The Mother’s Day Classic Walk is a national community event aimed at raising awareness of, and supporting research to address, breast and ovarian cancer. For some years now, the Ladies Program of the SSSIO in Australia has been supporting this worthy event. Once again, this year the groups throughout Australia had members participate in the various walks organised by the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation.
In the warm embrace of the Australian summer sun, with the spiritual Mount Warning standing tall looking over the Sathya Sai College in Dungay, NSW, a group of children from across the country embarked on an experiential journey at the Sai Spiritual Retreat. This retreat was not just a getaway; it was a sacred space where young hearts found solace, joy, and spiritual nourishment from the 25th – 27th January.
The Birthing Kit Assembly Day activity was organised by the Service Wing of the ACT Region. The service was done to support ‘The Birthing Kit Foundation of Australia’, an organisation dedicated to providing a clean and safe birthing environment for women around the world who for reasons of isolation, cultural choice, or poor transport have little or no assistance during childbirth. By providing a clean birthing kit, these mothers will have the resources to reduce infection and its possible dire consequences.
The SSSIO of Australia & PNG has been actively supporting the national community Clean Up Australia drive for many years. The event this year was held on Sunday, 3 March and members from groups around Australia were out doing their bit to improve our environment.
During the months of June and July, Young Adults from NSW Region of the SSSIO Australia held a blood donation drive through the Australian Red Cross as a meaningful service offering to commemorate Guru Poornima. The event is a celebration and grateful acknowledgement of the role the spiritual teacher and guide has in one’s life. The service is part of an established and ongoing national blood donation project styled ‘Liquid Love’.
On 25 June 2023, members of the Sri Sathya Sai Centre of Melbourne prepared and donated about 250 birthing kits to the Birthing Foundation. The kits are destined for distribution to remote regions of the developing world.
Access to health care is not a simple matter for many in remote areas in the islands of Fiji. Commenced in 2007, the SSSIOA’s Sai Medical Unit has carried out 13 medical camps in rural areas of Fiji treating thousands of patients, all free of charge. Its activities have continued during the current COVID pandemic by provision of online training.
February 2022 saw Australia’s worst flooding in recorded history affecting Lismore NSW and surrounding areas. Thousands were made homeless and many businesses severely affected. The SSSIOA early after the event assisted and continues to assist those in need with essential supplies.
The rising extent of food crises in Australia, whether from cost of living and housing pressures, or the frequency of natural disasters, has prompted the SSSIOA to explore ways of maximising its ability to aid those in need. One such way has been to partner with Foodbank, Australia’s largest food relief organisation.
COVID has placed enormous pressures on many of our healthcare workers. Those in the frontline have worked in stressful, trying conditions and experienced confronting situations on a regular basis. As a mark of gratitude to these selfless workers and recognising a need to support them, the SSSIOA developed a digital, self-help program.
