Finding purpose in being an esteemed industry entrepreneur and a humanitarian, it’s the feeling of contributing to creating a positive impact and unconditional giving that fills his soul.
How is it that even when it appears you have it all – a successful career, beyond a supportive spouse, two beautiful children and vast opportunity – there still lies a void. Rajnesh, better known as Dave, felt this void for the first time at the tender age of 44, he was longing for more in life to feel whole but did not know what form it would take.
In search of a greater expression of himself and his purpose, he began on a journey that sparked his spirituality and further led him to form the Mannkind Charitable Society in 2009. It is a non-profit organisation that helps take the word ‘orphan’ away from children and build them a successful life. Another cause close to Rajnesh’s heart is the well-being of nature which he addresses in both Canada and India. Mannkind has also joined hands with other non-profit organisations and provided free medical support in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Cambodia. In Cambodia, it has built a 50-house facility for orphan girls and older women, called Girls to Grannies, for which they have joined hands with other organisations, Cambodia Children’s Fund and World Housing Organisation.
Cankids, a special programme sponsored by Mannkind, provides treatments for underprivileged children with cancer. It has also ventured in Nepal where it runs three orphanages and a school for underprivileged children, like from the families of carpet workers and rickshaw pullers. The programme is also present in New Delhi with paediatrics palliative care centre, a 14-bed facility where children are given counseling as well. It also runs a facility in Kerala where up to 20 families can stay if their child is being treated for cancer.
Dave also has helped hospitals expand facilities both in India and Canada. “We do what we can to support causes that are dear to us, both locally and around the world,” he shares. He strongly believes that life conditions us for the future. This belief has its deep roots in the life he has lived.
Where it all began!
Son of Surjeet Kaur, his “beautiful mother”, and Bhag Singh, a block development officer, Dave reminisces his childhood with nostalgia, “we weren’t too affluent, but I don’t remember any time when our wants weren’t fulfilled. Maa had brought us up to understand what’s important and what not. And my father always brought us what we wanted. Life was blissful”.
He chuckles as he speaks about his father, “We used to play at home but as soon as we heard our father coming home, we ran, fetched our books and started studying. He wanted us to excel even as we lived to the fullest”. Dave’s interest lied more in sports than in studies. He still gets goosebumps as he recalls his days of gully cricket. And his passion for cricket still resides in him, “I still play with the young players,” he says with a smirk.
Dave did not know that a good middle-class upbringing would soon become pushing a broom to survive. He was 14 when he went to Canada with his mischievous brother, a hope for a better way of life and $2 in his pocket. “When I first came to Canada, my sister, Prakash, suggested I join a cricket academy. The academy fee was $35 and I obviously had to forget it. I went back to the sport in the mid-1980s when I was 37.”
Coming to Canada with small pockets and large dreams, Dave was faced with a reality that his parents had protected him from until now. A 14-hour flight would change the path he walks on this earth forever. Having no other choice following a bus-strike during his grade 12, he dropped out and started working – as a janitor, a gas station attendant, bus boy, bartender, dishwasher and a waiter. “I’d take the bus to school and brush my teeth in the school washroom. So much was the monetary crunch that I didn’t bother for college and took up jobs. When Rani, my wife, came to Canada, she too realised and started working to support me. Though we later decided for her to be at home and take care of the family.” The decision was a tough one though. He still hesitates as he begins to share, “Rani had dropped Rick to the babysitter, and I went to pick him up. I was hurt to see the place where my son was. From that moment on, we decided for one of us to be home with them”.
The calling of heart
His family was his fuel to work hard and ensure the quality of life he has always envisioned for his wife and kids. While navigating his new life, he had gone back to night school to get through grade 12, worked a few jobs before ultimately landing on real-estate sales. Dave got licensed in the late-80s and gave himself six months of trial in real estate. It would further decide his field of career in future. Four months had passed with no sales and piling up bills. In his fifth month, he sold his first home but acquired much more than just the commission: restored his hope, some business lessons and connections that would soon become family. He joined hands with his friend, Kau Chan Yong, and they established Isle of Mann Development Corporation in 1994. Channelling his experience as a broker coupled with trusting his instincts, he was equipped with market knowledge giving him an edge on the desired product and built home concepts accordingly. The organisation embodied their principles as they built associations and achieved consistent success. “New opportunities allowed us to make our mark as a multiple Georgie Award winning builder, and we haven’t looked back since,” shares a proud Dave.
Equally proud he looks as he credits Rani for his success. “She has wonderfully held my back, faced a lot and never complained. Like an ideal wife and mother, she held her Indian values close and inculcated them in our sons, Rick and Ravi. All grown up now, the two have taken charge of the business.” Rick, an engineer from University of British Columbia, is married to Azra. They have three children, Zayn, Hana and Sana. Ravi, a business graduate from UBC Sauder School of Business is married to Helen and they have two children, Jacob and Jude.
When Dave achieved what he wanted is when his learning truly began. Lost in life’s intricacies, he realised he was searching in the wrong places when seeking internal peace. He turned to spirituality and meditation, which deepened his connections and created a space to impart his wisdom. He values altruism which was seeded in him from childhood when he would witness his parents preparing food daily for swamis, faqirs, sadhus, street animals and every other being in need to be served at the gurudwara. It had become his habit that slowly became his character which was manifested through The Mannkind Charitable Society. The word ‘orphan’ attached to underprivileged kids hurts him terribly, so he continues his mission of trading in the stigma for a stable home.
The Society has brought peace and relief to many lives. He shares a heart-touching story. “A 19-year-old mother of two was granted free treatment for her cleft lip. She had endured the hardships of life at a young age, left on the streets by her parents. She begged for many years. An 11-year-older man found and married her. The Foundation heard about her and enabled her to undergo reconstructive surgery. The change made her confident. A small incident for us was a life reconstruction for her. And it gives some sense to my life.” It not only grants free surgeries but also adopts orphans, supports orphanages internationally and provides resources including shelter, food, education, medical treatments and, most importantly, love and care. The charity allows underprivileged children facing adversity to be seen and embraced.
Dave often visits spiritual places like Swami Ramakrishna Ashram, Swami Vivekanand Ashram, Osho Ashram and Radhaswami Ashram in India, Vipasana ashrams in California, Sivananda ashrams in Oregon, etc. At the same time, he is “trying and living a balanced life”. After all these years in Canada, he continues to enjoy watching Bollywood movies, dramas and TV series. “Yes, we as a family are completely Indians still. We watch Indian movies. We often have a sitar night at home,” he says.
Of course, there are setbacks but a truly successful person finds opportunities to grow and bring creativity in them. Challenges are great teachers. He likes to quote Bhagavad Geeta, the holy Indian scripture, “Do your best and leave the rest to the almighty”. Have trust in God; the one who gave you life will provide that which is needed for your growth.