Visamo Kids Foundation celebrates 21st Scholarship Day
Ahmedabad: The Visamo Kids Foundation celebrated its 21st Scholarship Day, an event that recognises the remarkable achievements of children from urban slums, streets, and remote rural areas. This year, the event saw the felicitation of 23 students for their outstanding academic accomplishments and two parents for their exemplary dedication and diligence.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Maya, the AI Avatar of Visamo Kids Foundation’s managing trustee, Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff. She expressed deep gratitude to all stakeholders, including grassroots NGOs, partnering schools, parents of Visamo kids, donors, volunteers, academicians, mentors, tutors, Visamo Task Group members, brand ambassadors, and well-wishers.
Ashish Bhadaniya, an alumnus of the shelter home and a civil engineer by profession, graced the event as the guest of honour. In his address, he emphasised the foundation’s impact on his own life and urged parents to have faith in Visamo Kids and abide by its processes.
The chief guest was renowned actor and Visamo Kids Foundation’s brand ambassador Makarand Shukla. In his speech, Mr. Shukla reflected on his childhood and encouraged the children to celebrate their adversities as stepping stones to success. He also commended parents for their support.
Bhavesh Vekaria, a member of the Local Management Committee of the shelter home and also the guest of honour, motivated the audience to embrace life’s uncertainties with a winner’s mindset. He urged parents to make small but impactful changes, such as saying no to alcohol, rejecting domestic violence, and staying away from petty crimes.
The event, attended by over 250 guests, including parents, members and chairperson of Visamo Task Group, mentors, volunteers, school teams, and interns from PDEU and Nirma University, was a celebration of community spirit and support.
A unique aspect of the event was that it was entirely managed by the senior kids of the shelter home. The day ended on an emotional note as a batch of seven students, who completed their 12-year stay at the home (from class I to XII), were given a heartfelt farewell. Each student received a photo frame showcasing their cherished moments at Visamo Kids.
These seven students shared their joy and experiences and how their 12-year journey at Visamo Kids shaped their identities. Pinkal Someshwara from Wadaj slums, now an aspiring lawyer, completed her BA LLB from Gujarat Law College as the college topper. Nayan Vasava is pursuing BCA from MSU in Vadodara.
Mufeeze Manakiya and Divyesh Bhuva are pursuing AI & ML at Silver Oak College in Ahmedabad. Drashti is pursuing Fashion Designing from NIFD, Jodhpur, while Prachi Rohit is pursuing Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in Vadodara. Nirmal Singrakhiya is working with a private company in Mundra.
Visamo Kids Foundation continues to be a symbol of hope in the lives of underprivileged children, guiding them towards a brighter future.