2019 Charity event of Vision 2020 – Dedicated to REHOBOTH from Neglect to Life

By Shashi Narasimhiah

As is well knownto all of us, Vision 2020is a Sydney based registered charity organisation which takes on different charity projects every year. Theystarted their activities back in 2003. Vision 2020 stands committed to ensuring that all their charities and activities are free from any form of discrimination. The organisation is not affiliated to any political or religious ideologies and does not entertain any preferences based on political or religious grounds. Vision 2020 is committed to applying all donations and net collections to only the approved charity projects from across the world.

During the course of its existence, Vision2020 has supported and raised funds for over 23 different infrastructure development projects predominantly in India but also in other countries such asSudan and Nepal providing buses, ambulances, generators, wheel chairs, toilets and the like. Their first project in 2006 resulted in a donation of $1000 to Spastics Society of Karnataka and another donation of same amount in the same year toHope for Himalayan Kids in Nepal. The organisation achieved a donation of $7200 to Somalian Humanitarian Disaster Relief in 2011. The latest of their projects wasin the Year 2018, which resulted in a donation of $25,950 towards Virat hospice dedicated to palliative care to serve the terminally ill cancer patientsbased in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Their biggest contribution so far has been a donation of $32,340 towards Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra for the Construction of an eye-care vision centre in rural Bihar, India during the year 2014. More details of the history, operations and their projects can be accessed on their website https://www.vision2020.org.au/ as well as from their Facebook page https://www.factebook.com

In keeping with the organisational mission of charity, this year Vision 2020 is supporting a unique organisation REHOBOTH (Shelter) which has been providing shelter, rehabilitation and educational facilities to destitute women with mental health issues. As is evident, this is one of the most vulnerable sections of our community that need urgent help, support and succour. In addition to the great attention the Shelter pays to academics, the school also endeavours to inculcate in its students the understanding of how to deal with various real-life situations too. The school is well recognised in the educational sector across the city of Chennai.

In order to raise funding for this cause, coinciding with the festive Diwali season,Vision 2020 has organised a grand ballet based on the great Indian poet Kalidasa’s immortal drama AbhijnanaShakunthalam which is a thrilling love story from the epic Mahabharata involving the exquisitely beautiful Shakuntala and the mighty king Dushyanta.  While on a hunting trip, King Dushyanta of the Puru dynasty meets the hermit-girl Shakuntala. What happens after that – is best left to the artists on stage whose performance will enthral the audience in the form of a ballet, exclusively choreographed by Sydney’s renowned artist Ms HamsaVenkat and presented by Samskriti School of Dance. This will be a rich cultural experience for all of us and is aimed at kindling interest in the great Indian epic of Mahabharata among the generation raised locally not to mention the potential for the rest of us to either re-live the epic or fine tune our familiarity with it.

The event is scheduled for Saturday 12 October 2019 at 6.30 PM at the Performing Arts Centre, Pacific Hills Christian School (which is a State of Art Theatre) 9-15 Quarry Road Dural, NSW.Fresh food for purchase and free parking will be available at the venue to make it a totally enjoyable evening.

Platinum ($100 VIP), Gold ($50 with dinner included) or Silver ($35) tickets can be purchased from any of the following volunteer members:

Anurag Saxena: 0419 250 031, HamsaVenkat: 0404 365 608, Dr.Nagarajan: 0410 022 994.

Beemajan Youssef: 0424 943 590, Raj Natarajan: 0418 649 904, Ishan Bhalla: 0413 835 371

AnuShivaram: 0423 760 168, AnithaGopinathan: 0422 453 528, Anita: 0422 453 528, Beema: 0424 943 590, Latha: 0410 653 531

Tickets can also be purchased from their website:vision2020.au@gmail.com

Let us all give the organisation a hand in helping the needy by attending the event and also donating generously. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of the needy. The program while promising the prospect of a very enjoyable evening for the entire family, will also provide you a great deal of satisfaction by way of your contribution for the much needed help to those in desperate need.