They are all women. They are young. They are professionals. And they are very successful.
Driven by the desire to give back, these young professionals of Indian origin have banded together to support Toronto charity AIM for SEVA which is building hostels in rural India to give free quality education, food and accommodation to poor kids in far-flung areas.
Since its inception in 2002, this non-profit – which is the Canadian affiliate of the India-based AIM for SEVA – has raised over $7 million and built 26 hostels in rural India to educate and feed poor kids.
As AIM for SEVA Canada founder Dr Terry Papneja explains, “At these hostels, we are taking care of over 4,000 children – from the age of eight to 18 – on an ongoing basis. For full 10 years, these kids are given free accommodation, food, clothing and education so that their families get out of the cycle of poverty. We also cover all their other expenses.’’
So what has drawn these young women professionals to AIM for SEVA?
The power of education to change lives, societies and countries.
“Education is the most important thing in life. What we are today is because of the opportunities for education that Canada gave us and our parents. But in India millions of kids don’t get these opportunities. We want to help them,’’ say all of these young professionals.
AIM for SEVA has become their platform to create education opportunities for the underprivileged in India.
What impresses these young professionals about SEVA is that all donations go to the actual cause. Moreover, as a hugely successful dentist, Dr Papneja is a big role model for all these young professionals.
They also love SEVA because it is a family-oriented charity with a family-like atmosphere!
“We wanted to bring young professionals on board. So I invited them to my house and proposed the idea of Young Professionals for SEVA, with two co-chairs to start with,’’ says Dr Papneja.
“I am amazed by the integrity they have shown. They are totally committed to the cause. They do more than what they say. They take initiatives and deliver 110 percent. It is very heartening to see that they have also involved their kids and these kids are learning the value of caring for the less privileged. I couldn’t be happier,’’ beams Dr Papneja.
We elicited views of some women members of Young Professionals for SEVA about why they chose this cause:
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I love SEVA because it’s such a family-oriented charity, says Sangeeta Bajaj
For Montreal-born Dr Sangeeta Bajaj, who is the Corporate Chief of Rheumatology at the William Osler Health System which runs Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital, and Peel Memorial Centre, the beauty of AIM for SEVA is that it is doing what is very close to her heart – education and it is such a family-oriented charity.
She says her association with the non-profit began when she was invited to one of its galas. “I was very impressed when I came to know about what SEVA was doing in India. Also, I found it to be such a family-oriented non-profit.’’
After joining it, she says, they discussed how to take this non-profit to young professionals like her.
“That’s how we created Young Professionals for SEVA. We came up with a vision about how to increase awareness about the non-profit, increase its membership and raise more money through donations,’’ says Dr Bajaj, who, along with her husband Pankaj Bajaj, now forms the very core of Young Professionals for SEVA.
“Our core group has 10-12 people. Anyone is welcome to join us.’’
“The annual Mississauga Walkathon was the first event Young Professionals for SEVA organized,” she says.
“We just registered people and walked as a team. This event has been very successful over the years in raising awareness and donations.’’
Young Professionals for SEVA then added more events to their annual calendar to promote the charity.
“We also organize Mix & Mingle which is a sort of party where people of our generation meet. We support the annual Maharaja Golf event by SEVA. At the annual gala of SEVA, we organize raffle and the silent auction,’’ says Dr Bajaj who did her MD from McGill in 1993 and then moved to Ontario.
“We also use social media and go to schools to educate kids about the charity,’’ says Dr Bajaj whose father came from India to Canada for higher studies in 1967.
“SEVA is doing real work for the education of poor kids in remote areas of India. It is creating tools in the form of student hostels for these poor kids. Considering the situation these kids are in remote villages, SEVA is transforming their lives through education. I am very happy to be part of it,’’ she says.
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RACHNA GOEL: You make a life with what you give
You make a living with what you get,
You make a life with what you give.
With these words, Rachna Goel sums up why she is associated with AIM for SEVA.
“That’s my motto in life. What I can give today, will make a difference in a child’s life tomorrow. This is why I chose to be involved in AIM for SEVA,’’ says Rachna who is a project manager with KIK Custom Products.
Though she was born in Nairobi and grew up in different countries around the world as her diplomat dad served in the Indian Foreign Service, Rachna says she loves India.
“Being a proud Indo-Canadian, it was very important for me to be part of a charity that provides a Canadian platform to help a noble cause in India. AIM for SEVA has been the right platform for me to give back and to help others,’’ says Rachna who came to know about AIM for SEVA from her brother Pankaj Bajaj.
“The great thing about AIM for SEVA charity is that one hundred percent of your donations go towards the cause. I just wanted to be engaged with such a noble charity.’’
Rachna says AIM for SEVA has actually become a sort of extension for her life as her brother Pankaj Bajaj, husband Sanjeev Goel and even her kids are all involved with it.
Since joining AIM for SEVA, she has enrolled young professionals, brought corporate donations and raised awareness.
“We have four major events in a year for this charity to raise funds and these events provide a great networking platform for our generous donors,’’ she says.
“When we started Young Professionals for SEVA, the idea was to get younger people involved who can contribute both financially and professionally. That’s how we (Young Professionals group) started and I think we have done very well raising awareness and contributions over the years,’’ she says.
Rachna says her association with the charity has also left a positive impact on her children. “It is very important that me and my husband lead by example and become role models for our children. Now my daughter is leading AIM for SEVA Kids youth committee where children from the ages of 10 to 17 get involved in the charity. The youth committee was established a couple of years ago. The youth group has raised over $2,500 through their backpack project in 2018. The backpacks of essential school supplies will be sent to the children at AIM for Seva hostels in India.’’
She says her family could possibly donate for a hostel in the future.
Rachna is all praise for Dr Terry Papneja and his wife Nimmi Papneja.
“A good leader leads people from above them. A great leader leads people from within them. Dr Terry Papneja and his wife Nimmi Papneja are the epitome of great leadership. It is truly very inspiring to work with them.’’
She says, “Dr Papneja is a great leader with an amazing vision. He is such a humble person who is always thinking of others. I am so happy that we are working with him and his wife.’’
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What SEVA is doing for poor kids in India makes me feel good, says Meetu Mahendra
Among Young Professionals for SEVA, Meetu Mahendra stands out for her unique worldview. She grew up and had her degree education in India before she moved to Canada at the age of 23.
“I won’t be what I’m today if I had not had the education. I was drawn to AIM for SEVA because it is working to provide education to the deprived kids in India,’’ says the Cambridge-based dentist.
She says she has seen the enormous handicaps that poor kids in India face. “What AIM for SEVA is doing to change the lives of poor kids in India just feels so great. I would like more and more kids to get the opportunity to have a good education,’’ says the mom of two.
Meetu came to know about AIM for SEVA through Dr Terry Papneja’s niece who was her friend from the dental college. “She invited me to one of the galas, and then asked me to join Young Professionals. Involvement with SEVA has given me a lot of satisfaction. Now that my kids are grown up, I am giving more and more time to the charity,’’ she says.
With a laugh, she says she has already got rewards for her work for AIM for SEVA as her two children too developed a deep sense of empathy for the underprivileged.
“My two kids are involved in Walkathon and my daughter has won prize for fundraising for the past two years. She goes from door to door to raise funds for SEVA. It feels great to see my kids doing something for the poor kids in India. I am very satisfied,’’ says Mahendra who is one of the co-chairs of Young Professionals.
There is no charity like AIM for SEVA, she says. “There are no administration costs and all the money goes to the poor kids. Dr Papneja is such a great role model. I am very proud to be associated with his work.’’
Thanks to AIM for SEVA, says Mahendra, she has come to know many young professionals and become friends for life.
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I’m with SEVA because education is the most important gift we can give, says Sapna Mehta
Sapna Mehta was born in Britain where her grandparents had immigrated from India many decades ago.
“But I have always been drawn to my ancestral land,’’ she says.
And AIM for SEVA has given her the platform to get connected with her ancestral land India.
Sapna says with hard work and determination we all can make an undeniable difference in one child at a time. “SEVA is serving such a noble cause by helping the less fortunate kids in rural India receive an education.’’
Working in Accounting she says, “My husband and I sponsor one child each year. Together with my brother and sister-in-law, parents and in-laws, we have sponsored 30 children through AIM for SEVA so far. Our extended family loves this cause and we are thankful for this wonderful opportunity to change someone’s life. Education is the most important gift we can give.’’
Not only is she sponsoring children’s education in India, Sapna also co-chairs the silent auction committee of AIM for SEVA to raise money for the charity. “I have been co-chairing the silent auction committee for the past five years. We raise funds through a silent auction at the annual gala.’’
As a member of the Young Professionals for SEVA, she says, “All of us work together to organize fundraising events. The annual Walkathon in May is one such major event.’’
The good work by AIM for SEVA, she says, has inspired many people to support its cause. “Many young professionals are eager to help out, as they are just as passionate about this noble cause.’’
Sapna says her two children are also involved with the youth committee of SEVA. “They have started the backpack project where they raise money to provide supplies for poor kids in SEVA hostels in India. It is heartening to see that this work has taught empathy and humanitarianism in our kids,’’ she says.
In fact, it was through her children’s school involvement in fundraising for SEVA that drew Sapna to the charity.
“My children have been involved in the annual Diwali fundraising event for SEVA at their school in Oakville for the past eight years. It is a very vibrant and energetic event organized by the parents with Diwali decorations … kids, parents and staff also come dressed in Indian attire and colourful clothing. They also bring donations and have so far collected over $25,000 for SEVA, enough to send 50 children to school. It was through the Diwali assembly that Nimmi Papneja asked me to join the gala silent auction committee of SEVA.”
From the silent auction committee, she joined the Young Professionals for SEVA.
Though Sapna has been with AIM for SEVA for over eight years now, she says it is just the beginning!
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Dr Tripti Papneja says she was inspired when poor kids in India said: Thank you, SEVA
Education.
With this one word, Brampton rheumatologist Tripti Papneja sums up why she is associated with AIM for SEVA.
“Education has made what we are today in Canada. My father was a tractor mechanic in his thirties in India when he immigrated to Canada with his family. He went back to high school here, got his diploma in computer programming and got a job with the CIBC. His story has inspired me about the huge value of education in life,” she says.
After a pause, Tripti continues, “We are a very humble family and we – four siblings – grew up in a small-town house, but with education we have been able to make progress in Canada. We took loans for our education because we had chances here. But in India there are no chances for education for millions of kids. So what AIM for SEVA is doing is so valuable.”
Tripti got involved with the SEVA cause as a teen, selling raffle tickets. “Then I joined Young Professionals for SEVA five years ago. Now I am involved more and more in helping the charity raise funds and awareness about it.”
The young rheumatologist, who was 13 when her family came to Canada, says she was pleased to see the meaningful work done by AIM for SEVA for the poor kids when she went there a few years ago.
“We visited the SEVA hostel in Indore. I saw kids and they told us that they were very thankful for the opportunity that SEVA gave them in life. I saw how the hostel had changed their life – they were doing yoga and prayers. It was there that I decided that I would involve myself with SEVA in Canada,” says Tripti Papneja.
As a rheumatologist, she says she is giving back to society in terms of healthcare. “But giving back in terms of education is even more important because it (education) changes lives. I am happy that we at SEVA are changing the lives of poor children by giving them access to education.”
As a full-time professional and mom of two little kids, she says though she has limited time she is fully committed to the SEVA cause on a long-term basis.
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Seva has even inspired my daughter to start its chapter at her university, says Ella Karia
For elementary school teacher Ella Karia, there were all the reasons in the world to get associated with AIM for SEVA.
“I have a passion for education and charitable work. Since AIM for SEVA serves these causes, I got involved with it about 10 years ago,” says Karia who is a co-chair of Young Professionals for SEVA.
“SEVA is giving opportunities for education in India where millions of children, girls in particular, are not getting access to education. I have seen schools in India and I know why the work by SEVA is so important,” adds Karia who holds a Ph.D in education.
“Education empowers us, enables us to improve the quality of life around the world.” Karia has visited and volunteered at schools in many parts of the world.
Her family already supports a SEVA hostel in Pune. “I spent a day in that school and I was very impressed with the kids. They were happy and learning so much. Many were orphaned children and the hostel provided support to them. The staff were dedicated and told us about the school. They taught me the importance of giving so much with so little. It feels great to give back to the place where my ancestors reside and a place bound by strong values that I believe in,” says Karia who was born in the UK.
SEVA’s India connection resonates deeply with her, she says.
“I have done a lot of charity work but SEVA is different because it connects me with India – my roots, my culture and my values.”
Dr Terry Papneja’s leadership of AIM for SEVA is also a very big factor for her association with the charity, she says.
“He is innovative and open to new ideas. I like his style of leadership and all the work the Papnejas (Terry and wife Nimmi) have done to help others is remarkable. They are both very progressive and generous people, the charity has grown tremendously and it is because of them there is great enthusiasm about SEVA among young professionals.”
Karia began her involvement with SEVA as a donor, then as a volunteer, eventually taking on a leadership role as the co-chair of Young Professionals.
“Initially, we volunteered at the annual gala. I first served on the silent auction committee. My son and daughter helped to sell raffle tickets and help make videos to promote upcoming events. Then we started organizing and fundraising for other events such as the young professional themed nights – white night and the mix and mingle.”
Apart from being a member of Young Professionals for SEVA, Karia has been serving on the Walkathon Committee since its inception.
“We have worked to involve families with the event annually, organizing games for kids, setting up a family picnic, hosting the event as a speaker and supporting fundraising for this event. My husband is also on the Golf Committee.”
Today, her whole family – her husband and children – are involved with this non-profit.“In fact, my daughter is about to start a SEVA chapter at her university,” she gushes, adding that her daughter and son also raise money for SEVA on their birthdays.
“It is amazing how it has brought the family together for a good cause and we are all learning so much and spending time with each other.’’
Even though she is a very busy person as she is also a full-time researcher at the University of Toronto, Karia says she somehow manages to spare time to give back through SEVA and she is enjoying every minute of it.
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Seva is making a big difference in the lives of girls in India, says Reecha Sharma
“India is a developing nation, but unfortunately a huge percentage of its people are still not getting an education. The education of girls in India is even more important now, because it will help promote human rights for women, reduce inequality, and bring stability to future families. I love working with AIM for SEVA, because we are making a difference in the lives of girls in India,’’ says Reecha who was born in Chandigarh and came to Canada with her family in 1993.
As a member of Young Professionals for SEVA, Reecha says her husband’s family donated a SEVA hostel in Madhya Pradesh 10 years ago.
“We are very happy that 270 girls are now getting education in that school.’’
“Because of my family’s involvement with SEVA, I too started taking interest in its work and as a result, I decided to join the Young Professional group.’’
She says she loves the SEVA mission because there are no administration fees. “Every dollar that is donated goes to the cause, and there are not many charities like it.’’
Reecha says the feedback she receives from the people who have visited the hostels, including its donors, can be very uplifting. “When you watch the videos of kids and listen to them telling how happy and thankful they are, it makes you realize that our hard work is making a difference in the lives of these kids.’’
Unfortunately, lots of people don’t know about the great work that SEVA is doing, she says. “We need to raise awareness and get more people involved.”
Thanks to the exemplary leadership of Dr Terry Papneja, many young professionals have joined the SEVA mission, she says, adding that “as Young Professionals, our mission is to educate and empower underprivileged children.’’
