9th Awards Winners
The Sikh Women Society is a charitable organisation that was founded in 1976 in Nairobi by women of Kenya’s Sikh community in order to offer assistance to the less privileged members of the society and to the community at large. The organisation follows the teachings of the beloved Sikh Gurus as they engage in many social, religious and charitable activities that promote culture and religion amongst the children. Sikh Women’s Society has been working tirelessly and with the utmost dedication, loyalty and commitment in serving those members of the community, that often struggle to obtain the most basic needs of getting proper food, education, shelter and medical care. Every year the Sikh Women’s Society organises medical camps, Vaisakhi mela’s, dental camps, hamper pack donations, Simran programmes and assist needy children with their school fees.
Harpreet Singh is a New York based designer, educator, TEDx speaker and inventor who is currently director of the Synthetic Ecosystems Lab and Assistant Professor at the Art, Media and Technology School at Parsons School of Design. He has designed an artificial intelligence driven terrarium that was recently launched by Google. Harpreet Singh graduated from (MIT), Cambridge, USA, with a Masters degree. He has lived in India, Austria, Singapore, Japan and USA, he has worked for global brands like Microsoft, Google and MIT Media Lab. Harpreet Singh was named as MIT Technology Review Under 35 Innovator in 2013, awarded National Social Innovation Honour by the IT Minister of India and received a letter of appreciation by the Government of Punjab for his charitable work. He devoted a part of his work to developing software for the blind and dexterity impaired. He also designed software for under-resourced schools in Punjab.
Satpal Singh Sabherwal, affectionately known as ‘Satya Sabherwal’ is a Sikh filmmaker who has produced more than 2400 films in his career of 40 years. He has produced 36 films for the world famous ‘discovery channel’ and 100’s for Asian and international TV channels. In the 1970’s he was responsible for filming and co-ordination of news during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, for Visnews Ltd. Satpal set up North India’s first 16mm TV laboratory with special facilities for film Production and India’s first news feature and programme agency. Throughout his career he has produced many films on Sikhism including a 60-minute documentary on Sri Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple), a documentary on the Nihang Singhs (Warrior Sikhs), various Gurudwara’s in Dubai, Thailand and Delhi. Having completed films dealing with the social issues in Punjab he will release a documentary on the increasing number of farmers committing suicide in Punjab later this year.
Amardeep Singh is the Director and Co-Founder of specialist public relations and marketing agency, Media House. With a background in television and journalism, Amardeep was deputy editor for a respected men’s lifestyle magazine before moving into PR. He now runs one of the most respected media agencies in the UK, with links globally, specialising in the South Asian sector clients and working to raise their share of voice in the mainstream. Media House’s clients span the sectors of film and entertainment, music and live events, fashion and lifestyle, charity and award ceremonies. The agency works with some of the leading Bollywood studios and production houses such as Yash Raj Films, Reliance Entertainment, Fox Star, Sony Pictures, Salman Khan Films and Red Chillies Entertainment to name just a few. The go-to agency for South Asian sector clients looking to raise their profiles in the mainstream, Media House works with the biggest stars of Bollywood, Punjabi, regional Indian cinema and the Pakistani film industry.
Jaspreet Singh is a well-known African rally driver. He is the winner of the Kenya National Rally Championship and the winner of the Most Improved Drivers Award in 2012 at the Kenya National Rally Championship. In 2012/2013 he won the Equator Motor Club Championship. In 2013 he won The Kenya National Rally Championship. 2014 he was the overall winner ARC category in the Tanzania rally. 2015 was an extremely successful year as he won the Sasol South Africa Rally, ARC Zambia Rally, ARC Rwanda Rally, ARC Uganda Rally, Safari Rally, KCB Voi Rally, FIA African Rally Championship. His winning streak continued and he won The Kenya National Rally Drivers Championship and is the Youngest Champion in Africa. He is currently the only Champion in Kenya and Africa to have won a number of championships in the same year.
Jasdip Singh is the director of ‘Centre for Social Change’, providing assistant living facilities in the Washington DC area. He is the Chairman of the South Asian Affairs Commission and is on the Board of the Aging Commission. He is the first Sikh selected to stand beside the president and say a prayer on National Inauguration Day. Jasdip Singh, along with 30 other community leaders serves as an advisor to the Trump coalition. He is the founder of ‘Sikhs of America’, for the last four year’s, he has ensured Sikhs participate in the 4th July Parade. The Washington parade is the largest in USA and this enables the Sikh identity to be highlighted in mainstream media. Jasdip Singh serves meals, clothing, blankets and hygienic items to the local homeless people and his efforts have been recognised with several awards from the government and other communities.
Aman Singh born on 11 October 2000 is from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttarpradesh India. At such a young age he is an official 5 time World Record Holder. He is also a Global Award winner in Art. The Governor of Uttarpradesh honoured him with a medal for his services to arts and culture. He has researched and perfected the art of coal painting. Aman is known for coaching poor students in his local area. Aman made national media when he received his World Record for making the world biggest ‘puzzle portrait’ of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on the occasion of their 351st birth anniversary celebrations.
The appointment of Managing Director to Arvinder Singh makes him the first Kenyan in this position. He comes back home to Toyota Kenya with extensive experience in the automotive industry spanning 20 years, having held various positions in Toyota’s international operations including Finance Director in Toyota Zambia Ltd, General Manager in charge of Distribution Management for Toyota Tsusho Africa (Pty) Ltd and Managing Director in Toyota Malawi Ltd. Toyota Kenya Chairman, Dennis Awori expressed confidence in Arvinder’s vision, leadership qualities and experience will go a long way in taking the firm to the next phase of growth, competitiveness and market leadership. He is keen supporter of the local community and is known for contributing to many cultural events throughout Africa.
Harjinder Kaur founded comvision in 1995, which provides IT training to the senior/junior management teams of all corporates, who are trying to get used to the era of IT revolution. The young and dynamic team of Comvision has trained Presidents, Vice-Presidents, MDs and CEOs of Giant Corporates and with equal ease handled the troubleshooting requirements of their IT teams. Realising that the government was the biggest buyer, especially in the province of Andhra Pradesh in India, Comvision set up one of its offices in the IT capital of India – Hyderabad. One of the solution rolled out by Comvision was then the most challenging eGovernance implementation ‘TWINS’. This was a niche and first of its kind solution developed by Comvision in India, which was showcased to the then President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, on his first visit to India.
Successful entrepreneur .R.W. Bro. Harcharan Singh Ranauta, OSM was born on 28th November, 1961 in Nairobi, Kenya. He shifted to Chandigarh in 1975 and after graduation established himself in business and today is an industrialist of repute having business interest in India and abroad. From Real Estate Developer and Construction actively he also deals in mining, pharmaceuticals exports, aviation, education, automobiles and owns a world famous bicycle brand ‘Kilimanjaro’ a top seller in East Africa. In 2014 the Electoral College elected R.W. Bro. Harcharan Singh as the Grand Master for the ensuing term. He has since assumed office and is the reigning Grand Master of Freemasons in India. During his tenure he has lead many charitable projects in education, prison reforms, disaster relief in worldwide, rights of children of female convicts , restoring Masonic Buildings in India, forging international relations within Freemasonry by holding a world wide conference of Freemasons and Friends of India in New Delhi.
In 1977 in conjunction with his younger brothers, Charanjit Singh founded M/S Hayer Bishan Singh & Sons Ltd and today presides as Group Chairman of a multitude of successful and diversified companies in the engineering, construction, manufacturing, travel and tourism sectors throughout Kenya. The core civil engineering and construction business provides the platform for diversification into new sectors. HBSS has established itself as the foremost civil engineering company in Kenya having completed many projects across Kenya, Uganda and recently Sudan. The Hayer Group of companies employs over 1000 people across its various business interests. He is a respected member of the Sikh community in Kenya and has contributed significantly to the prosperity, growth and social fabric of Kisumu in particular where he resides. He has held prominent positions as Chairman of various social and sports clubs such as Nyanza Hockey Association and Simba Club. Charanjit Singh exemplifies and lives his own mantra ‘service with humility’ in all spheres of life.
Uhuru Kenyatta is the fourth and current President of Kenya. Born into a political and wealthy family on the 26 October 1961 he is the son of the famous freedom fighter Jomo Kenyatta and his fourth wife Mama Ngina Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya from 1964 – 1978. His family hails from the Kikuyu, a Bantu ethnic group. His given name “Uhuru” is from the Swahili term for “freedom”, and was given to him in anticipation of Kenya’s upcoming independence. Uhuru Kenyatta backed the presidential candidate, Kibaki, in the 2007 elections and was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance when Kibaki’s government was formed. He later left KANU and formed a new party TNA which became a part of a multiparty alliance. He was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate and won the 2013 elections, becoming the fourth President of Kenya. In the notice dated July 22nd 2018, he acknowledged the Kenyan Asian community as Kenya’s 44th tribe this of course is a great statement and has warmed the hearts of Sikhs and other Asian faiths throughout East Africa.
Hindpal Singh is the former chairman of Energy Regulatory Commission and son of Late Makhan Singh, freedom fighter and the ‘Forgotten Hero’ of Kenya’s pre-independence era. He has rendered a long and distinguished service to Kenya’s Power Sector spanning for more than 50 years. He joined KPLC (now, Kenya Power) in 1961 as a Junior Engineer, and took an early retirement in 1987, while serving as Corporate Planning Manager. Since leaving KPLC, he has been General Manager and CEO of a Utility in the West Indies; Technical Adviser to Kenya’s Ministry of Energy; and finally was Chairman of Energy Regulatory Commission of Kenya from 2007-11. Currently, he is involved in the development of various Renewable Energy projects, mainly in an advisory capacity. Over the past few years, he has made several presentations in international conferences like EAPIC and IRENA and has published several articles in the local press including Kenya Engineer and the Journal of Institution of Engineers of Kenya.