Rajiv Malik, HPI Correspondent
NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 2, 2005: Selfless work being done by Udayan Care, an organization working for the welfare of disadvantaged children under the able and dynamic leadership of its managing trustee, Dr. Kiran Modi, was praised by well-known educationists and social workers who had gathered at North West Delhi’s Mahavir Senior Model School on 29th September in connection with the Fourth Induction Cum Pledge Taking Ceremony jointly organized by Udayan Care and Mahavir Senior Model School. Udayan Care is among the select organizations in India who are the beneficiaries of an annual grant set up by Hindu Heritage Endowment, a sister body of Hinduism Today Magazine.
Shri Rajesh Jain, Member Legislative Assembly, Delhi Government, who was the chief guest at the event, presented Udayan Shalini Fellowship Awards to 51 deserving girls belonging to 46 schools and 6 colleges of New Delhi. Speaking on this occasion, Shri Rajesh Jain, said that he would inform the chief minister of Delhi about the excellent work being done by Udayan Care and would ensure that all possible help is extended to the cause of helping the disadvantaged children by their government. Dr. Kiran Modi said that Udayan Shalini Fellowships Programme was being run to serve disadvantaged girls who live with their natural families. She further said, “the selection process for the fellowship program is called NAT which stands for Need, Ambition and Talent. Fellows are attached with senior educationists who mentor them through high school, college or vocational education. We support the fellows with a monthly scholarship.” “Besides this we run five Udayan Care Ghars, residential homes for the long-term care of children who are either abused or abandoned or who do not have natural families,” she informed. According to Dr. Modi the unique thing about their organization was the concept of mentor mothers who were ladies of vision and volunteered to parent these disadvantaged children just like their own mothers. The program was attended by a large number of educationists, social workers, parents and students. It began with a song dedicated to Mother Saraswati, Hindu Goddess of Knowledge, collectively sung by the school chidren, and the traditional lighting of lamps by the important dignitaries attending the event.