end of the nineteenth century when Hong Kong-based Sikh soldiers of the British Army who had participated in Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in London in 1897, passed through Canada on their return journey. These soldiers saw new opportunities that they could not resist. The vast land of Canada lured them back after their retirement. The author has packed stories and sketches of some of these hard working pioneers and those who followed them. SHDF continues to receive letters of gratitude from scholarship recipients. “In these days, education seems to be the monopoly of the rich and dreams of many students are crushed when they cannot study due to economical problems” writes Karandeep Kaur from a village of Gurdaspur District – a student of B.Sc. (engineering) “As I was worrying about the notice of depositing a big sum of money to pay my fees, a wave of courage flowed in my body, when I came to know about the scholarship offered by you. It helps me not only economically, but spiritually too. It pleased me very much that there is some one in this world who has undertaken a kind project to help and serve humanity and to soothe the feelings of ambitious students like me.” Mr Sodhi further added that “Success stories of these students provide us the energy to continue on this noble cause. We are heartened to see the sons and daughters of poor widows, terminally sick, daily wage laborers, and bicycle repairers joining medical, engineering and similar degree or post graduate courses, with our support. We are also encouraged by the tremendous support from the Sikh gurdwaras and individuals in the Washington area. Plans are being charted to take this initiative nationwide. There is a great desire within the Sikh diaspora to support the needy students and this organization provides a reliable channel to do so with maximum of transparency, accountability and cost effectiveness.” Mr Sodhi further added that “Success stories of these students provide us the energy to continue on this noble cause. We are heartened to see the sons and daughters of poor widows, terminally sick, daily wage laborers, and bicycle repairers joining medical, engineering and similar degree or post graduate courses, with our support. We are also encouraged by the tremendous support from the Sikh gurdwaras and individuals in the Washington area. Plans are being charted to take this initiative nationwide. There is a great desire within the Sikh diaspora to support the needy students and this organization provides a reliable channel to do so with maximum of transparency, accountability and cost effectiveness.” Mr. Sodhi also stated that the executive council members of SHDF have been touring Punjab and other states since the inception of the organization in order to stay current with grassroots situation and to create an appropriate institutional framework to identify needy students. It has partnered with the administration of both Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana and Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. Plans are being made to reach out to as many educational institutions as possible especially in the rural areas. The Chairman said that, given the small size of its operation, SHDF was currently focusing on northern India, though in fact the 194 scholarship recipients have been drawn from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka and Gujarat, as well as Chandigarh. According to Mr. Sodhi, these bright but resource-poor students are amongst the nation’s best creative assets; they need our support to cross the knowledge and skills barrier. Investing in their future through higher professional education would help them shape the twenty first century for themselves, their families and the nation. This has become particularly important, said Mr. Sodhi, as the world moves into what is called ‘a knowledge economy- a world of increasing complexity and rapid change. He said that the knowledge economy offers exponential returns on investment in higher education and can help reduce the widening gap between the developed and the developing countries. Our focus is on helping promising children with supplemental financial resources and thereby assuring them access to higher professional education. The scholarship amount is calibrated to the needs of the student keeping in view the family income, number of siblings studying in college, cost of studies and the merit of the student, and is renewable for subsequent years, subject to the scholarship recipient maintaining a minimum score in semester examinations. A special attention is paid to support female students by the organization. Asked about the share of girl students in the grant of scholarships, the Secretary General, Gajinder S. Ahuja stated that overall 53 percent of scholarships went to girl students and 47 percent to boys. Interestingly, he said that 65 percent of the scholarships have been awarded to students from rural areas. 24 percent of the scholarships have been awarded to students pursuing courses in Information technology, while 15 percent of the scholarships went to students in medical and nursing colleges. The largest share of scholarships, i.e. 43 percent, was annexed by students from engineering colleges. The rest of the scholarships were awarded to students in disciplines like agriculture, accountancy and home science. Responding to another question, Mr. Ahuja said that SHDF follows rigorous selection criteria for family income and academic performance; both are certified by the college/university authorities. In fact, said Mr. Sodhi, the applicants are put through a written moral science test at selected locations, and are also interviewed by a panel of experts. Responding to another question, Mr. Ahuja stated that the average cost of an annual scholarship is around US$ 350, though SHDF has granted scholarships up to US $ 480 per annum, in cases of exceptional hardship. The Foundation had commenced operations with the seed money provided by its founding members. It has also raised funds through individual donations and a fund-raising dinner. It has partnered with Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council, a reputable NGO, based in New Delhi to facilitate implementation and local oversight of the program. This also helps SHDF to keep its overheads as low as possible. It is also identifying other NGOS operating in India to fulfill its mission. Other members of the executive council of SHDF are Harbaksh Singh Sethi, Veena Kaur Oberai, Anita Kaur Arora, Surinder Singh and Dr. Rajwant Singh.
To contact Sikh Human Development Foundation, write to: |
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