Service activities of the SAI group in Oman - Newspaper article

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Artricle published in Times of OmanNovember 3, 2005URL:

http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=21455&pn=local

‘An Evening of Awareness’ reaches out to the differently abled

MUSCAT — Muscateers have witnessed a unique programme — ‘An Evening of

Awareness’ (Community Service) — at the Jabreen Ballroom, InterContinental

Muscat organised by the Serve And Inspire (SAI) Group in cooperation with the

Oman Association for the Disabled (OAD). Dr Shukoor Al Ghammary, member of the

State Council, presided over the function, and recalled her pioneering efforts

during the formative years of OAD. Ashok Kumar Attri, Indian ambassador to the

Sultanate, was the guest of honour. Ahmed bin Rashid Al Ma’amari,

undersecretary, Ministry of Social Development; Richard Baltimore, ambassador

of the US to the Sultanate; Javed Hafiz, Pakistan ambassador to the Sultanate;

Keiji Omori, ambassador of Japan to the Sultanate; graced the occasion. Kanaksi

Gokuldas Khimji, Kiran Asher, Prem Maker, and many dignitaries from the

community, officials from various ministries and consular officials of Jordan,

France,

Germany and Sri Lanka were also part of the occasion. The programme, held on

Monday, commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Imam Abdullah Al

Sheidi and Imam Taha Mohammedy of the Zawawi Asma mosque. Dr Narayan explained

the aims and objectives of the SAI Group and gave a detailed account of the

service initiatives undertaken by the group in Oman. ‘Love all, serve all’;

‘Help ever, hurt never’; ‘Service to man is service to God’ — all based on the

five human values of truth, love, peace, right conduct and non-violence. He

also stressed on the medicare, socio-care and educare projects of the group

done worldwide. Speaking on ‘An Awareness of Community Service’, Dr Shukoor

said that “peace that wells up within brings peace to the world. Service is

love in action”. She explained that service rendered with a spirit of love and

sacrifice without expecting any reward broadens our vision, endows us with joy

and drives out the evil

qualities of jealousy and desire thereby bringing about our own individual

transformation. She concluded with a meaningful couplet: “He is not rich who

has much, he is rich who gives much”. On the occasion, eighteen wheelchairs

were handed over to the OAD by Dr Shukoor and one to the Centre for Special

Education, Indian School Muscat by Attri, on behalf of the SAI Group. Dr

Mukhtar Al Rawahi, OAD chairman who spoke on ‘An awareness of OAD’, emphasised

on the need to work and live together in harmony by reaching out to the

underprivileged and supporting them. This was followed by a presentation on the

activities and accomplishments of the Oman Association for the Disabled, which

raised the awareness of the audience to see the disabled as differently abled.

A moving film based on the song: Heal the world, spare the space, make a better

place for you and me summed up the presentation aptly. Aisha Ahmed Al Blushi,

director, department of

private schools, Ministry of Education, who spoke on ‘An Awareness of Human

Values’ recalled a popular quote: “Think big, start small and move fast. Think

of helping Mother Earth as one large community, start with your own small

community and move fast by spreading your efforts to reach all”. A video

presentation, His Work was screened which portrayed the worldwide humanitarian

projects of Sathya Sai Baba, the founder and the inspirational source of the

SAI Group. The projects include drinking water, super specialty hospitals

providing tertiary care treatment and educational institutions. The beauty of

all these projects is that love is the currency used and the beneficiaries do

not have to make any payment! Sheikh Saud Al Hashmi, an Islamic scholar, who

spoke on ‘An Awareness of Charity in the Holy month of Ramadhan’, explained

about the different kinds of charity that a person can perform such as giving

away money; physical acts of service and

sparing time for the lesser-privileged sections of the society. Engineer Salim

ben Nasser Al Ismaily, executive president, Ociped, held the audience in rapt

attention with his inspiring speech on ‘An awareness of global village’. He

stressed that in this age of globalisation with its apparent ease of

communication and travel one cannot remain unconcerned with events happening

elsewhere. In his speech laced with subtle humour he lauded the role of woman

as a mother and foremost teacher to her children. Students are not empty

bottles to be filled but candles waiting to be lit by teachers, he emphasised.

He expressed the sense of injustice felt by people living in poverty in a world

of plenty and therefore the necessity of giving hope to those suffering and the

need to be proactive in our approach and reach out to other communities as

well. Shankar Shetty, coordinator, SAI Group gave a vote of thanks as ‘An

Evening of Awareness’ came to

an end which left an indelible impression in the hearts of the packed audience

at the Jabreen Ballroom.

 

Copyright © Times of Oman

 

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