A Sikh gala in the US has raised $250,000 (around Rs 1.68 crore) to support necessary funding for financially strapped students in Punjab and neighbouring states.
The funds raised at the gala organised by Sikh Human Development Fund (SHDF) would facilitate in providing scholarship to 700 bright students who could not pursue studies due to lack of money. According to Manpreet Singh a board member of the Foundation, 539 scholarships were awarded in 2016. According to estimates – Over 65 percent of these students are from rural areas of Punjab and around 75 percent of them constitute females. In this regard, a glittery gala provided a thumbs-up endorsement to the program of assistance for financially strapped students pursuing higher education in Punjab.
According to Rajwant Singh, the outreach director of the SHDF foundation, “The need is much greater and ours is still a very small effort. There are thousands of students who are unable to pursue their dreams due to their difficult family circumstances. A lot more needs to be done and we hope people from all over the world will join us in this endeavour”.