The Sri Sathya Sai Centre of Melbourne, the first established in Victoria, last year celebrated its 40th anniversary. In keeping with the teachings of the founder of the SSSIO, one of its important activities has been service to the community, particularly those in need. For over 25 years one of those important service projects has been feeding the needy at the Queen Victoria Market.
In May 2024, the SSSIO facilitated two face-to-face workshops on Reflective Clinical Practice for Healthcare Workers with an underlying theme of, ‘Reconnecting with the Heart of Healthcare’. They consisted of presentations by two eminently qualified and experienced professionals, Dr. Rajat Gyaneshwar and Dr. Swaran Naidu.
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.
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.
A unique service program that has been running for a year. It combines physical activity dedicated to God with a virtual journey around Australia where selected service activities are identified and performed in real time in areas along the way.
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.
Members of the Australian Sai Medical Unit joined their counter parts from New Zealand and Fiji in conducting a Medical Camp in Western Division areas of Fiji in July 2023. This is a service activity that has been conducted in Fiji by medical units of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation for several years.
Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for families struggling with cost-of-living pressures. To provide some help at this time, NSW Region of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG annually distributes Christmas Hampers to Tregear Public School and Plumpton House School for distribution to local families.
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.
