VANCOUVER – The next generation of the well known Indo-Canadian business family is keeping the Varshney name associated with their long history of philanthropy with grandfather-grandmother Hari and Madhu Varshney recently pledging $500,000 to SFU’s Visiting Scholar program.
Now it’s 16-year-old Jaiya Varshney’s turn as she has been nominated for Outstanding Youth Philanthropist Giving Hearts Award for her work as fundraiser and volunteer for more organizations than most of us could ever hope to work with in a lifetime.
Jaiya’s passion for community service and desire to give back to others started as a 6-year-old who donated her own hair so kids enduring chemotherapy could have wigs. Her interest in helping less fortunate peers grew from there as she focused her fundraising and volunteer efforts on causes including homeless youth helped by Covenant House.
Jaiya has shown a keen interest in young women’s education and empowerment in the developing world, inspiring those around her with her passion to effect change. It goes without saying that Jaiya lives the literal meaning of philanthropy: love of humanity.
