Social Action Report

COE Chapter Leader for United Arab Emirates and India (Northern) supports Diabetic Children and patients in Africa and Middle East

As a person who walks an extra mile, Simran successfully collected over 1500 pairs of shoes in less than a month for the impoverished patients suffering from Diabetes in Africa and Middle East, in 2011 through her campaign “Connect for Diabetes-Share Your Shoes”.  She coordinated to pack, send and distribute these through US- aided AMPATH Centre in Eldoret Kenya, Africa in November with the help of Abbott Diabetes Care.  She made a personal visit to Kenya to meet the officials in December during her school vacation too.  The collection kept adding so, she dispatched another similar lot of 1500 pairs of shoes to Uganda.

Simran was awarded with The Principal’s Citizenship Award and Abbott International's Ambassador's Award in 2011.  The drive continued and on the 40th National Day of United Arab Emirates – “Together for Diabetes Walkathon- Raise your hands for Africa” was organized with aim to wear a wrist band and walk 3 kilometers to create awareness for the cause – Diabetes.  Abbott International committed to print Diabetes Monitoring Diaries for the suffering and needy patients in Africa; equivalent to the number of people who participate in the walk.  Simran was chosen as the Student Ambassador for the event and beyond.  She promoted and worked passionately for the cause.

Simran says ‘This was one of the instances when I realized that ‘we’ the people can make a difference to simplify the lives of others.  I’d say never doubt that an individual thinking that he/she cannot change the world, because in my opinion the only thing that has changed the world is Inspiring and determined Individuals.

I chose Diabetes because Diabetes is a Global Problem with devastating human, social and economic impact. Today more than 300 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. Each year another 7 million people develop diabetes. One out of every four citizens of the United Arab Emirates has Diabetes. With the second-highest diabetes rate in the world, treatment gobbles up an estimated 40 percent of the national health care budget.

I chose to stand by the side of those we are suffering with Diabetes and over all the moral and support according to my limited means which were represented by sharing some of my own shoes, collecting from the community and buying some pairs of new shoes.