Evolving into a mature, confident and ambitious girl is Shilpi of SOS Faridabad. Having completed her Bachelors in Computer Applications and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations & Event Management on scholarship, she now works as a trainee with Infotech Global (India) Ltd. Simultaneously she is doing an MBA through correspondence.

Her leadership qualities and skills have made Kamini President of the Children's Club at SOS Guwahati. The Gandhi Smriti & Darshan Samiti has appointed her as Student Representative of the Children's Villages in the North East. For her enthusiasm and dedication as member of the Bharat Scouts and Guides she has been selected to receive the prestigious Rashtrapati Award.

Now going in for a PhD after completing his M.Ed from Pune University is Atabur Rahman of SOS Hojai. He had earlier made best use of his teaching assignment in Nigeria as Lecturer. He attributes his success to the values of respect, sharing and self confidence that he received at the Children's Village.

Highly versatile, 18 year old Sheetal Kale of SOS Pune is not only good in studies but in soccer too. She plays for the Ferguson College team under the renowned coach Mr. Vinay Murgud. Her winning goal in the inter college competition brought a much publicized victory to her team.

Charting fresh new grounds in academics is Himani from SOS Rajpura. Her excellent performance in the two year Baccalaureate Diploma at Red Cross United World College, Norway has got her yet another scholarship. She now embarks for a four year degree program in computers at Westminster College, Fulton, Missourie, USA.

Sarbar Khan has struggled from a very young age. He worked hard and managed to complete his studies by doing part time work at a tea stall and by distributing newspapers and magazines. Overcoming all handicaps he got a first division at school and cleared his engineering entrance exams successfully. However he was unable to raise money for his admission fees. SOS Bhopal seeing his great potential is supporting him and has arranged to pay for his fees.

A one man mission A survivor from the Nellie massacre, Riazuddin Ahmed of SOS Hojai is today a marketing professional who lives in Bangalore and contributes his best to society. Tragedies turn people bitter. But not Riazuddin. He withstood the trials with courage. Today Riazuddin has not only turned a professional in his field, working with the well known pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy's Laboratories but is also the founder of Contributions of Muslims Towards India Research Foundation Trust (COMTI) and has published small life sketches of prominent personalities. “My next book will be on Mrs Tara Ali Baig, the first President of the SOS Children's Villages of India,” he says.

Mary KJ came to SOS Trichur when just two years old. Good in academics she did exceptionally well in her SSLC exams. She chose Micro Biology for her graduation and later opted for M.Sc Bio Tech. Immediately after studies Mary got a job as Chemist with Vaidyaratnam, the well known Ayurvedic Institute in Kerala. We wish her good luck in her chosen career.

Skhemborlang Khongbtep of SOS Youth House Shillong did the SOS family proud by winning the first prize in the junior section of mountaineering and rock climbing in the 5th state level championship. The competition was organized by the Meghalaya Rock climbing and Mountaineering Association at the Assam Regiment Centre.

SOS Rajpura celebrates its very first marriage :Nisha weds Rajesh Kumar. Congratulations!

Gagan Dhal has never looked back since he came home to SOS Bhubaneswar in 1994 .An independent, soft spoken and intelligent boy he was selected to join Rishi Valley School under the Krishnamurty Foundation. This year he passed Class X with excellent marks and was selected to study for an IB Diploma from the Red Cross Nordic United World College, Norway. His hobbies include reading, internet browsing, pottery and football. He is happy to embark on a new journey and hopes to become a doctor.

Vidya from SOS Bhopal had shown a keen interest in becoming a beautician. Last year she joined the well known VLCC Institute at Lucknow and enrolled for a professional course. She has successfully completed the beautician's course and received the Best Student's Award from the Institute. She now has a job at VLCC Institute, Bhopal and is on their Make-up faculty.

Bipasha Sarkar, 20, of SOS Kolkata has had a knack for gymnastics and yoga right from a very young age. Recognising her talents she was accepted by a ballet dance centre, the Anirban Bose Institute, Kolkata. With a strong determination Bipasha is going ahead with her yoga and ballet lessons, and will be part of the institute's ballet troupe which will be giving performances abroad in the near future.

Facing life with courage Standing once again on a roof-top of the hamlet that was destroyed in the 1993 earthquake in Latur is Rekha. The earthquake destroyed her home and she lost her family. With the love and support of her SOS Latur family she faced life with courage. She became a nurse after studies from the SOS Nursing School, Anangpur. She now works in the same small village at Nandurga as government PHC nurse. She was married recently to a well qualified young teacher who too was a victim of this earthquake.

Proud to be serving the Indian Army in the Maratha Light Infantry is Dnyananeshwar Vilas Jadhav. With his home and village devastated in the 94 earthquake, he was brought to the Sadhana Family Home at SOS Latur. His mother Vijaya Deshmukh inspired him in his studies and choice of career. On completing matriculation in 2001, he joined the army. He has served at border outposts at Assam and Arunachal. He has now been selected for a one year stint with the peace keeping force deployed in Congo, South Africa.

A talented teacher and an inspiration for the children at SOS Bhopal is young Sadia Khan. Good in academics she has always been inclined towards teaching. She did a teachers training course from Panchgani and on its successful completion was selected by the Gurukul School, Dhamnod, M.P. She has made an excellent start with the career of her choice and now gets a good salary.

Losing both parents in the Nellie carnage Surahab Ali came to his new home and family at SOS Hojai in 1983. Having a keen eye for art since childhood, his dream was to become a good visual artist. On completing high school he joined the course of Bachelor of Fine Arts and followed this with a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from Assam University, Silchar. On completion of his studies he has joined as Art teacher with the Satya Sai Baba School, NOIDA, U.P.

The entire Village community wished Mareena a happy future when she got married in May to Mr. Joshy. She had come to the children's Village when she was just three. She soon grew up to be a promising basketball player and was selected by Sports Authority of India. Mareena played at district, state and national levels and has joined the Indian Railways at Gorakhpur, U.P. Her determination and hard work have given her the success she so richly deserves.

Dewan Foundation boosts young careers Six years ago three bright youngsters Sanjeev Bhadra, Sumit Kaul and Daniel Verma from SOS Children's Villages were selected by late Mr. A P Dewan and Mr. Baldev Mahajan for higher studies in the UK under sponsorship by Dewan Foundation, London. All three successfully completed their studies. Now under guidance from Mr. Ramesh Dewan they are pursuing bright careers in London. For the last three years, Dewan Foundation has been sponsoring children from SOS Children's AVillages of India for higher studies. This year, Ginto Kannath, one of the recipients of Dewan Foundation Scholarship has made SOS-India proud by topping in MA Economics from Loyola College, Chennai.

When Jaba Das and her younger brother and sister lost their parents life was in complete darkness. She had no idea how to move along in a rough world till SOS Guwahati took the children under its wings under its Family Strengthening Program. Now after three years of support and encouragement Jaba is all set to start a self reliant life. She has completed class X, improved the structure of her house and given one room on rent. Moreover, she has opened a PCO in the nearby market. She doesn't want to study further for the sake of her family, instead to keep sending her brother and sister to school.

Working as Departmental Manager with leading clothing company Pantaloons Pvt Ltd and earning a good salary is Kamal Singh from SOS Youth House Faridabad. But success came to him through hard work and all round excellence. After graduating from Rohelkhand University he has excelled in his MBA and bagged the best student award for 2006. With guidance from the Village he has chosen his career carefully and is now working towards his goals. He plans to soon tie the knot and settle.

Full of enthusiasm and human values is Devleena Ghosh of SOS Children's Village Faridabad. After school she had done B.Sc in Home Science from Delhi College of Economics. She is now working as Guest Relations Executive with Spice 4D Arcade, Spice World Mall, Noida. For sincerity and dedication to her work she has been given the Best Employee Award by her organization. The SOS family wishes her the very best in her endeavors and is sure that she will do well in her chosen career.

Shy but an extremely versatile personality of Children's Village Hojai is young Mujibur Rehman. Proficient in academics, theatre, swimming and athletics he has won many prizes at the district and school level. He was selected as volunteer and receptionist for the 33rd National Games 2007 held in Guwahati during February 2007. He is also troop leader for his school scouting group. His family and co-workers at the Village are sure that he has a successful future ahead of him.