Desi Talk

February 13, 2026 22 DESI TALK R Global Head Quarters Partner Charities Saurashtra Medical & Educational Charitable Trust Indian Medical Scientific Research Foundation Ms. Meetal Koticha Shah Mr. Rushikesh Pandya +91 982 428 5868 savelife@999life.org www.999life.org Life Global (USA) California Chapter Dr. Bhanji Kundaria Life Global UK Life Global Canada Mr. Sunil Koticha +1 204 890 2084 skoticha@gmail.com www.lifeglobal.ca Life Global Australia +1 805 878 4165 bkundaria@gmail.com Mr. Amar Shah +1 201 819 3321 amarshah48@gmail.com www.lifeglobal.us Ms. Bina Sanghvi www.lifeglobal.org.uk +44 780 115 0338 info@lifeglobal.org.uk Dr. Dipti McGowan www.lifeglobal.org.au +61 755 510 412 info@lifeglobal.org.au Texas Chapter Mr. Dilip Punatar +1 614 440 4239 punatar@hotmail.com Expression of Gratitude – Ghuntu Ceremony Dedication of Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School at Ghuntu Dedication of Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School at Nichi Mandal Launch of SHAH HAPPINESS FOUNDATION – LIFE Vertical Gardening Initiative Model Project at Navnat UK Primary School, Jabalpur, Morbi Inauguration of SHAH HAPPINESS FOUNDATION – LIFE Thalassaemia Screening & Awareness Programme - 2026 Joined virtually by Manu Shah, Shashikant Koticha and Vanrajsinh Padharia Attended in person by Lokesh Mehta, Meetal Koticha Shah and Rushikesh Pandya Expression of Gratitude – Nichi Mandal Ceremony Sincere gratitude to all dignitaries, guests, and well-wishers who graced the dedication ceremony of the Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School at Ghuntu. Special appreciation was extended to Neerav Doshi, Vice President, MSI Services, Bengaluru, who dedicated the school on behalf of Rika & Manu Shah. Prominent dignitaries including Dr. Dipti McGowan, Chair, Life Global Australia, Suryakant Shah, Rachel Rebecca Thompson, Geoffrey Noel Anson, Charles Ronald Tym, Benjamin & Leo Henderson, Oraphan Usman, and Renuka Mehta, UK whose participation reflected global solidarity with rural education and sustainability initiatives. Sincere thanks to all dignitaries and guests who attended the inauguration of the Shah Happiness Foundation – LIFE Thalassaemia Screening & Awareness Programme - 2026 and the dedication of the Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School at Nichi Mandal. Deep appreciation to Lokesh Mehta , Senior Vice President, MSI Services, Bengaluru, for inaugurating the program in virtual presence of Rika & Manu Shah. The presence and encouragement of public representatives including Durlabhjibhai Detharia, MLA, Vanrajsinh Padharia, Joint Secretary, Health Department of Government of Gujarat, along with Morbi-based industrialists, prominent ceramic vendors of MSI Services Khimji Kundaria, Vipul Kundaria, Chandra Kundaria, Paresh Kundaria, Amit Detharia, Urvesh Desai were gratefully acknowledged. Our thanks to Overseas Guests Rupande & Jaymal Ruparell from Canada for attending the ceremony. Dr. Parikh also acknowledged the efforts of Bakul Mehta, Patron, Shashikant Koticha, Managing Trustee, Meetal Koticha Shah, Joint Executive Trustee & CEO, and Rushikesh Pandya, CDOO, Project ‘Life’, for their leadership and coordination. Life Global USA and Project ‘Life’, India, extended special gratitude to Rika and Manu Shah of the Shah Happiness Foundation, California (USA), for their sustained commitment to education, environmental stewardship, women’s empowerment, and preventive healthcare. A STRONG MESSAGE FOR THE FUTURE “ When villages invest in prevention, education, and compassion; they invest in the destiny of the nation.” The initiatives at Ghuntu and Nichi Mandal remind us that meaningful change begins with intent, integrity, and action at the grassroots. Let these milestones inspire more communities to choose awareness over ignorance, prevention over suffering, and education over limitation, so that every child is born healthy, learns with dignity, and grows with purpose. Joy of Sharing CALIFORNIA'S RIKA & MANU SHAH - SHARED COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, THALASSAEMIA FREE-SOCIETY & ENVIRONMENT IN RURAL GUJARAT BY PROJECT ‘LIFE’, INDIA The village Ghuntu, Morbi district, marked a meaningful milestone with the dedication ceremony of the Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School, on Saturday, January 10, 2026. The school provides access to quality education in a safe and inspiring environment, nurturing confidence, discipline, and aspiration among young learners. The launch as the model project of SHAH HAPPINESS FOUNDATION – LIFE Vertical Gardening Initiative at Navnat UK Primary School, Jabalpur, Morbi, under Project ‘Life’, promotes nutritional improvement, environmental responsibility, and experiential learning, while encouraging urban biodiversity and greenery within school environments. The initiative aims to enhance awareness among students of Shah Happiness Foundation primary schools and 25 primary schools across Morbi district , focusing on the optimal use of land and water resources . CHIEF BENEFACTOR RIKA & MANU SHAH, CALIFORNIA, USA Education and Environment in Harmony AS VOICED BY PADMA SHRI DR. SUDHIR PARIKH Nichi Mandal witnessed a significant milestone with the inauguration of Shah Happiness Foundation – LIFE Thalassaemia Screening & Awareness Programme - 2026, launched as a pilot project along with the dedication of Shah Happiness Foundation Primary School on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The pilot project aims to ensure that no child is born into preventable lifelong suffering. The initiative marks prevention of deadly disease Thalassaemia, by focusing on awareness, early screening, and community awareness. Designed to be scalable and replicable, the program targets Thalassaemia prevention among marriageable youth across Morbi, Saurashtra and Kutch, with plans to conduct 30,000 screening tests and reach over 300,000 individuals through structured awareness initiatives, laying the foundation for wider regional expansion. To Safeguard School Education & Thalassaemia Prevention Together The philosophy of “Think Big, Be Bold” of Rika & Manu Shah , reflects a deep and unwavering commitment to long-term, sustainable impact through the transformative initiatives, from rural primary school infrastructure, digital education, women empowerment, preventive healthcare, and community well-being across Morbi and the wider Saurashtra–Kutch region. Channeled through the Sarva Mangal Family Trust & Shah Happiness Foundation and Project ‘Life’, Rajkot, Gujarat, their work is rooted in the belief that prosperity finds true meaning only when it uplifts society. This is not episodic charity, but purposeful institution-building strengthening education systems while extending life-saving healthcare through the Life Blood Centre for economically vulnerable communities, including children affected by Thalassaemia. Driven by Manu Shah’s conviction that progress has meaning only when white-collar vision uplifts blue-collar lives , their initiatives strive to ensure opportunity reaches every hand that builds the nation. This noble support further enabled the Shah Happiness Foundation–Life Vertical Gardening Initiative, launched as a model project at Navnat UK Primary School, Jabalpur village, Morbi, and the Pilot Project of SHAH HAPPINESS FOUNDATION–LIFE Thalassaemia Screening & Awareness Program 2026 at Nichi Mandal , together reflecting an integrated vision of environmental care, preventive healthcare, and quality education, empowering rural communities and safeguarding future generations with dignity and sustainability. These initiatives stand as living examples of how compassion, foresight, and collective action can transform villages into models of sustainable progress. On behalf of Life Global, USA, we express our sincere gratitude to distinguished business leaders and philanthropists Rika and Manu Shah of California for their generous support, extended through our partner charity Project ‘Life’, India, towards the development of four of the ten, Sarva Mangal Family Trust Primary Schools & Shah Happiness Foundation Primary Schools at Vaghpar, Gundakhada, Ghuntu and Nichi Mandal villages in Morbi district of Gujarat State. These landmark achievements mark the 116th and 117th schools of Project ‘Life’, collectively benefitting over 30,000 students. “TRUE NATION-BUILDING BEGINS WHEN WE PROTECT ‘LIFE’ AND EDUCATE THE MIND AT THE SAME TIME.” THE PHILOSOPHY OF GIVING BACK: RIKA & MANU SHAH