Canada India Education Society

Canada India Education Society We work towards equality by bringing healthcare and education to underserved communities in Canada and India. The goal is largely to uplift women and the poor.

The Canada India Education Society is a registered Canadian charity. CRA Charity Number 139033807RR0001

Canada India Education Society (CIES) uses its resources to support vital projects relating to education, community development, health care, and job creation in India and Canada. CIES facilitates international cooperation and collaboration through the promotion of civil society partnerships be

tween Canada and India with a specialized focus on fostering relationships between groups in British Columbia (Canada) and those in Punjab. In short, we aim to dispel inequalities in society by providing the basic needs of healthcare and education in a rural village in the Northern part of India, in Punjab.

What happens when a non-profit provides employment, not just services, to its community? Lives are changed and the impac...
03/11/2026

What happens when a non-profit provides employment, not just services, to its community? Lives are changed and the impact multiplies!

On February 14, 2026, ten workers and one trustee were honoured with Service Excellence Awards at the non-profit, Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust (GNMMET), located in Punjab, India.

These worker have shown devotion, loyalty and exemplary attitudes of service in their roles. They show us that no matter if someone is working as a gardener or doctor, each matters and makes a difference in the lives of others.

We encourage you to read each of their stories in the captions below!

GNMMET is a non-profit that provides employment and services to under-served populations in rural villages surrounding Dhahan-Kaleran. With it's hospital, primary and secondary school, nursing college and allied healthcare college, its impact reaches 10s of thousands each year.

Canada India Education Society (CIES) partners with GNMMET to continue providing and growing these services, so they can reach more people.

In these photos, GNMMET president Kulvinder Singh Dhahan and Senior Vice President, Joginder Singh Sadhra are handing certificates and some gifts to the awardees.

Your donations have made a difference in the lives of REAL people, once again. ♥On February 14, 2026, fifteen nursing st...
03/03/2026

Your donations have made a difference in the lives of REAL people, once again. ♥

On February 14, 2026, fifteen nursing students in Punjab received much-needed bursaries from donors to Canada India Education Society (CIES).

Funds went directly to the bank accounts of the recipients - no middleman or admin fees were deducted. EVERY dollar donated went to those in need.

These students were screened for two things: 1 ) their financial situation 2) achievement of the academic requirements to continue their studies.

In other words: they are trying their best. They just need a lifting hand.

We've had the privilege of getting to know some of them, and have heard their stories. For some, the constant stress to survive is more than we can imagine. It makes you realize how much we have in a country like Canada.

Some of our bursary recipients have willingly told us their stories. You can read them here: https://www.cies.ca/blog/ (we continue to post more from time to time!)

Each of the recipients studies at Guru Nanak College of Nursing in Dhahan-Kaleran, Punjab, India. When they complete their studies, they will be accredited by the government of India to practice nursing.

We encourage your gift so we can continue helping more young people pay for nursing school at Guru Nanak College of Nursing. Please consider donating at the link below:

https://www.cies.ca/donate-via-canadahelps/

For those who have already donated, we are grateful, and so are the bursary recipients!

In these photos, Ramandeep Kaur, Officiating Principal of Guru Nanak College of Nursing and Barj S. Dhahan, Founder of Canada India Education Society (CIES) are handing certificates to the bursary recipients.

I am at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital campus, Dhahan-Kaleran, Punjab, India. I am happy to share these photographs of peop...
02/15/2026

I am at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital campus, Dhahan-Kaleran, Punjab, India. I am happy to share these photographs of people and activities on the campus.

In these photos you’ll find some of the reasons that we continue our work at Canada India Education Society (CIES): to a...
12/11/2025

In these photos you’ll find some of the reasons that we continue our work at Canada India Education Society (CIES): to advance the underprivileged through education and healthcare.

On October 15, 2025, CIES gave eight scholarships to the students of Guru Nanak College of Nursing (GNCON). This is in addition to 15 bursaries that were disbursed to students demonstrating financial need on February 21, 2025 (for this year alone).

The S. Budh Singh Award of Academic Excellence was awarded to Harleen Kaur, in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program, for achieving the highest marks in the 4th year class of 2024.

Harleen was not able to attend the ceremony, since she had gone overseas to pursue higher studies.

However, her family was there to receive her award and show her trophy. Her parents are disabled, and could not come to the stage. As an act of compassion, the presenters walked down to the audience to give the award to Harleen’s father and mother.

Her sister, Jasleen Kaur, a student in the General Nurse & Midwifery (GNM) program, was also awarded a scholarship for academic standing.

When donors contribute to scholarships and bursaries through CIES, the funds go DIRECTLY to the young students studying to be nurses in rural Punjab. No middleman is involved.

Every penny helps, and the program has already seen success. The incredible stories of some of the recipients can be read on our website: https://www.cies.ca/blog/

Donate today - your support matters:

https://www.cies.ca/bursary-scholarship-donations/

The presenters of scholarships on October 15, 2025 included Barj S. Dhahan, founder of CIES and Vice President of Guru Nanak Mission Medical & Educational Trust (GNMMET). GNMMET is the parent organization behind the nursing college. Having leadership representation on the ground in India helps us advance the work we do through CIES.

President of GNMMET, Kulvinder Singh, also gave the awards on stage.

In the photo with Harleen Kaur’s family, from left to right are: Kulvinder Singh Dhahan (President, GNMMET), Surjit Kaur (mother), Nachhattar Singh (father), Jasleen Kaur (nursing student and sister of Harleen Kaur), Barj Dhahan (Vice President, GNMMET), Ramandeep Kaur (Officiating Principal, GNCON), Rabia Hatta (Associate Professor, GNCON).

On October 15, 2025, Guru Nanak College of Nursing graduated 69 of its 2024 classes in the Bachelor of Science in Nursin...
12/10/2025

On October 15, 2025, Guru Nanak College of Nursing graduated 69 of its 2024 classes in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), General Nurse & Midwifery (GNM) and Post Basic BScN programs.

Most graduates were present, which included:
BScN - 41
Post Basic BScN - 7
GNM - 21

The nursing college is run by the not-for-profit organization, Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust. The organization does much of the work ‘on the ground’ that CIES supports.

Starting a nursing college in rural Punjab was the vision of Sardar Budh Singh Dhahan. He wanted to educate young girls, so they could be independent, while advancing their life station, and that of their families. He knew nursing was a profession that could support the adjacent hospital he also spearheaded, alongside other supporters and Trustees.

Today, the college trains both young women and men. It has grown to be one of the most sought-after nursing schools in Punjab, and has attracted students from other Indian states as well.

At the convocation was not only journalist and author Roopinder Singh, but also Arvinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Assistant Professor in Punjabi at DAV College in Amritsar. She is also an award winning author (including for the Dhahan Prize Finalist award - another CIES initiative).

In her convocation address to the graduates, Arvinder Kaur Dhaliwal encouraged them to read fiction, as there is a profound connection between literature and healing. Reading stories, writing stories, telling your own stories and more importantly hearing the stories of patients can help them in the healing process.

On October 15, 2025, journalist and author Roopinder Singh gave a convocation speech to the Guru Nanak College of Nursin...
12/03/2025

On October 15, 2025, journalist and author Roopinder Singh gave a convocation speech to the Guru Nanak College of Nursing class of 2025. The college is one of the hallmark projects we have worked on, in partnership with Guru Nanak Mission Medical & Educational Trust.

Roopinder Singh, along with Principal Ramandeep Kaur gave BScN students their graduation certificates.

Below are parts of his inspiring speech, recognizing the advancement of women in education, and the impact of the nursing profession.

"Nursing is not merely a profession; it is a calling....

When you are a nurse you care without discrimination - for the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the believer and the doubter alike. The healing you offer goes beyond medicine; it is an act of humanity, of compassion....

Let us also remember...the pioneers who believed that girls, too, had the right to learn, to heal and to lead...Guru Nanak Sahib proclaimed the equality and dignity of women...

And it was only in the late 19th century Punjab that this focus came about with the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalay in Ferozepur, established in 1892. It became a landmark institution, led by the founder Bhai Takht Singh and his wife Harnam Kaur...

Let's remember Dr. Dora Chatterjee, who graduated in 1901 from Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. She came back and established the Denny Hospital for Women and Children in Hoshiarpur. It is interesting that the first woman Vice-Chancellor of North-India was a Punjabi, Mrs. Inderjit Kaur, who became a VC in 1975. She was my mother, a visionary who showed that leadership and scholarship have no gender...

And of course, Baba Budh Singh and Kashmir Kaur Dhahan returned to Punjab from Canada to establish Guru Nanak Mission Medical & Educational Trust...and your esteemed College was founded in 1993...

Each of you, as a nurse, carries forward that same torch. When a young woman (and now some young men) studies, she uplifts her family; when she becomes a nurse, she uplifts society..."

We are sad to announce that Mohinder Singh Takhar, a long time trustee of Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Tru...
03/26/2025

We are sad to announce that Mohinder Singh Takhar, a long time trustee of Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust (GNMMET), passed away on March 19, 2025.

A humble and generous man, he was instrumental in raising funds with Budh Singh Dhahan in the B.C. interior to help the charitable work of GNMMET in Punjab, India. He and his wife, Darsha Kaur (who passed on Oct. 19, 2023), also personally donated to the cause.

GNMMET is our partner in Dhahan-Kaleran, Punjab, with whom we collaborate to uplift the poor through health and education.
Mohinder Singh was a proud Canadian with a strong community presence in Terrace, B.C., where he served as a city councilor for 10 years. He came to Canada in 1959 as did Budh Singh Dhahan, founder of GNMMET. He became a trustee of GNMMET in the early 1990s.

We encourage you to Google “Remembering Mohinder Singh Takhar, former Terrace city councilor” to view an article in the Terrace Standard to learn more about his impact in Canada. Since we are in Canada, we are not able to post direct links to news articles on Facebook.

The photo in this post shows the CIES founder, Barj S. Dhahan with Mohinder Singh and Darshan Kaur at their home in Surrey, B.C. in May, 2022.

We are sad to announce that Mohinder Singh Takhar, a long time trustee of Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Tru...
03/26/2025

We are sad to announce that Mohinder Singh Takhar, a long time trustee of Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust (GNMMET), passed away on March 19, 2025.

A humble and generous man, he was instrumental in raising funds with Budh Singh Dhahan in the B.C. interior to help the charitable work of GNMMET in Punjab, India. He and his wife, Darsha Kaur (who passed on Oct. 19, 2023), also personally donated to the cause.

GNMMET is our partner in Dhahan-Kaleran, Punjab, with whom we collaborate to uplift the poor through health and education.
Mohinder Singh was a proud Canadian with a strong community presence in Terrace, B.C., where he served as a city councilor for 10 years. He came to Canada in 1959 as did Budh Singh Dhahan, founder of GNMMET. He became a trustee of GNMMET in the early 1990s.

We encourage you to Google “Remembering Mohinder Singh Takhar, former Terrace city councilor” to view an article in terracestandard.com to learn more about his impact in Canada. Since we are in Canada, we are not able to post direct links to news articles on Facebook.

The photo in this post shows the CIES founder, Barj S. Dhahan with Mohinder Singh and Darshan Kaur at their home in Surrey, B.C. in May, 2022.

On February 21, 2025, ten employees of Guru Nanak Mission Medical & Educational Trust (GNMMET) were recognized with Serv...
03/04/2025

On February 21, 2025, ten employees of Guru Nanak Mission Medical & Educational Trust (GNMMET) were recognized with Service Excellence Awards for the fourth year in a row.

GNMMET is our partner in India, where we help lift people out of poverty through not-for-profit healthcare and education services.

GNMMET employs roughly 400 people, across its hospital, public school, nursing college, paramedical college and support staff.

These were this year’s most outstanding employees, who contributed to our mission.

The awards were handed out on stage by GNMMET’s president, Kulvinder Singh Dhahan, and its Senior Vice President, Joginder Singh Sadhra.

You can donate to help support our work in rural Punjab at the following link:

https://www.cies.ca/donate-via-canadahelps/

Thanks to Canadian donors, 15 nursing students at Guru Nanak College of Nursing in rural Punjab were announced as bursar...
03/01/2025

Thanks to Canadian donors, 15 nursing students at Guru Nanak College of Nursing in rural Punjab were announced as bursary recipients on February 21, 2025.

The bursaries, amounting to roughly $500 CAD each, will help the recipients pay tuition for their post-secondary studies.

The impact of these bursaries goes a long way in lifting families out of poverty. Sometimes, the families of nursing students need to scrape by to pay for their education. Some don't know where their next years’ fees will come from.

Scholarships, bursaries and student loans are rare in India. As are student jobs.

While we can’t unravel the details of everyone’s story (to protect their privacy), you can read some of them on our blog:

https://www.cies.ca/blog/

Twelve of this years’ recipients are pictured below. They received certificates from our founder, Barj S. Dhahan and their Principal Dr. Surinder Jaspal.

We hope you’ll join in helping us send young girls and boys to nursing school through our bursary and scholarship program at Canada India Education Society. Funds go directly to the students.

You can donate at the link below:

https://www.cies.ca/donate-via-canadahelps/

Donations receive a tax receipt eligible with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

(Select option “2 - send young girls to nursing school”)

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1058 – 2560 Shell Road
Richmond, BC
V6X0B8

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