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There were probably more selfies taken that evening than actual photographs. Girls in snazzy outfits, boys dapper in suits, holding hands, hugging, some even crying, snapped themselves on their high end cell phones, oblivious to their parents’ gazes. The month long Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY) ending in the valedictory function does evoke such sentiments. The evening function in the air conditioned comfort of the spacious hall of Dadar’s J. B. Vachha High School for Girls on June 4, 2017 had real estate developer Boman Irani as chief guest, Havovi Wadia, director, Impact Magic Bus as guest of honor and was presided over by the chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) Yazdi Desai.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Successfully completing 31 years, the HPY, the stellar program run under the aegis of the BPP, has touched the lives of an entire generation. Confidence has replaced anxiety, enlightenment has replaced ignorance and nervous faces have been replaced by warm relations. Wishing that HPY would last "a little longer” were the 171 participants (91 girls and 80 boys). Thirty-one participants — of whom three youngsters travelled from London, Dubai and Sharjah — came from Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Dahod, Calcutta, Jhansi, Lucknow, Nasik, Navsari, Poona, Surat and Thana to join the Programme that started on May 7. The F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla at Hughes Road housed 23 of the outstation children who were also provided transport to and from the venue. One hundred and forty children were from the city itself. Students who had completed their Grade X examinations from 59 Bombay schools and 23 from across the country had enrolled for the Programme.
HPY mentor Diana Marfatia who has been involved with the Programme for all the 31 years, thanked everyone "who has helped us reach this far… We have played a sizeable role in grooming a little over 6,000 of our community youth… a truly gratifying feeling!”
"Life is not a straight line,” said Wadia, a writer and researcher with a keen interest in the rights of children and youth. "Today what you think you will do, then what you will do three years down the line and then later (will be completely different than what) you will end up doing. It’s incredible where you go,” said the 41-year-old guest of honor who went from being an English literature student to banking and accounts.
As a "gawky, 16-year-old” who did HPY in 1991, Wadia shared her life’s experience with the audience. Going to Auckland to pursue a business diploma after doing her MA and MPhil in India, her first job abroad was removing staple pins from papers which earned her NZ $14 (Rs 649) per hour! "There is something that belongs to each one of you. It is from there that you find your strength and energy. Find that thing and hang on to it for the rest of your life. Learn to manage the wrong. You should be ready and willing to learn more… It’s fine if things don’t go right. It really works out in the end. The journey is pretty exiting. So don’t worry,” she summed up.
Three things were important to chief guest Irani. According to him "energy is your most precious gift. Keep that energy alive.” Then he chided: "Some of you are already yawning!” The community is blessed with great genes "but the task we have ahead of us is how do we keep this great gene, great. It comes from doing stuff that continuously comes your way. Take opportunity when it comes to you. Do not ever worry that if ‘I did this, I would do something wrong.’ If you keep the aura of energy positive, as long as you are always happy by virtue of what you do, you will come through like a shining star. Learn from your mistakes. The only person who doesn’t make mistakes is a person who does nothing. Keep it continuously progressive.”
Coming from the "school of hard knocks,” Irani lamented that in his days he didn’t have a program like HPY and hoped it continues till his children complete their 10th. The chairman and managing director of the Rustomjee Group and an entrepreneur with 18 years of experience told the youngsters to learn a skill, to become a "master at what you do. Happiness has to be your goal. Give the gift you have received today to another generation,” mentioned the dapper 48-year-old.
Take care of your health, cherish and love your family, keep your friends close, accumulate as much knowledge as you can and don’t chase money, let money chase you, were the other thoughts he left the audience with.
Desai wanted to share three things with the youngsters: Work on your strengths and manage your weaknesses; love and respect your parents as "nobody in the world will love you as much as your parents;” and pray. "Don’t forget to pray whatever happens. Pray the Yatha Ahu Vairyo as many times as you can, 10 times, 100 times, 200 times. Take out five minutes from your daily schedule and pray and success will come to you naturally,” he said.
If you have lived HPY once, you will wish to live it again and again, said Azmin Mistry Vania, the Programme’s coordinator, echoing the thoughts of the present batch. "So boys, get out of mummy na khoras (laps) and girls put on your dancing shoes, for it’s time to rock-n-roll. (Go out) and conquer the world.”
Apart from the organizing committee who were felicitated for giving of their time and expertise to the Programme, the janitorial and security staff of the School were also called on stage and thanked.
At the blood donation drive, 235 bottles of blood were collected in a span of six hours, mentioned Marfatia. To encourage the participants, a cash purse of Rs 20,000 was divided on a sliding scale between the four groups based on their collection.

 

 

 

 

This year on May 14 Farishta Irani who studies in Poona was initiated into the fold with her navjote sponsored by a  well-wisher. 2016 HPYite Ervad Farzad Driver was one of the mobeds along with those of the BPP-run Godavra Agiary who performed the navjote.

 

The ‘best’ of the lot
For securing 96.83% in the ICSE examination last year, Roshni Munshi of Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School received the Piroja Fali Forbes Award. The Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly High School student Ruzan Tata received the Bombay Parsi Punchayet Award for his achievement (90%) at the SSC level. Both received a cheque of Rs 10,000.
Rohina Gandhi and Danush Dumasia were crowned Ms and Mr HPY 2017. Runners up were Genevive Irani and Sheroy Cooper. The HPY Bawi title was bagged by Mehernaaz Panthaky and HPY Bawa was Cooper with Natasha Gandevia and Ulrik Jehangir as runners up.
Best participants (selected from the four groups) were Gandhi (Achievers), Ferangiz Hozdar (Creators), Zita Khodavani and Farhaan Cavina (Enactors) and Dumasia (Performers).
Creators was declared the Best Group who also took away the Blood Donation Trophy. The WZCC (World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce) Trophy was bagged by the Enactors.
The other winners were: Hozdar (Best Debator, Literary Arts All Rounder and Best Female Catwalker), Renee Talati and Sohrab Mehta (Best Sportspersons), Jehan Mody (Best Actor), Sanaya Mehta (Best Actress), Zreh Kotwal and Rushad Modi (Best Supporting Actors), Gandevia (Best Supporting Actress), Jamshid Tamboli and Kayaan Sarkari (Best Male Models), Tushna Shroff and Gandhi (Best Female Models) and Chirag Dalal (Best Male Catwalker).
On the final day the scoreboard read: Creators — 305; Enactors — 301; Achievers — 287; Performers — 247.

 

 

 

The first day
Relieved from the burden of hard work and toil after their 10th board exams, community fledglings  eager to become worldly wise, assembled at the Vachha School on May 7 which marked the beginning of the month long much wanted stress buster. They came with anxious faces, curious minds and shy gestures not knowing what the month of May will offer.
"Daddy ni dikris (daddy’s daughters), mummy na poryas (mummy’s boys), welcome to the inaug/This month in May, we’re going to clear the fog and hog!/ Exposure to a multitude of careers; conventional and off-beat,/For your gray matter up there, it’ll be an intellectual treat.
Dance and rhythm, parent-child workshop will keep you occupied,/While drama will boost your confidence, workshop in leadership is highly advised./Talks range from heart care, anti-tobacco and dentistry,/To religion, architecture and Mazda’s skype session which has already created history!” welcomed Mistry Vania summarizing what HPY is about in poetic verse.
Starting around three years back, the guest of honor at the inauguration and valedictory functions of HPY are ex-HPYites. "Individuals seated a few years ago, exactly where you are seated today. Individuals who enjoyed the thrill of being at HPY, lived up to its motto of striving for excellence and have today established themselves as more than worthy to be on the dais,” mentioned Marfatia that morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veteran theater actor Danesh Irani, guest of honor, recalled his first day at HPY back in 2006. As a shy, overweight 16-year-old "I wasn’t happy to be there. I was truly out of place. I wasn’t very good at competition, more so I was afraid of losing. My group organizer told us one thing on the first day — ‘Just have fun.’ So when you’re having fun you automatically put in your best. I had the best time of my life and those 30 days really changed me. Of course, our group won that year, so that was the icing on the cake,” he acknowledged.
Three key factors he shared with one and all: honesty, humility and heart. Be honest about everything you do; appreciation is good, accept it but be humble about it, and put your heart and soul in everything. "It doesn’t take time for a mountain to become a pebble, but it takes a very, very long time for a pebble to become a mountain,” were his parting words.
Introduced as "awe inspiring,” internationally acclaimed educator, writer, workshop leader and storyteller, chief guest Dr Coomi Vevaina promised "not to bore you and not exceed my time limit… My parents felt I would never go beyond seventh grade. So when I went to class eight, they distributed sweets. When I finished my SSC, it was nothing short of a miracle,” she recounted her days. From an early age, Vevaina had a passion for teaching. "From the age of three I used to write to Santa Claus for blackboard and chalk. For some reason, dolls irritated me.” One teacher at Elphinstone College fired her imagination and changed her life.
The articulate speaker shared what she believes are the keys to a successful and joyful life. Cultivate a high degree of self-awareness, "turn your focus from outside to inside;” follow your bliss, "create a vision rooted in positive values and persevere till you win;” be flexible and open minded, "it’s okay to be different;” have the ability to be independent and go against convention; become an international connector "as we are hardwired for connection, not competition”; develop the ability to face and learn from pain and suffering, "don’t wallow in self- pity;” be curious, joyful and forgiving like a child, "if you forget the child in you, you will never be able to go far;” display an unswerving commitment to peace and non-violence and inspire and motivate others, "inspiration comes from within, motivation from outside.”
"Learn, unlearn and relearn,” is what Jimmy Mistry believes in. The builder architect and former trustee of the BPP interacted with the children. "Do not have preconceived notions. Ignore people who run you down. Believe in yourself and have a passion to self-learn as there is nothing you can’t teach yourself,” he told the young.
Mistry Vania summed up the mood: "So bawajis in the hall, let’s give it our all/Together you and I, are going to have a ball/Give HPY your best and you’ll cross the wall,/These lovely moments at the val(edictory), you shall recall!
"So be pre-pared to make new friends/Who will be with you until your very end/I assure you, on the last day, you will surely tell/‘This month was the best, it’s over, Oh hell!’”