Dear Friend,
Sat Sri Akal. I hope this finds you and your family in Chardi Kala.
It is with deep gratitude for your continued support that I share five important updates about our work at SHDF.
Final Count of 2022 Scholarships
We have completed the process of awarding scholarships for the 2022 academic year. Thanks to your enormous generosity, 1,256 students have been granted SHDF Scholarships. The majority of these students are women from rural areas. As in previous years, the scholarships were awarded to students in North India, predominantly from Punjab, but also from neighboring states including Delhi, Haryana, and UP. The recipients are pursuing a wide range of disciplines including technology, computer science, medicine, nursing, education, agriculture, biotechnology, law, and business studies.
Scholarships for 2023
We have received 2,657 applications by our August 31 deadline for scholarships to be granted in 2023. It is especially notable that applications from rural areas, where opportunities are severely limited, have swelled. We hope to respond to this surging need by increasing the number of scholarships to around 1400.Your contribution is crucial for achieving this enhanced goal, and we appeal to your generosity for its life- changing impact.
Pilot Initiative – USA Scholarships
At the request of several donors, SHDF has initiated a small pilot USA Scholarships initiative for 2022-23 to support youth from our community enrolled in a university, community college or vocational training institution in USA. SHDF seeks to help motivated youth from economically disadvantaged families with scholarships of up to $3000 per year (up to $5,000 in exceptional circumstances). For the small pilot, focusing primarily on the DC area. applications were invited; and we have recently made three awards to deserving candidates with funds raised from donors specifically for this initiative.
Appointment of Executive Director
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Harsharan G. Singh of Maryland as our SHDF Executive Director. She has been closely associated with SHDF for several years, both as a donor and as a very active volunteer—she has also been a Master of Ceremonies for our annual fundraising gala events. She is highly experienced in non-profit organizations and management, effective communication, and youth leadership initiatives. She has been an advocate on behalf of Sikh students for inclusivity in school curricula in the US, and has been successful in obtaining grants and charitable donations, building dedicated volunteer teams, and public speaking. We are confident that she will excel in this role and will contribute significantly to SHDF’s continued growth.
Annual Fundraising Event – (Online)
The Annual SHDF Fundraiser will be held in early November 2022. In light of the great success of last year’s virtual fundraiser, we will gather online this year as well. We hope this will enable supporters from far and wide to join us virtually as we endeavor to fulfill the dreams of our deserving applicants to lead lives of dignity, gainful employment, and opportunity. We will share further details soon. With Guru Ji’s blessings, and your invaluable Sewa, let us together reach for new heights in transforming lives through higher education.
With warm regards,
Manmohan Singh Kumar, Ph. D. (Cantab)
Chairman, SHDF