Prestigious award new milestone for Sai Prema Fiji achievements

One of Fiji’s leading NGOs, Sai Prema Foundation Fiji, has deservedly been awarded the prestigious “Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2021” by the President of India. According to literature associated with it, the PBSA is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians. It is conferred by the President of India as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or an organization/institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin in recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad.

This is a great honour for the Sai Prema Foundation in Fiji. It reflects the variety of charity work that it is engaged in.

Its flagship is the Medical Centre and the Children’s Hospital at Nasese in Suva.

The Medical Centre has seen many children, men and women from low socio-economic background free of charge.

Sai Prema has also facilitated operations on children suffering from congenital heart disease here by overseas teams while the children’s hospital has been under construction.

It is also involved in other impressive charitable programmes that look after the welfare of the underprivileged including free food on wheels.

Chairman Mahendra Tappoo and his dedicated team share the same philosophy that the basic needs of all humans are the same -food, water, clothing and shelter. There is enough in this world for everyone’s need not greed.

While there is a big disparity in the world between the rich and poor, we can make a difference by giving a little more than what we need. They believe if we do this there will be no poor among us.

Their enormous contribution caught the attention of a Jury-cum-Awards Committee, with the Indian Vice-President as the Chairman and External Affairs Minister plus other distinguished members from various walks of life who considered the nominations from a highly competitive field and diversity. The awards recognise the excellent achievements by Indian diaspora in various fields.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a powerful address praising them.

We should be grateful in Fiji to Sai Pema and its members for their compassion. Fiji will be the first country in the Pacific and Oceania region to have a specialist Children’s Heart Hospital.

Congenital heart disease is a major problem affecting the children of Fiji and the Pacific. It is estimated that about 200 children are born in Fiji and 2500 in the Pacific with the disease. Most children are unable to survive without the operation. The $25 million hospital, when it is fully operational will save many young lives.

We congratulate the Sai Prema Foundation Fiji for the award and wish the organization all the best this year. It has achieved another milestone.