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Young Jain of the YearAward Winners' Alumni
Every year, YJ honours a member of the organisation with a Young Jain of the Year Award for their outstanding or exemplary contribution to the organisation. There have been fourteen recipients so far and this felt like a great time to catch up with the previous winners and ask them three questions:
1. What has YJ done for you? What do you feel you have gained from it?
2. Where are you now? What are you doing?
3. Briefly explain your current involvement in YJ, if any.
Rajvee Punater - 1993
1. YJ has given me and my family a wonderful way to learn about Jainism and its teachings in a modern and practical way. I think, 20 years on, it is still the most forward thinking and innovative Jain organisations around.
2. I still live in London and am married to Ajay and have 3 beautiful children: Tanvi (13), Rishav (9) and Shairi (4). I am trained as a Molecular Biologist and currently work for Cancer Research UK. Myself and Ajay are also trustees and committee members of Sansaar - a charity dedicated to the learning of Gujarati through fun and music. We recently launched our third album of children's songs, Masti Maja, and are in the process of creating a new Gujarati pantomime for Diwali 2008. I still love to sing and perform with Ajay and the rest of my band for bhajans, lagna geet and raas garba, though obviously this now has to fit in around my family and Sansaar.
3. My band has been providing the music at the JY Garba Extravaganza for the last 10 years. It's a great event and the atmosphere and crowd are fantastic. Unfortunately, due to my busy schedule, I am not able to attend as many YJ events as I would like. However, I do enjoy the following events with my family: the YJ paryushan, the YJ conventions, Mahavir Jayanti celebrations and of course the YJ Garbas.
Ananti Shah 1994
1. Young Jains will always have a very special place in my heart. I had been active with the organisation ever since it's conception in 1988 and had the opportunity to serve on the committee in 1995 and 1998 and also on various convention committees and sub-committees. But, most importantly Young Jains has been instrumental in helping me in my early adult years: by providing a platform to discover and express my creativity and build my confidence; to help develop organisational skills; found life long friends and fundamentally contributed to my finding a path to spirituality and deepening the meaning of life. I congratulate Young Jains, all its members, committee members; past and present and its founder members for I remember times when there were only 5 to 10 people at a meeting but this never deterred the founder members in continuing their work and fulfilling their vision.
2. Currently, I am a wife and mother of two beautiful children: Shyam - 7 years and Vyaan 4 years. I work part-time as a Complimentary Medicines Pharmacist and also have my own Homeopathic Practice.
3. I am currently not actively involved in YJ but I keep in touch with activities and events via the fantastic newsletter. My children also go to "Magic Touch" classes and these are also run by ex YJ members / Committee members. Young Jains has achieved a tremendous amount in these 20 years and enriched many
lives!
Shailan Shah
Winner 1995
I. I was shocked to receive the award and it spurred me to join the committee and work under the leadership of Dina Shah, then president, as Newsletter officer. I gained many skills in creating interesting and well produced newsletters, as well as public speaking and organising events. I will always treasure the immense fun I had on the committee and the teamwork we employed to pull off so many great things. The memories are some of the most important things I have gained from YJ, as well as, of course, knowledge of Jainism, but the spirit was never 'what can YJ do for us', but 'what can we do for YJ'.
2. I'm now busy parenting and working in a German bank.
3. I attend the odd event - I went to the English Pratikraman event last year jointly held with SCVP and took my two girls (9 and 10) who enjoyed it. Although I am not directly involved anymore, my nephew Pareen and his wife Preena are quite active, so that will do me! It's great to see YJ develop and move with the times. It's needed more than ever in the world we live in.
Jan Education International
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