Indian blood donation project grows in South Africa

09-21-2004, 04:36 AM

Article published in newkerala.com, India
Date: September 21, 2004URL: http://athens-olympics-2004.newkeral...lnews&id=32299

Indian blood donation project grows in South Africa[World News] Johannesburg,
Sep 21 : The World Blood Donation Day, initiated by Indian spiritual leader
Satya Sai Baba, has grown by more than 20 percent annually since it was started
in South Africa a decade ago."After being inaugurated by Sri Satya Sai Baba in
India, the concept spread all over the world," Sini Subrayen, public relations
officer of South African Blood Transfusion Service (SABT), told IANS."In South
Africa, it started out in the (mainly Indian) suburb of Lenasia, but after
teaming up with the SABT, we have seen the project grow in all major cities in
South Africa."Besides the regular blood donors who support us on this all-day
event held on the third Sunday of September each year, we encourage each of
them to bring a friend along, resulting in increased
donations."Although the support over the years has been largely from South
African Indians, in recent years blood donation camps have also been set up in
areas formerly occupied by whites in the apartheid era, as many Indians have
moved to these areas.This year there were 10 camps set up across greater
Johannesburg, with three of them in mainly Indian areas. The three areas,
Lenasia, Lenasia South and Mayfair, each delivered more than double the units
of the other areas, showing again, as in the past, that the great number of Sai
devotees from there played a major role.The three top camps helped beat the
target for the day of 600 units by over 25 percent after a total of 755 units
were collected.--Indo-Asian News Service

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