From: Kalyanji Mota

To: Board Of Directors of KOJAIN

Subject: The report of KOJAIN’s Mini Sammelan in Los Angeles on July 5, 2009

 

July 10, 2009

 

My Dear Friends,

 

Jai Jinendra.

 

The KOJAIN mini sammelan held in Los Angeles from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sunday July 5, 2009, the final day of JAINA convention, surpassed all our expectations in terms of the number of KOJAIN families attending the mini sammelan and was considered a successful event.

 

Vijaybhai Chheda had to leave Los Angeles for India one day earlier, on July 4th, due to family medical emergency in India. He put Kalyanjibhai in charge to conduct the mini sammelan.

 

The mini sammelan started chanting Navkar Mantra and Kalyanjibhai at the outset introduced Chaitali Kirit Gala, a U.C. Berkley graduate in Political Science and South Asian Studies, currently working in a law firm in Los Angeles and Rapir Dhiraj Dedhia, a third year student at UCLA working towards his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics and Minor in Accounting, as Masters of ceremony to handle this mini convention. The plan was to recognize “Talented young Kachchhi children and young adults”.

 

Rapir introduced 17-year-old Somil Nalin Chheda. He projected a full page of Somil’s bio data on projection screen for the audience to see and read his 11th grade GPA of 4.49, his achievements in school from 2007 to 2009, his experience as volunteer, and his extra curricular activities including very popular organization at Jain Center of Los Angeles as co president of Jain Center youth council. He read all the awards Somil has won and competitive events in which he participated. Finally a plaque from KOJAIN was given to him recognizing him as a talented young adult. The plaque was given to each “Talented young Kachchhi children and young adults” and each “New entrepreneurs” who were recognized at this event.

 

Next Chaitali introduced 18-year-old Neelam Jayesh Savla. She projected her one-and-a-half-page long bio data on projection screen. Neelam is a second year student at USC (University Of Southern California), majoring in Psychology with a minor in Environmental Studies. Chaitali read Neelam’s school and college achievements, her volunteer experience, her extracurricular activities, her work experience, and all the competitive events in which she has participated and enumerated her other skills.

 

Acharya Shri Chandanaji and Sadhaviji Shri Silapiji who were invited to attend the mini sammelan came with Sadhaviji Shri Shubhamji as well as singer Miss Mangalam and several guests. Acharya shri and Silapiji, in their speeches, outlined development activities undertaken by Virayatan in Kachchh. Seven colleges are planed to open in Kachchh by 2011. Eighteen crores rupees were collected in one session for establishing these colleges. Kalyanjibhai thanked for their speeches and said that Acharyashree Chandanaji has been our mother Teresa of Kachchh and Silapiji has been a jewel of Kachchh. Audience was rejoiced by their speeches.

 

The Master of Ceremony Rapir and Chaitali then continued the process of recognizing talented young children and adults. Rapir introduced Paras Ashok Savla. He said 17-year-old Paras had GPA of 4.6, a Valedictorian – Ranked first out of 492 classmates, highest GPA for the class of 2009 – TCHS. SAT: 2000 (640 Critical Reading, 770 Math, 590 Writing) Updated Score: 2120 (640 Critical Reading, 800 Math, 680 Writing) SAT Subjects: 800 Math Level 2, 720 Chemistry. He outlined Paras’s list of achievements, volunteer experience, extracurricular Activities/Interests, competitions, and other Skills. His two-page bio data was projected on the projection screen.

 

Then Chaitali introduced Navinbhai Gangar who showed paintings of her nine-year-old grand daughter, Raina Virendra Rode’s 12 paintings. Third grader Raina was visiting Europe with her parents so her Nana brought her paintings and explained the remarks made by Raina on each painting. Audience was amazed by the depth and details of each painting.

 

Raina started formal art training in 2005 at the age of 5. She has worked in soft pastels, chalk, watercolors, acrylic and oil paintings. She started oil painting in 2008 and has made Monet, Matisse, Manet and various landscapes and still lives. In the past 2 years she has entered the Orange County Fair competition and was placed 3rd in 2007.  She was also recognized by Fairmont Private School for exhibiting her transportation art at John Wayne Orange County Airport. She has also participated in many competitions including the Pental International Art Contest.

 

This concluded the recognition of four talented youngsters. Navinbhai Dedhia was then given the floor to explain KOJAIN’s scholarship program. He did that and made a plea for donation for the program and explained the benefit that young adults receive from this desirable KOJAIN program.

 

Lataben Champashi, the newly elected JAINA president for the year 2010-2011 showed up at the mini sammelan after completion of closing ceremony of JAINA. Kalyanjibhai introduced her and Ashokbhai Savla, the President of Jain Center of Southern California.

 

Next item on the agenda was to give platform to three young adults – 20 minutes each - to explain their project of entrepreneurship. The Master of Ceremony introduced Mala Gada/chaudahri, who had prepared her presentation on Power Point and used the computer to hook up with the projection screen.

 

Summary of her presentation was Mortgage Broker as a career. Main points she outlined were (1) state/licensing requirement to enter the field (2) different ways of getting into the field (3) selecting a right company (4) advantages/disadvantages of picking ‘mortgages’ as a career, (5) personal advantages (6) how can you be successful in this career? (7) Information on new programs from Fed. (8) Information on how to deal & what to look for while buying/refinancing the house? There was plenty of valuable information for audience.

 

Next came Nimit Harkhchand Maru, a young entrepreneur from the Bay Area. He attended University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign where he majored in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. After graduating in 2004, he worked at Center, a health care software company in Kansas City, and then at Yahoo! In Sunnyvale, CA, where he worked as lead of the Yahoo! Trip Planner product. After leaving Yahoo he founded two companies, the 2nd of which, called BloomSpot, he is associated with today. He also had a Power Point presentation. He enumerated the difficulties he faced and steps he took to make his business plan viable. Some IT graduates from USC were present to hear his presentation.

 

Finally Nisha Vadilal Shah came to make her Power Point presentation. She holds a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and a focus on Entrepreneurship from Cal State University, Fullerton. She has had a couple of other businesses in the past - a Temporary Staffing Agency in the Property Management industry and a Fashion Accessory Company.

 

Nisha is currently a co-partner in a Web-Based company - RpetsMD, Inc. Her business will be launching the websitewww.RpetsMD.com sometime this summer. RpetsMD.com is a Veterinary Locator service that allows pet owners to find the right veterinarian for their pets (Their tagline is: Helping Pets Find the Right Vet Everyday). It has been in the building process for the last 2 years. The service is free to pet owners and for the Veterinarians there is an annual membership fee. She explained her business plan and research she had collected before entering into this business.

 

The program was concluded with a vote of thanks to all, and chanting Navkar Mantra. Lunch was arranged for the audience.

 

With warm regards,

 

 

Kalyanji Mota