{"id":7975,"date":"2025-08-06T09:39:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T04:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.barusahib.org\/?p=7975"},"modified":"2025-08-05T13:24:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T07:54:49","slug":"bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging Generations, Reclaiming Roots &#8211; A Grandfather\u2019s Gift, A Grandson\u2019s Discovery at Akal Academy, Pawen"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#From_Foreign_Shores_to_Familiar_Soil\" >From Foreign Shores to Familiar Soil<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#A_Floral_Welcome_and_a_Cultural_Embrace\" >A Floral Welcome and a Cultural Embrace<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#A_Land_Transformed_Into_Legacy\" >A Land Transformed Into Legacy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#A_Message_to_the_World\" >A Message to the World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#A_Heartfelt_Call_to_All_NRIs\" >A Heartfelt Call to All NRIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/bridging-generations-reclaiming-roots-a-grandfathers-gift-a-grandsons-discovery-at-akal-academy-pawen\/#Share_the_Story_too\" >Share the Story too<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_Foreign_Shores_to_Familiar_Soil\"><\/span>From Foreign Shores to Familiar Soil<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>On 29th July, a powerful story of legacy and belonging unfolded at <strong>Akal Academy Pawen, District Hoshiarpur.<\/strong> The campus welcomed home <strong>S. Balbir Singh Sandhawalia,<\/strong> a visionary <strong>NRI<\/strong> who once donated his ancestral land for the foundation of this very school. But this time, his return carried even more meaning walking beside him was his young grandson, a bright boy raised in the West, now eager to understand the soil he came from.<br \/>\nWhat began as a visit soon became a heartfelt homecoming.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Floral_Welcome_and_a_Cultural_Embrace\"><\/span>A Floral Welcome and a Cultural Embrace<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As the students of <strong>Akal Academy, Pawen<\/strong> lined up with flower bouquets and warm greetings, the air brimmed with emotion. The young guest, unfamiliar with the customs but wide-eyed with curiosity, was gently immersed into the vibrant world of<strong> Sikh values, seva, and spirituality.<\/strong><br \/>\nHe spent time not only at <strong>Akal Academy, Pawen<\/strong> but also at <strong>Baru Sahib,<\/strong> learning the language of his forefathers and even how to greet the <strong>Sangat<\/strong> with a confident <strong>\u201cFateh !\u201d<\/strong> That one word, so small yet sacred, echoed through generations and left his grandfather moved with quiet pride.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Land_Transformed_Into_Legacy\"><\/span>A Land Transformed Into Legacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>S. Balbir Singh Ji\u2019s<\/strong> donation years ago was a plot of land it was a seed of change. Today, that gift has grown into a nurturing space where rural children receive a value-based education, empowering them to embrace modern knowledge without losing sight of their roots.<br \/>\nHis visit, acknowledged with gratitude by <strong>Principal Sukhsharan Kaur Ji<\/strong> and <strong>Sewadar S. Harjit Singh Ji,<\/strong> reminded everyone that true impact lies in guiding future generations to live with purpose and pride.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Message_to_the_World\"><\/span>A Message to the World<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This moment wasn&#8217;t about nostalgia. It was a living example of what <strong>&#8220;NRI for Change&#8221;<\/strong> truly means not just sending help from across the seas, but returning to rebuild and rekindle the culture that once raised you.<br \/>\nHis grandson\u2019s journey from a foreign world to a Punjabi classroom symbolized a reminder that heritage, once embraced, becomes a guiding force for the future.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Heartfelt_Call_to_All_NRIs\"><\/span>A Heartfelt Call to All NRIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To all those living far from home. Your legacy is not just in where you live, but in where you began,<br \/>\nCome back, Contribute, Reconnect. <em>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/csrforchange.com\/csr\/nris-for-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See more NRI&#8217;s who have helped make the change<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBecause when you honour your roots, you empower your legacy.<br \/>\nLearn more at:- <a href=\"https:\/\/educatetosave.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.educatetosave.com<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Share_the_Story_too\"><\/span>Share the Story too<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embedded post\" src=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/embed\/feed\/update\/urn:li:share:7356622325175259138?collapsed=1\" width=\"504\" height=\"671\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Foreign Shores to Familiar Soil On 29th July, a powerful story of legacy and belonging unfolded at Akal Academy Pawen, District Hoshiarpur. The campus welcomed home S. Balbir Singh Sandhawalia, a visionary NRI who once donated his ancestral land for the foundation of this very school. But this time, his return carried even more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,76,50,77,88],"tags":[101,102,82,83,125],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-7975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-honour-and-respect","category-akal-academies","category-csr","category-education","category-story","tag-education","tag-education-academies","tag-ets-news","tag-ets-stories-of-change","tag-nri-for-change","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7975"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7995,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7975\/revisions\/7995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7975"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=7975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}