By Alif Munim
On December 7th, 2019, Imdadul Islamic Center hosted a fundraising dinner to help fund ongoing renovations for the mosque’s newly purchased annex. Staff and volunteers worked tirelessly for over a week to organize the event. In only one hour, the hall was filled to capacity.
Guests were welcomed by both the president and secretary, Haji Haroon Sheriff and Osman Khan, who highlighted the groundbreaking progress on the annex made possible by Imdadul’s generous supporters. With a construction permit approved in October, renovations were well underway for over a month. Workers prepared the building for early tours so that donors could see the fruits of their kind donations.
Following the opening remarks, the president of the recently formed Imdadul Youth Council, Sayem Khan, was welcomed onto the stage. He delivered a moving speech on the importance of community engagement and youth involvement. He invited two council members, Mosab Anwary and Alif Munim, to speak about their experiences in taking leadership roles in youth-organized events at Imdadul as well as their plans to continue strengthening community ties moving forward.
Among the dignitaries attending were MPP Tom Rakocevic who represents the Humber River-Black Creek riding for the Ontario New Democratic Party and Esther Carenza, people’s advocate and a strong community leader. Her presence was specially appreciated by all the children present who each received a teddy bear from her.
The guests were then addressed by Imdadul’s partners in accounting and architecture who gave a meaningful account of the community’s generous donations. The renovations on the annex thus far would not have been possible without the work of these talented individuals.
After further donations from the community and closing remarks from the secretary, the guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. With smiles on the faces on all attendees it was clear that the evening's program was a great success.

Toronto – Dancing Damsels Inc. is inviting nominations for the “Toronto International Women’s Day (IWD) Women Achiever Awards 2020” to recognize women and young leaders who are leading the way in their chosen fields and making outstanding contributions to their community.
Nominations are open in categories like Arts, Business, Education, Science & Technology, Music, Health, Public Service, Media, Volunteerism, Sports and more. In addition, there will be a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize contributions over the whole of a career and a “Rising Star Award” to recognize an emerging leader or talent.
Nominees should be Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada with a minimum of five years of service in the concerned field. Nomination forms for the “Toronto IWD Women Achiever 2020” are available online at their website: www.ddshows.com. Nominations are accepted until 31st January, 2020.
Dancing Damsels has been hosting this IWD Women Achiever Awards for the past six years to honor the work of women in their chosen fields. Past awardees include Dr. Roberta Bondar (first neurologist in space), Hon. Hazel McCallion (past Mayor of Mississauga), Kathleen Wynne (Past Premier of Ontario), Hon. Dr. Asha Seth (past Senator), Dr. Menaka Thakkar (performing artiste), Ann Buller (past President of Centennial College), and Kehkashan Basu (Environmental activist, speaker and youth leader) among others.
Commenting on the IWD 2020 Awards, Managing Director of Dancing Damsels Mary Ashok said, “By honoring women each year, we are showcasing women achievers who inspire us to keep moving forward and have our voices heard everywhere.”
Awards will be presented on Saturday March 7, 2020 at the International Women’s Day celebrations which will be held at Toronto City Hall Council Chambers, 100 Queen St W, Toronto, from 10am to 6pm. The event will feature workshop and thought-provoking discussions based on this year’s campaign theme #Each for Equal – An equal world is an enabled world – to collectively eliminate bias and accelerate gender parity.
Dancing Damsels is a Toronto based federally incorporated not for profit organization that promotes multiculturalism, women empowerment, Seniors Care and community development through the performing arts. They also organize the Toronto International Dance Festival (TIDF) annually providing a professional platform for community based and professional dancers to promote multicultural arts. Their office is located at 244–5183 Sheppard Ave East, Scarborough M1B 5Z5.

By Vidur Dindayal
I returned home in London after a successful trip to India. I feel lucky that at my late years, my travel was free of health issues and enjoyable, thanks to my friends and family. It was a break, an emotional balm, following the recent loss of my life partner Sabita.
I look to the journey as a pilgrimage. I revisited the place where my parents passed the evening of their life. That was the Sai Baba Ashram at Puttaparthi. I visited the Brahma Kumari Centre at Delhi and their Om Shanti Retreat Centre at Gurgaon. And, I met few dear old college friends and visited Hindu College, Delhi, where I was a student 61-plus years ago.

My parents passed the rest of their days at Sai Baba Ashram. It is called Prashanti Nilayam. Puttaparthi is the name of the village. They went there in 1982 and settled down to a simple life. They had sold their business in Guyana and went on a ‘teerath’ to India, where they saw Prashanti and decided to settle there. Their day consisted of visits to the temple for prayers, bhajans, meeting friends and receiving visitors. They were blessed with interviews with Sai Baba several times.
I visited my parents at the Ashram regularly until they passed away. When Dad died in 1989, and Maa in 1992, they were cremated there and their ashes were scattered in the Holy Chitrawati River nearby.
Prashanti at the time of my parents was like a village. We knew people there. Sadly those we knew have passed away. Now there are lots more people and the village has grown into a thriving bustling town with highrise buildings, hotels, hundreds of shops, etc.

The Ashram compound has become much larger with many new buildings, providing accommodation for staff, devotees and visitors. There are canteens, a modern shopping centre, bookstore, bakery, coffee shop, library, lecture hall etc. The compound has been beautifully landscaped with trees, hedges, lawns, flower beds, etc., in areas which 30 years ago were mostly bare and sandy with very few plants and trees.
I attended two important events, the University Convocation and Baba’s Birthday celebration. Devotees and visitors in their thousands from India and abroad descended upon Prashanti. The Sai Kulwant Hall was packed to capacity for these events. Loudspeakers at strategic locations all over the compound and outside relayed the proceedings taking place. In the hall I could see clearly the events on a large TV screen. I enjoyed the bhajan singing by accomplished singers who were students of the University.

For the Convocation, the dignitaries of the University were all regaled in their gowns and the hats (mortarboards). The top graduates were awarded gold medals. For the birthday celebration, the chief guest was a Government Minister. The Trust Chairman’s address included a report of the many voluntary service projects undertaken by the trust and subsidiaries throughout India and abroad. This is in keeping with Sai Baba’s primary teaching to serve.
The impressive range of voluntary services include: help and services to hospitals, shelters for homeless and leprosy homes, home for the destitute and old aged; nursing homes, schools for the physically and visually challenged, mobile clinics, medical and dental camps. The service projects are carried out in over 32 countries including Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Barbados, Jamaica, UK, USA and Canada.

Another important connection which I value greatly is the Brahma Kumaris. My father met them on a visit to London in the '70s and had invited them to Guyana, where they established a centre. I had contacted a Sister in London to let her know of my trip. She in turn made this known to a Sister in Delhi. I visited the Brahma Kumaris in Delhi where I was very warmly welcomed. The Sister arranged for me to be taken to see the OM Shanti Retreat Centre (ORC) at Gurgaon, a modern and highly developed township, an hour’s drive from Delhi.
ORC is a place to go. It is a large 28-acre complex equipped with ultra-modern facilities for learning. The centre includes well equipped seminar /training halls, boardrooms, a 400-seat mini auditorium, meditation halls, a library, a state-of-the-art auditorium with seating for 2300 and facilities for translation in 12 languages. There is board and lodging accommodation for 1000 guests/trainees.

In addition there is a health centre, with resident medical officer, special dental clinics, and a solar power plant, the largest of its kind in India. The Spiritual Art Gallery themed ‘From Darkness to Light’ has paintings depicting ancient Indian culture and explaining the various spiritual principles governing our life.
Courses offered at ORC include: Rajyoga meditation, stress free living, self-development leadership, life management skills, conflict resolution, Indian ethos in management, harmony in relationships, overcoming anger and ego, enhancing mind power and concentration, re-connecting with God. An impressive list of well-known Indian businesses send their staff to take part in the courses.
The third part of my trip was to meet old friends and visit my old college in Delhi. I met a friend who was my very first when I went to India in 1956 to attend college. The other was my neighbour in the hostel. I have been in touch with these two ever since I left college in 1958. My third visit was to a college classmate. We lived in the hostel and we acted in plays at the college. Soon after he left he starred in a couple of Hindi films. After that I heard nothing more about him until, in a chance look at the internet, I found out that he was a successful businessman, attached to a well-known Indian company. After 61 years we spoke on the phone. I met him and recalled old times.
He kindly arranged with a friend to take me to my old college where I was warmly treated by the principal. A fourth meeting was with one whom I take the liberty of regarding as a friend though I was only introduced to him years ago when at college. In recent years we have communicated briefly by email. He was then a new member of the Indian cricket team. He is a keen golfer now in retirement.
I feel deeply blessed that I made this trip. It was a pilgrimage. My parents lived here and my visits to them years ago made me feel I was returning home.
I felt a strong sense of re-connecting with a world that was like home. It was the land of my ancestors, the home of the ancient culture that we in Guyana have been nurtured in and taught to value. At every step in meeting people, the little gestures, the respect shown, the manner of speaking, everything about these people who live thousands of miles away from where I live, all were familiar to me. They were my people. Although I had grown up in Guyana and now live in UK, I felt I had come home.
At Prashanti and at the Brahma Kumaris, I was particularly inspired by the human values which they inculcated in their education programmes. Education should be not merely about knowledge of facts to pass exams and to get jobs, but it should be to equip one to be better human beings, to serve fellow human beings and society; to value the spiritual dimension of our life. Not least to value the richness of the culture of our ancestors which makes us better people. I feel my life has been enriched. I feel contented and blessed.

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