Overview
In March 2024, a Zonal Food Service for the needy was organized, with the support of more than 200 SSSIO members. About 700 people were fed, and clothes, shoes, medicines, and food packages were distributed. A team of 38 SSSIO volunteers in southern Russia served food to those in dire need across seven cities. They distributed 103 hot meals, including hot tea, to the hungry outside a market and a cathedral. The recipients of service expressed heartfelt thanks to the volunteers and blessings for their good health. A woman, overwhelmed by kindness, even gave socks to the volunteers as a gift. A member of the Sai Group also generously cooked food and made tea for people at a homeless shelter. Volunteers joyously fed birds, stray cats, and dogs. The SSSIO also collaborated with Call of the Heart (a philanthropic organization) to distribute 95 kg of vegetables to the needy.
In August 2024, 142 SSSIO volunteers served hundreds of people in need. Their efforts included repairing orphanage roofs, building a bathroom for a summer camp, and improving apartments for elderly residents. The service team distributed over 170 food packages to low-income families and the elderly. The educational team organized SSEHV classes for children and creative workshops. The medical team provided nearly 3,500 consultations, gave free medications, and distributed glasses, wheelchairs, and walkers to those in need. The project brought joy and well-being to many.
Azerbaijan
In late March, 2024, the SSSIO of Azerbaijan hosted a dentist and his assistant from the Siberian region of Russia to provide dental services to 22 people in Baku. The dentist also educated the recipients on oral hygiene and dental care and gave them toothbrushes and toothpaste. The patients expressed gratitude, and the dental team appreciated the opportunity to help those in need.
In June 2024, the Active Summer 2024 spiritual and wellness camp concluded with a Day of Cleanliness, where 27 people cleaned houses, apartments, cottages, and garden plots. Seven SSSIO members participated in a zonal teleconference, presenting service activities from their centers. Videos showcased cleaning along the Caspian Seacoast, working in indoor greenhouses, and gardening. Additionally, a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Beshbarmag was highlighted in a video. Travelers prayed at the foot of the mountain, trekked up a narrow path, and reached the spring at the summit, which is considered auspicious.
Belarus
The 26th National Conference of the SSSIO of Belarus was held online in March 2024, with 35 delegates and participants from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Russia. Themed "Forgiveness," the conference emphasized unity, responsibility, and discipline in radiating Sai’s light through love and service. Sai Centers and groups reported on their activities and efforts. A seminar on organizational matters focused on planning, analysis, reporting, security, and public engagement. Participants expressed deep gratitude for the well-organized sessions, practical insights, and the sense of unity and upliftment they experienced.
In the middle of March 2024, 16 SSSIO members from four cities in Belarus lovingly prepared and served meals to the needy near three temples. Those served included 12 homeless individuals, a disabled woman, and several retirees. They also fed stray animals and distributed food packages and clothing to needy people.
In September 2024, the 8th Education Conference was held in Minsk, Belarus, with 20 delegates from five cities, one member of the public, and six online participants. Themed "True Education gives divine energy, harmony, coherence, and integrity," the event emphasized values-based education and the continuous process of immersion, awareness, and practice. Key highlights of the conference included a review of the year’s educational activities and a talk on spiritual growth, inner purity, and role modeling.
In the first half of October, 16 participants from three cities in Belarus, including four from the public, served the needy located near temples, on the streets, and at a recycling location. They distributed vegetable pilaf, potato pancakes, and borscht, along with tea, croutons, sugar, and jam. Additionally, nine food packages with essential items were provided to large families and elderly individuals. Volunteers also supported a hospice in Mogilev by providing diapers, baby food, hygiene products, and stationery. Additionally, they helped provide internet access for a large family by paying the service charges.
Kazakhstan
In March 2024, 20 participants from Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, and the Volga-Ural branches of the European Sathya Sai Education (ESSE) Institute attended an online seminar. During the seminar, five students presented their final dissertations on love, peace, right conduct, and truth as part of a leadership course.
At the end of June 2024, five cities in Kazakhstan participated in the Zonal Cleanliness Day, featuring an online teleconference with 19 participants. Activities included cleaning garden plots, picking up garbage from river banks, feeding the needy, and recording chants of gratitude to Mother Nature.
Kyrgyzstan
In early November 2024, the SSSIO of Kyrgyzstan held a zonal meeting at the Yoga House, attended by 3 Sai group members and nine guests. The seminar focused on happiness, the meaning of life, and Self-realization, based on Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings. Participants engaged in chanting sacred mantras and singing devotional songs in Russian and Sanskrit. Swami’s teachings were emphasized, sparking curiosity among the guests, who were later told more about Swami and invited to His birthday celebration. The event highlighted the purpose of human life and was recorded on video for YouTube.
Russia
In 2024, SSSIO volunteers across Russia actively engaged in service projects, food distribution, environmental initiatives, and skill-building seminars, spreading love and compassion through selfless acts. In March, 26 SSSIO volunteers from the northwestern and Siberian regions distributed food and essential items to 96 needy individuals across five cities. Aid was also provided to social adaptation centers and needy families.
In March, two Regional Education Conferences were held: one in Siberia, emphasizing values-based parenting and children’s divinity, and another in the Ural region, exploring Sathya Sai Education as a Message of Love and Peace. The conferences highlighted teachers' roles in the spiritual and moral development of students. Sunday public meetings resumed in the Central region in February after a four-year break, where attendees participated in Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s video darshan and spiritual discussions. In March, another public meeting explored teachings from Sathya Sai Gita, concluding with bhajans. Between May and July, an SSSIO member delivered lectures on medicinal plants, ecology, and spirituality at the Botanical Garden, engaging students and faculty. Additionally, sessions on human values were conducted for women. In the first half of May, SSSIO Zone 8 hosted a hybrid conference on Forgiveness, with 328 participants sharing insights, reports, and reflections. Highlights included a play on love and forgiveness.
In May 2024, SSSIO members from four cities in the Volga-Ural region dedicated a day to serving nature. Volunteers started gardens, honored a veteran by tending to his garden, cleaned litter from a local beach, and engaged in bird feeding and homestead work. Their collective efforts were marked by unity and gratitude.
The XXII Regional Conference of SSSIO Russia’s Southern Region in May was attended by 74 participants from 14 cities to reflect on spiritual service and Self-realization, featuring inspiring talks, community service reports, and a creative concert. In October, the 16th Ural Regional Conference took place in a hybrid format, coinciding with the Vijaya Dashami celebration and the Akhanda Gayatri program. The theme, Forgiveness and Forbearance as the Path to Liberation, was explored through speeches, youth activities, and outdoor fellowship, fostering unity and devotion.
In June 2024, 15 SSSIO members from the Caucasus and central regions of Russia participated in an online meeting dedicated to Zonal Cleanliness Day. Volunteers cleaned beaches along the Caspian Seacoast, suburban streets, and backyards, feeling gratified to serve their communities.
In early June 2024, 49 people from 11 cities, including guests from SSSIO Croatia, participated in a Cleanliness Day as part of the Zonal Active Summer project. Activities included cleaning riverbanks, planting shrubs, watering plants, and distributing free food. Children attended lessons on human values, played games, and painted mandalas. The southern region of SSSIO Russia hosted a Purity Day as part of Active Summer 2024, with 60 participants. The participants cleaned rivers, lakes, and the Sea of Azov, removed litter from beaches and playgrounds and engaged in devotional singing and spiritual chanting. Children joyfully participated in relay races, skits, and educational activities, deepening their connection with nature and each other.
In mid-June 2024, 35 Sai volunteers from seven Siberian cities joined a regional SSSIO service camp to serve people and nature. Activities included feeding the hungry, giving clothes, repairing roofs, gardening, and cleaning natural spaces. In early July 2024, a family camp in the Volga-Ural region focused on family happiness through love and harmony, with 40 participants from nine cities. They engaged in craft workshops, children’s classes on responsibility, a Sai Olympics, and excursions to the ancient Askin cave. The event concluded with a concert where attendees showcased their talents and shared personal reflections.
In July 2024, 78 participants from 12 cities in southern Russia engaged in nature outings. Activities included hiking in the Arkhyz mountains, visiting an art gallery, caring for horses, renovating homes and gardens, and cleaning streets. Volunteers also conducted human values lessons on kindness and joined a zonal online broadcast to express gratitude to nature.
In the second half of July, 17 people participated in a service camp on the Black Sea coast, setting up a summer kitchen, repairing staircases, and cleaning living spaces. They cherished nature’s beauty and expressed gratitude for its gifts. A nine-day family camp in southern Russia began on July 20, drawing 39 participants, including 16 children. Activities included craft workshops, Sai Olympics, cultural programs, devotional singing, hiking, and service projects. The camp fostered joy, friendship, and unity.
The 15th Summer Family Camp in the Ural region welcomed 55 attendees from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. The participants showcased Slavic cultural heritage, explored Turkish traditions, and participated in chanting mantras, dance, and kindness workshops. Daily Gayatri mantra chanting and the observance of a Day of Gratitude brought spiritual enrichment.
In August 2024, 16 people from the Volga-Ural region attended a nature retreat, engaging in field trips, vegetable harvesting, cleaning, and spiritual activities. Participants found renewed joy and a deeper connection with nature. During September 21-22, 2024, 30 SSSIO members from six cities participated in community service projects aligned with the Orthodox holiday of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Activities included forest clean-ups, gardening, food distribution, and environmental conservation. Local residents expressed their appreciation to volunteers for their dedicated efforts.
At the end of September 2024, the Caucasus region hosted a conference with 37 delegates, including three special guests, reflecting on SSSIO’s achievements and Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings. Keynote speakers shared insights on love, wisdom, and selfless service. Two SSSIO members were honored as "Sevadal of the Year" for their outstanding contributions. In October, 34 SSSIO members in the Volga-Ural region served meals to over 130 people in various locations. They also distributed hot food, clothes, and boots. Tree-planting efforts under the SAI100 Project added an environmental note to the service project.
In mid-October, the Southern region’s “Zonal Serving the Needy” project involved 48 volunteers from 10 Sai centers, who provided meals to 128 people and some animals. In the Siberian region, 22 participants from seven cities braved the season’s first snowfall in mid-October, distributing 118 warm meals and socks to those in need. In October, volunteers in the Volga-Ural region planted 30 trees under the Clean Planet and Sai-100 projects. In November, a field trip for Sai School children in Moscow included park visits and bird feeding. At a volunteer camp in Kaluga, the participants worked on tree protection and medicinal herb collection. In the Caucasus region, Sai members planted blue spruce, flower bushes, and fruit trees, cleaned the Caspian Sea coast, and visited Dagestan’s historic Ziyarat mosque, cleaning up the roadside.
SSE students and their families in Northwest Russia joyfully celebrated Christmas and New Year at a public event hosted by three Sai Centers. The event featured traditional Christmas elements, including the story of Christ’s birth, followed by a festive celebration with Santa Claus, the Snow Maiden, and a green dragon symbolizing the New Year. Children played, sang, and received gifts, and everyone participated in creating a New Year's poster with heartfelt wishes. The event concluded with sweet treats and blessings for peace and happiness.
Additionally, in November, the Shanti Center in Siberia held its first SSE lesson of the academic year on the power of kind words. Eleven participants, including children, parents, and teachers, engaged in value-based teachings inspired by Sathya Sai. The lesson emphasized love and kindness, fostering collaboration and gratitude among attendees. In 2024, several significant SSSIO conferences and events took place across Russia, fostering spiritual growth, education, and community service. In January, a Regional Conference in Central Russia focused on Forgiveness as the Manifestation of Truth, Righteousness, and Love, bringing together 55 delegates for discussions, parables, and bhajans.