Press Release
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Sikh Human Development Foundation
Washington Gala to Support Punjab Students
Over 500 guests are expected to join a gala event to raise funds for Punjab's needy students. This will be the 6th fund raising program titled 'Umeedan di Shaam' arranged by the Washington based Sikh Human Development Foundation at Sheraton Premier hotel in Vienna, Virginia, on September 8, 2012. Sarbjeet Cheema, a renowned Punjabi folk singer from India is going to entertain the audience and TV anchor and talk show host Gurmeet Sodhi from New York will be the MOC of the event. SHDF provides scholarships for higher education to needy students who come from households earning less than dollar a day per person. SHDF, since 2001, SHDF has provided 2373 scholarships and 774 students have already graduated and have become professionals.
It recently gave the largest grant of $ 210,000 for the academic year ending in 2012 for scholarships to 504 students in 159 institutions/colleges in Punjab and other Northern Indian states. According to SHDF officials, 15 scholarship recipients belonged to farmers' families where the farmer had committed suicide to escape the excruciating debt burden.
Dr. Harshi Bains, an accomplished ophthalmologist and a philanthropist from Texas will be the keynote speaker
Dhiyan Punjab Diyan will perform electrifying Gidha at the event making it a memorable event of the year.
Amar Jit Singh Sodhi, Chairman of SHDF, said, "This initiative is critical for so many young people in India and it needs whole hearted support of everyone."
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Director and founding board member of SHDF, said, "We are counting on the support of the community who wants to see Punjab flourish and we are confident that this event will again be a resounding success."
Dedicated to poverty alleviation, SHDF is perhaps the only Sikh organization which grants scholarships to needy students for higher education in Punjab.
SHDF is largely supported by donors from Washington Metro area and by many successful entrepreneurs throughout the US. Its programs have been endorsed and praised by leading personalities from all over the world including Prime Minister Manmoahan Singh. | ||||||||
Buy tickets online here $125 per person; $1000 for a table of ten  |
Transforming Lives Through Higher Education 
Gajinder Singh Ahuja, Secretary General of SHDF, said, "We are heartened by the support of so many far-sighted and generous donors from Washington area and all across US to this noble initiative and it is only due to their generosity, lives of many young people have been transformed."
| The Sikh Human Development Fund Izhaarbir Singh & Simran Jeet Singh |
Guru Nanak tells us in the Japji: "ehran mut ved hathiaar." Knowledge provides us with the necessary tools to achieve success. Unfortunately, knowledge is becoming an increasingly difficult commodity to obtain in modern India. The cost of higher education in India has made it largely inaccessible for most families, and this situation limits job opportunities and financial stability. The Sikh Human Development Fund (SHDF) identified this problem over a decade ago and has been providing scholarships to talented students from low income families in Punjab for the past eleven years. The stories of individual students illustrate the extent and significance of the SHDF scholarship program. Arvinder Singh, a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, states: "My father is paralyzed and mother is a laborer. I promise to live a life based on principles of Guru Granth Sahibi. Please help (me) with your scholarship.” Amardeep Singh is an orphan from Fatehgarh Sahib who had no source of income and no relatives to help him with the cost of education. With the support of SHDF, he is now studying Mechanical Engineering. Manpreet Kaur, a MAC Student from Patiala, wishes to “to be a spiritually enlightened leader and voice against poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and depression faced by Punjab youth." We encourage you to read more of the messages from the recipients of SHDF scholarships and familiarize yourself with the kinds of potential and lives SHDF is supporting: PLEASE CLICK HERE Khushwant Singh, a widely-known journalist and writer, has also expressed his appreciation for SHDF, highlighting the importance of harnessing human potential, regardless of financial, religious, racial, or caste background. As an organization founded on service, the Sikh Human Development Fund is a non-profit organization with zero staff costs and zero international travel costs. This model allows the organization to allocate all of its funds to help students from low-income families gain access to higher education. Their website details a number of ways in which people can become involved. SHDF is a great organization performing a great seva, and it offers all of us a great opportunity to put our dasvandh where it will really count. In addition to learning more about the Sikh Human Development Fund through their website, you can also support their work by attending their Gala Dinner Event – Umeedaan Di Shaam 2012. The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia 22812, USA, on September 8, 2012. Source |