by Vijendra Agarwal | at Minnebar 16 | 3:45 – 4:30 in Zeke Landres | View Schedule
Ancient Indian philosophy, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the World is One Family)” is becoming a reality with technology bridging the geographical distance. As citizens of “One World,” we were inspired to create better learning opportunities for underprivileged children, particularly girls, in India and engage the local youth in creative ways. Therefore, we founded a nonprofit, Vidya Gyan (Vidya is education and Gyan means knowledge) aimed at improving education and health because ‘Every Child Matters.
We will discuss a couple of examples geared to rekindle the spirit of giving, sharing, and learning about different cultures. A project launched in 2019, “Bridging the Cultural Gap” was aimed at exchanging ‘handwritten’ letters between school children here and in rural India. It was also meant to promote and preserve the art and skills of writing by hand which otherwise is becoming extinct due to the pervasive use of technology.
Another initiative, ‘Scholars to Schoolers’ came about because of the pandemic when the schools suddenly closed leaving the learning void for many. The Scholars (local high schoolers) used Zoom and offered virtual classes to elementary to middle-grade children (the Schoolers). The Scholars volunteered, shared their knowledge, and raised funds to support children’s education in India. What an awesome opportunity for the youth-to-youth connection and giving back to society.
Join us to explore volunteer and technology-assisted opportunities to bridge the learning gap for the “have-nots” in rural India and make our One World better.
Vijendra, a physicist, and his spouse Indu, a physician, born and educated in India, call Twin Cities their home for nearly 17 years. Starting a non-profit was their calling to give back to society and connecting homeland with the adopted land. Their respective professions guided the choice of education and health as Vidya Gyan’s focus. They will share the passion, experiences, challenges, and opportunities of their journey.
