Dr. Farida Virani – A panelist for ‘The Anthony Robbins Foundation’ – GYLS – USA
‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams ‘
Every year ‘The Anthony Robbins Foundation’ organizes a Global Youth Leadership Summit. It is a five-day program providing an environment designed to boost summit participants into leadership roles that will change their lives and that of their community. Children from more than 40 countries around the world attend this summit.
For the past five years, The Lions Club of Mumbai (Carter Road Branch), in association with Anthony Robbins Foundation (ARF), has brought joy to five children each year, who go to San Diego, USA for this leadership programme. The tickets and their stay in the USA are sponsored by ARF whereas the visa fees for the children are paid by Lions Club of Carter Road. During the Summit, the children stay at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, California, USA.
The students who fit the prescribed criteria come from various (aided and municipal) schools in Mumbai where Vocational Guidance Seminars are held by the Lions Club. These children are generally from the under- privileged families and are first generation learners. Each child has a unique story to tell. Every day they witness the struggle their parents face to earn their living as house maids, daily wage earners or auto rickshaw drivers. Yet they have faith in their destiny and hope to make a difference to their families, communities and environment through their education.
The selection panel is headed by Lion Jaysinh Babla, Trustee Chairman Lions Club of Mumbai Carter Road. At the inception of this scholarship Dr. Farida Virani, a panelist and an eminent educationist was entrusted with the task of defining a transparent, un-biased and merit based selection process for this programme. The selection of students through this effective process was highly appreciated by the Anthony Robbin’s Foundation and the same process is now duplicated in countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
The Lion’s Club has been tracking the students on their return and is amazed at the tremendous change in their attitude, communication, environmental awareness and commitment to community development. They return home with skills and enthusiasm to create positive, sustainable change and promote global thinking. It’s a life changing experience for each one of them.
Talking to the school principal, one of the parent working as a driver with a businessman, said, “It is unbelievable that my child is going to attend a leadership programme in the USA.” Another mother, a single parent working as a house maid in several homes had tears in her eyes while she said, “We could only dream of flying in an airplane or have a passport, but a dream can become reality, if we work hard and believe in our dreams”
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