Give the gift of education

By: Manmohan Singh Kumar, Ph. D. (Cantab) | Chairman, SHDF

November 20, 2024

Dear Friend,

Sat Sri Akal. I hope you and your family are well and in good spirits.

In this Newsletter, I provide an update on SHDF’s recent activities and other developments. First, however, on behalf of myself and the SHDF Board, I would like to express our deep gratitude for your steadfast and invaluable support. It is through your dedicated Sewa that SHDF continues to full its mission of providing scholarships to highly motivated but nancially disadvantaged young women and men to pursue higher education and help achieve their dreams.

Here are some notable updates for the quarter:

Completion of the Scholarships for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

The 2023-2024 academic year has been a remarkable milestone for SHDF, driven by your unwavering generosity and the dedication of the SHDF team:

1,624 Scholarships have been Awarded; and another 115 are ready for awards. SHDF is proud to have awarded these scholarships reecting nearly 20 percent increase from the previous year’s total of 1,460 scholarships. This growth demonstrates our expanding reach and ability to fund more students in need, as we strive to break down barriers to education. Since its inception, SHDF has awarded over thirteen thousand scholarships.
Empowering Women: As in earlier years, almost 75% of the scholarship recipients this year are female students. This reects SHDF’s commitment to addressing gender disparities in education by providing opportunities for young women to thrive academically and professionally. By supporting these women, we are helping to cultivate future leaders and contribute to gender equality.
Supporting Rural Communities: Approximately 65% of the recipient’s are from rural areas, where access to quality education and nancial support is often very limited. By focusing on these underserved regions, you are helping uplift entire communities and provide students from these areas with the tools they need to succeed.
Supporting Families with Limited Means: More than one-third of our scholarship recipients come from families with an annual income of less than the equivalent of $100 per month. These students face signicant nancial challenges, and our scholarships provide crucial support, enabling them to pursue their education without the burden of nancial stress. By easing this strain, we ensure that highly motivated students from the most economically disadvantaged backgrounds can focus on their studies and careers.
The Govt. of India has recently enforced a restriction (under the FCRA rule) on the distribution of foreign funds by our implementing agency Nishkam in India. This decision is being appealed and assuming the restriction is removed soon, further distribution will then be made. The restriction also means that for the time being the scholarship program for 2024-2025 is on hold. However, we are working closely with Nishkam, as well as exploring alternatives to implement the program for this year.

2. U.S.A. Scholarships

In addition to our efforts in India, SHDF remains dedicated to supporting deserving students within the United States through our small but impactful U.S. scholarship program. The pilot US SHDF Scholarship continues apace. Under this program, we have recently awarded seven scholarships to eligible students in USA—those doing well in their college studies and in need of nancial assistance. We hope to expand this program appreciably over the coming year.

3. Appointment of Sdrn. Harmeet Kaur as our Program Director

We are excited to announce the appointment of Sdrn. Harmeet Kaur as SHDF’s new Program Director. Harmeet is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in project management, fundraising, and leadership in the educational sector. In recent years, she has demonstrated her ability to manage impactful projects, and build strong stakeholder relationships among the Sikh community. She holds a Master’s degree (Commerce) from Panjab University, where she graduated rst. With a commitment to empowering individuals through education, and expanding opportunities Harmeet brings a collaborative leadership style and an innovative approach which would strongly help us in the continuing pursuit of our mandate.

4. Essay Competition

As noted earlier, SHDF has sponsored an Essay Competition for their present and former Scholarship recipients, with the topic of the essay being : “Leadership Lessons from the life and teachings of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji”. The essay, suggested by one of our major donors, required students to explore and give examples of the leadership traits or qualities from his life and teachings. Students were also asked to discuss how those leadership principles inuence you and the world around you. Any Student under the age of 32, who is receiving, or has received the SHDF Scholarship was eligible to participate. The top essays will receive signicant monetary prizes. We have received over 150 entries and will be nalizing the results shortly.

5. Mentor-Mentee Platform

We have continued to work on launching a mentor-mentee program, fostering deeper connections and guidance for our scholarship recipients. This will be an online mentor-mentee platform that will complement the Skill-building Workshops conducted by SHDF, to give additional guidance on resume-writing, interview skills, career pathways, professional growth and other areas identied by the mentees This program will also help build an even closer community of scholarships recipients amongst themselves as well as between them and mentors. This will enhance further the signicant impact of the scholarships.

6. New SHDF Website

Coming Soon! We’re also continuing to work on a new SHDF website. The updated platform will offer improved navigation and a simplied user experience, making it easier to access information about our activities and invite participation from our donors and supporters. Stay tuned for its launch in the coming month! We humbly request for your continued generosity to support the SHDF mandate. Education is the gift that keeps on giving, and your contributions help empower young women and men with great potential but limited means to pursue higher education and transform their lives. We encourage you to share SHDF’s mission with your friends and family, enlisting their support in amplifying our efforts. Your Sewa and commitment to this cause make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of so many.

May Waheguru ji’s blessings always be with you and your family.

With warm regards,
Manmohan Singh Kumar, Ph. D. (Cambridge)
Chairman, SHDF