OCT 10, 2023
Dear friends,
GurFateh!
Helping the needy is most effective and sustainable when the recipients are empowered to become self-reliant. This principle drives Sikh Human Development Foundation’s (SHDF) 23-year-old mission to provide college-level scholarships to academically-promising students who are hampered by severe economic hardship in Punjab and neighboring states in India. Please join us for SHDF’s Annual Fundraiser (online) on November 4, 2023 to enable such deserving students to acquire the education and skills essential for employment in professional settings and break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. We will post the invitation with the zoom link shortly.
In response to the economic devastation wreaked by the heavy rains and flooding this summer in northern India, the deadline for submitting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year was extended from July 31 to August 31, 2023. The increased need combined with the perseverance of the hardworking SHDF staff and volunteers in India in partnership with Nishkam Sikh Welfare council, is reflected in over 3600 applications that have been received --- the highest number ever. Eligible applicants are being invited to take a written exam and interview in the second half of October.
Our goal is to provide around 1800 scholarships in 2023-24. The generosity of individual donors like yourselves who are infused with the spirit of seva is essential to meet this goal, and to transform struggling communities into thriving ones.
You will also be pleased to learn of an exciting new initiative to be launched this quarter. This is an online mentor-mentee program that will give our awardees individual and group access to highly experienced mentors for guidance in resume writing, interview skills, career pathways, professional growth and other areas identified by the mentees.
Starting with 22 scholarships in 2000-01, we have provided 11,025 scholarships to date in a wide array of disciplines. 75% of the recipients have been women, and 65% from rural backgrounds, groups that have suffered tremendously from lack of opportunities. Our awardees have succeeded in finding employment as engineers, physicians, nurses, lawyers, chartered accountants, computer programmers, professors and many other professions. We are acutely aware though, that the magnitude of need is enormous. Distressingly, even in the recent past, fully one-third of awardees have been from families whose annual income is less than Rs. 100,000 (less than $100 monthly). They are among the poorest of the poor. Your support is of critical importance.
Please help us spread the word about SHDF’s transformative work by sharing this information with your friends and family and encouraging them to join the fundraiser.
We urge you to donate generously at www.shdf.org.
With deep gratitude,
The SHDF Team
Updates from Sponsor a Scholarship’s efforts, posted on a regular basis.
_20191017043118719.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
