There’s a saying that many hands make light work and it may very well be true. But to paraphrase The Beatles, in the world of philanthropy and in Vashi Dadlani’s world, it could be more easily said that “We get by with a little help from our friends.”
In 1976 Dadlani and his family immigrated to the territory not knowing what to expect or how long they would make these islands their home. Dadlani came for the opportunity of starting and running his own business and securing a solid future for his family.
The funny thing about planting roots is that you never know how and when they will grow, nor in what direction they might take you. Little did Dadlani know that he would plant his roots so deeply.
A few years after seeing his business grow and his family flourishing, Dadlani began to think of ways that he could give back to the community he had adopted as his own. He joined one of the local Rotary International clubs and, through this affiliation, he struck upon an idea.
Many Rotary clubs, Dadlani’s included, raise monies throughout each year to provide local youth with college scholarships. While Dadlani supported his club’s efforts, he decided to take his commitment to providing opportunities for our local youth one step further by personally funding a scholarship to the University of the Virgin Islands for two deserving students who would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition.
Dadlani and his wife, Kavita, continued this support for a number of years, but when the national economy took a hit in 2008, Dadlani realized that financing college was going to get harder for even more students and that his financial commitment was needed more than ever.
With a lagging economy and his own tourism-dependent business feeling the effects, Dadlani said he knew that he and his wife could not contribute any more than they already were. So he turned to his friends.
A natural-born salesman, Dadlani approached 10 of his friends and asked them to help him reach his goal of covering the tuition for one additional UVI student. He explained that if the 10 of them contributed a mere $400, it would mean the difference between being able to continue attending school – or not – for one fortunate student.
One student out of 2,000 might not seem like much, he said, but to that one student, it can be a life changer.
As years went by, the idea behind the Prema Scholarship resonated. Prema means “love” in Hindi and Dadlani says, “It has always been with the idea of giving back. How much benefit will a child realize with a little help along the way? Their whole life can change.”
In any given year with uncertain economic times, one of Dadlani’s Prema friends might not be able to pitch in, but another friend, or even two, would willingly step up to fill in the gap. Even Dadlani’s accountant in New York heard about the “scholarship of love” and contributed.
To students like Kirwin Hodge, the 2012-13 recipient of the Prema Scholarship, this “love” means he can dedicate himself full time to his studies, resulting in his 4.0 GPA, instead of dividing his time and energy with a job to pay his tuition.
“If I didn’t get scholarships, my grades would be affected,” says Hodge. “I’ve seen a lot of good students, but their grades drop because they are fatigued from working.”
As the economy recovers, Dadlani’s goal is to increase the number of students that the Prema Scholarship can support. He encourages all Virgin Islanders to consider ways in which they and their friends might be able to collaborate and make an immediate and direct difference in the lives of our young people at UVI.
“One person alone might not be able to make that huge sacrifice, but with the help of some friends, a little can go a long way.”
UVI welcomes the establishment of any scholarship support and is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. If you would like to contribute to the Prema Scholarship Fund or inquire about starting your own, please contact Institutional Advancement at (340)693-1040.
