Fun, with a cause

Thirty-seven of the 85 delegates ranging in age from 16 to 35 present at the 27th All India Youth Seminar organized by the Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations (FOZYA) pledged to be stem cell donors to help people suffering from bone marrow cancer, noted president Mabrin Navavatti, while speaking to Parsiana on June 27, 2018. The participants, who had come from Bombay, Poona, Nagpur, Navsari and Vyara, made the pledge after a presentation from Poona resident Yezdi Batliwalla whose daughter is a victim of the disease.
With delegates paying a fee of Rs 2,000 per head, which included stay at the J. J. Holiday Villas in Khandala between June 8 and 10, meals and a day at businessman Jimmy Mistry’s Della Adventure Park in Lonavla, Nanavatti noted in a detailed write-up on the meet, that "registrations were closed very quickly as the venue could not accommodate more entries.”
Nanavatti kicked off the meet with a short brief on FOZYA’s activities, with Shazneen Limjerwala taking over the ice breaker sessions that "involved the kids in an evening of games.” A talk by Nanavatti, jointly with guest speaker Darayus Tirandaz, "on leadership and why it is important to take part in community activities” were part of the program while a midnight zumba session conducted by instructor Sanae Ukaji was part of the fun activities.

FOZYA executive committee member Pearl Tirandaz, who is also the public relations officer for the Jiyo Parsi program told the group about the benefits and achievements of the program and emphasized the benefits of early marriage. Executive committee member and homemaker Farah Khambatta spoke to the youth about how the group members need to have more frequent meetings in their cities. Khambatta told Parsiana on June 27 that "though we knew each other from earlier Federation meetings, things clicked between Arzaan (her future husband) and me at the Goa meeting of FOZYA in 2011.”
"More than six couples have entered into matrimony in the course of these meets,” stated Nanavatti, who has organized 10 youth seminars for the Federation starting with the 18th meeting in Poona in 2010. "These are great stress busters, and you also meet new people,” said 20-year-old Mehernaz Mavalwala who has attended four successive meets. For Jehangir Mehta (29) who works in his family owned measuring equipment business, it is all about networking. Having attended five previous meetings, it is like being part of a large family, he told Parsiana.
"We are planning a second meeting this year around Diwali,” Nanavatti noted. Delegates have suggested that they should meet more than just once a year. How does one get to know of the Federation’s activities? While their website is not constantly updated, Nanavatti states that they have a strong presence on social media "with 1,200 followers on their Facebook page.”
Sponsors and supporters for this meeting included the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) and the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Funds (WZOTF). "They sponsor as per will, and when we approach them…But yes in a way BPP has always helped; APP for last couple of meets; WZOTF has been giving since the last three meets.” Other supporters of the Khandala event were Kayani Bakery, Imperial Bakery, ABC Farms, and Penosh Translink.
The president mentioned that no individuals are members of FOZYA, but about "10 or 12 youth organizations including Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation (ZYNG), Parsi Youth League of Ahmedabad (PYLA) and the Zoroastrian Youth Association (ZYA) of Poona are members. Community youth associations are invited to be members of the Federation, he stated. Besides Poona resident Nanavatti, and Bombay based Pearl and Farah, the other executive committee members include Ariz Bokdawalla of Ahmedabad, Nikita Wadia of Hyderabad and Bombayite Vanaaz Rana.