Delhis Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society transforming Afghan kids lives

Giving Afghan youth, including those belonging to the Sikh community, a sense of freedom to choose and live is a motto the Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society here swears by.

By Ravindra Sheoran

New Delhi, Aug.20 : Giving Afghan youth, including those belonging to the Sikh community, a sense of freedom to choose and live is a motto the Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society here swears by.

This voluntary organisation set up in 1993 is taking steps to ensure that refugees from Afghanistan, especially children are in a position to establish their identity and be self-reliant.

The society trains Afghan youth in spirituality, vocational training and other fields to ensure both employment and survival. One of the children taking such a religious training, said: "I want to be a `Raagi' (religious singer). My dream is to teach every child to play the harmonium so that he can provide relief to his parents. It's my dream to learn Kirtan Shabbad (religious studies) and perform in a Gurudwara."

Many of the Afghani youth are acquiring computer skills to ensure a safe future for themselves to take slice of country's burgeoning economy. Many of them wish to join information technology, entertainment and lifestyle-related services.

Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society also organizes contests between various refugee settlements in Delhi and its neighborhood to spur youngsters to work harder.

Narinder Singh, the founder member of the Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society, said: "We have noticed our youth taking help of others in filling up forms. People ignored them and they face embarrassment. We want them to be independent."

Bhupinder Manchanda, one of the members of the Khalsa Diwan Society, said:

"Our main purpose is to provide education. Our children who failed to get admission in schools were taken to those schools and were made to observe the procedures there."

"We teach them about the schools and to differentiate between recognized schools and the one affiliated to the government. By making them able to get admission to schools, we have solved their problem."

The society also conducts vocational classes. The emphasis is on equipping the young refugees with the skills that are high in demand in the country.

The children are curious to visit Kabul as tourists on some day of their life.

ANI