Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council…Aims to Serve Selflessly

Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council…Aims to Serve Selflessly

Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council (Regd.) is a non-profit, non-political, social welfare organization serving helpless widows, orphans and destitute old persons irrespective of caste, creed and religion for the last 32 years. Nishkam is having activities across the country namely Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi. Nishkam has been providing support to Sikligar society by educating their children and building their houses in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states in India. Nishkam has been providing scholarships to brilliant and needy students:

of classes VII to XI, with financial support of Relief Committee of Greater New York, U.S.A
of classes XI and XII, with financial support of our esteemed donors in the sweet memory of their dear ones under the Master Harbans Singh Memorial Scholarship Programme
pursuing graduation under Nishkam Merit-cum-Means Scholarships.
pursuing professional courses from recognized universities under SHDF Scholarships and this scholarship is fully funded by Sikh Human Development foundation, USA.

Besides this, Nishkam is also running a Medical Centre, Computer centre, Type/Shorthand centre, Tuition centre, Music Centre and Library at Head-office, New Delhi with having offices at Kharar (Chandigarh), Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), Amritsar (Punjab) and Faridkot (Punjab).

Our objectives are:-

Assist impoverished communities and families in moving out from temporary shelters into proper housing facilities.
Provide educational scholarships for the impoverished but deserving students in India.
Support inmates of old age homes and orphanages in India by providing basic amenities.
Support, develop, design programs to motivate and retrain teachers, enhance and improve the learning experience in the classroom and add new facilities in the existing schools e.g., provide drinking water, blackboards and toilets where required.

Charitable Projects supported by Nishkam

Nishkam Canada supports two main charitable projects. Both projects are targeted at the Sikligar Sikh community of Karnataka.

In the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan communities called Sikligars, Vanjaras and Lobanas have been residing in abysmal conditions in huts and shanty towns. These people converted to Sikhism at the time of the Sikh Gurus. They lack opportunities to break the cycle of poverty but are hardworking and industrious. They are a proud people who live with dignity. They have been struggling to discover their religious roots, from which they have been distanced with the passage of time.

Sikligar Sikh Children Education Project

The first project is the Sikligar Sikh Children Education project. This project is aimed at providing school supplies, books, uniforms, shoes etc to the 351 school going children of the Sikligar Sikh community in Karnataka. As part of this project Nishkam Canada is also assisting with the hiring of after school tuition teachers so that the children that cannot be assisted by their illiterate parents with homework, have other support available to them.

Nishkam Canada requests a monthly donation of C$ 15 that will allow it to support the needy children and allow them to become young, successful men and women.

In 2005, Nishkam Canada was able to support a total of 6 (six) after school teachers for in Banglaore, Nippani, Dharwad, Shigaon and Hubli, all in Karnataka.

Sikligar Sikh children attending Government Higher Primary School No. 9, Saraswat, Pur Dharwad

Sikligar Sikh Housing Project

Out of 348 Sikligar Sikh families in Karnataka 79 houses were provided by Nishkam and 20 families built their own houses. Nishkam has deposited money for 34 more families. As on date April, 15, 2009, 215 families are still living in jhuggies (huts). Nishkam is looking forward to buying land for places where possible and provide full assistance in building houses for the families. The estimated cost per house is expected to be around $3000.

This will be in line with the Udaipur (Rajasthan) project, where 26 Sikligar families have been provided pakka houses by Nishkam with help from Sangat.

The other projects that Nishkam Canada supports are:

Scholarships to needy but deserving students in Punjab, in India. These scholarships are advertised in India in the local press by Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council, India. In 2005, Nishkam was able to support a young Sikh student in Delhi, Jasdeep Singh, in the expenses of his first year of engineering school.

Provision of basic amenities to residents of old age homes and orphanages in Punjab, India.

Provision of basic teaching materials and services like drinking water and toilets in the schools in Punjab, India as well as small scholarships to bright school children in an effort to address the issue of drop out rates at the primary level.

RURAL STUDENTS BENEFITTED BY SHDF SCHOLARSHIP

To Transform Lives Through Higher Education by providing scholarships to bright but poor students in Punjab and neighboring states for higher professional education in a large variety of disciplines.

SHDF is inspired by the concept of Seva (service) in Sikh religion. In the Sikh way of life, rendering selfless service to humanity (i.e. God in man), and responding to the pain and need of others, is the prime duty of a householder. Millions of Sikhs, whether in congregations or individually, end their daily prayer with a supplication for the ‘welfare of all’, irrespective of caste, color, gender, religion and nationality.

Rationale

Our rationale is based upon the following major considerations:

i) The cost of professional education has skyrocketed to a level (average cost Rs. 60,000; maximum cost Rs. 175,000) that most low and middle income families just cannot afford

ii) In this age of ever emerging technology, higher education alone can help one get a decent job or be gainfully employed

iii) By improving the access of under-privileged youth to higher education, we seek to minimize their frustration, anger and their potential drift to drugs and crime

iv) We believe in Sewa, our religion inspires us to serve humanity, which is ultimately equated with God.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iva4p98i2s&w=640&h=480]

ORPHANAGE & OLD-AGE HOME

Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas at village Khanpur, Kharar (Punjab) is a project set up by `Nishkam’ over a period of six years (1993-99), with aid from Sadh Sangat of India, Kuwait, Europe, U.S.A. & Canada. The project is located at Gill Farm, Village Khanpur at Chandigarh Ludhiana Highway (NH95) at distance of 3 kilometers from Kharar. The land for the project was donated in 1993 by Sardar Jugraj Singh Gill (Ex- MLA, & Ex-Chairman of Punjab Mandi Board) & Late Sardarni Gurdev Kaur Gill (Ex-MLA) in loving memory of their sons Pilot officer Kanwarjit Singh Gill & S. Gurjit Singh Gill.

The need for such a project in Punjab was felt in wake of troublesome happenings in the State during 1980-1990 leading to unprecedented loss of precious young lives which resulted in lot of insecurity among elderly who suffered loss of their young sons and children who suffered loss of their fathers/parents. Presence of old aged persons and children together in Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas ensures a homely atmosphere for both and both cater to each other’s needs.

Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas consists of 36 residential rooms with attached bathrooms, dining hall & administrative-cum-medical block and can accommodate about 100 residents. Complete infrastructure is available which includes T.V & Leisure room, Gym facilities, Library, Garden and a Gurudwara Sahib and primary health centre, catering to the health needs of people in the nearby villages as well.

In Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas, old aged persons above 60 years of age and children aged between 5 to 12 years are admitted. Preferably children of widows/single parents/ orphans/handicapped parents are admitted and in rare cases, children of very poor parents, who are not in a position to afford education of their children are admitted.

Though the children are provided all facilities free of charge, the old aged persons have to pay according to their capacity, subject to a maximum of Rs. 1800/- per month.

The affairs of the Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas are managed by a Local Project Committee headed by S. Jugraj Singh Gill. Mata Gujri Sukh Niwas has full time Manager, Assistant Manager, cook, guard, gardener & Helpers.

MEDICAL CENTER, DENTAL HEALTHCARE CLINIC, LAB, COMPUTER CENTER

Spreading in an area of 1000 sq. yds., the Medical Centre is equipped with OPD unit and a clinical lab. It is being run by a team of expert doctors, who are providing consultations and treatments to at least 25000 patients each year.