Tej Kohli Philanthropic Activities Having suffered a difficult childhood, Tej Kohli grew up with the burning desire to “make a difference” in the World. Many years, and a lot of hard work and midnight oil-burning later, he was the proud creator and CEO of Grafix Softech, a highly-successful interactive software firm. In spite of his success, Kohli didn’t let it go to his head, and remained level-headed and philosophical, still keen to help others gain access to opportunities where none seemingly existed. It was during a chance conversation with a friend, that Grafix Softech CEO Tej Kohli realized he could make a significant contribution as a philanthropist. Something he was previously uncertain about. Says Kohli… “I felt like my gifts were not significant enough or perhaps, it just wasn’t my style,” Tej Kohli began. “But I had a friend who said to me, after seeing my name listed, “Tej, I know that you’re not a multi-billionaire, and I decided that if you can make a gift then maybe I can do one too.” I realized at that point that there is a value in letting your philanthropic gifts be known.” As an entrepreneur with a passion for charity, it was only natural for Tej Kohli to create the Tej Kohli Foundation, which not only provides financial and educational assistance for underprivileged children in Costa Rica, but also encourages students to pursue careers in IT, Graphic design, and Internet marketing. As the founder of the Tej Kohli Foundation, Tej Kohli has spent the past four years providing educational, financial and even lodging facilities to needy children. Since its creation in 2005, the foundation’s outreach programs grow now assists over 125 students., with $300,000.00 of Kohli’s own money invested (to provide school equipment and playing fields) to ensure the Foundation consolidates and builds on its early success. By doing so, Tej Kohli hopes to enable those less fortunate than himself to gain access to facilities and opportunities which would otherwise been out of reach and an impossible dream. A dream now becoming a day-to-day reality for each and every one of the students enrolled at the Foundation. The Foundation adheres to a strict open door, non-discriminatory policy, which means young women, as well as young men, are welcomed through its doors with open arms and, through education, can enjoy the wide range of possibilities denied their mothers and grandmothers. There are even scholarship funds available to deserving cases, which are allocated after rigorous assessment and interview. The primary goal of the Foundation is simple: to prepare these children and young adults, through access to education and lifelong learning for the pressures of the global marketplace whilst at the same time improving their lives, and the lives of those around them, by breaking the vicious cycle of multi-generational poverty. His Vision Statement being: “a comprehensive education for every student, to empower them to lead successful, productive careers.” The Foundation encourages young and committed talent to embrace greater levels of personal, social and professional responsibility, push themselves up to and beyond their perceived limits, and support those less fortunate than themselves, both in financial and social ways, creating a “Self-Perpetuating Culture Of Success and Virtuous Circle”, as outlined by Tej Kohli. But according to Kohli, success should not be achieved – or celebrated – in isolation: “One of the aims of the Foundation, and something I hold very dear, is to nurture the age-old traditions of charity, and social help. In short, I want every person with whom I come into contact, whether they’re students at the Foundations, or CEOs of my subsidiary companies, to understand the purpose and position of Philanthropy and social responsibility in our 21st-Century World” |
TEJ KOHLI SURROUNDINGS
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