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"I would never want you see the things that I’ve seen; the desperation of homeless people and drug addicts just trying to survive,” says Law Enforcement Detective and CEO of Non-Profit organization, Kal Dosanjh. In this passionate talk, he describes his chaotic experiences as a first responder and explores how going above and beyond to divert youth away from a lifestyle of drugs, gangs and crime became his “call of duty”. In the midst of the decay and destruction in the Downtown Eastside, emerged stories of triumph, redemption and perseverance. This gave birth to KidsPlay Youth Foundation, an organization helping build a brighter future for underprivileged youth through education, sports and mentorship. More importantly, he points to the significant role that volunteers play in shaping youth to become productive citizens of society. Kal Dosanjh is a veteran police officer with over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He served approximately 15 years as a patrol officer prior to becoming a detective in the Investigative Division.
The steady stream of youth entering the open-air drug market became the basis for implementing youth programs. The programs focused on providing youth with constructive outlets through the portal of sports. This served as the genesis of KidsPlay Foundation, a registered charity founded by Kal Dosanjh. KidsPlay Foundation provides youth with free high quality educational initiatives, sports programming, and after school mentorship programs.
Under his leadership as Chief Executive Officer, the organization now boasts over 500 volunteers, and over 70,000 youth have taken part in KidsPlay programs since its inception in 2015. The organization has grown to include chapters in major cities across Canada and internationally in Colombia and India. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx