Monday 18 / November / 2024
Muscat: For over two decades, Ramadas Chandika has been involved with the noble cause of blood donation.
He first started donating blood, along with 15 other people, under the umbrella of a volunteer group called the Chiru Mega Youth Force (CMYF), which he started in Oman in 2001.
Ever since, Chandika has been involved in organising blood donation drives, and has helped create awareness about the same among different organisations, convincing many more to join the force and donate blood.
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His inspiration comes from his favourite actor, Chiranjeevi, who started a blood bank in Andhra Pradesh, Chandika’s native state. “Since Chiranjeevi has always been my favourite actor, I was motivated by his idea when he started the blood bank. I also thought of starting something like that in Oman.”
What started with a 15-member team, has today more than 200 people, who donate blood at the Central blood bank in Bausher every year. “We try to donate blood three times a year, and every time I go to donate, I have a large group with me. It feels great to see that something which I had started 20 years ago has today grown so much.”
Chandika’s CMYF has been winning the best blood donor team award given by the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the last decade and not just that, whenever the blood bank needs a specific blood group, they call Chandika for help.
“I feel really happy because I am the person to go to when someone needs blood; I have a lot of my friends calling me for help when they or their family members need blood. I immediately call the blood bank and give my reference, and when I do that, they are happy to release that blood type for my contact who is in need,” added the Indian expat.
Apart from blood donation and creating awareness, Chandika also does other charity work.
When someone needs flight tickets, or money for an operation, Chandika and his team are always there to help.
“I have lived in this beautiful country for so many years now and I am earning my livelihood here, the levels of tolerance are also very high here and we have the freedom to practice our culture, and by helping out in different initiatives, I feel like I am fulfilling a responsibility that I have towards this country.”
Source of support
A source of support for Chandika is his family—his wife and two lovely children. “My son is very young now but he goes with me to every charity initiative and the blood donation camps as well. He tells me that he wants to be 18 very soon, so that he can also donate blood.”
Chandika runs a small business in Oman but he is heavily involved in the blood donation work.
His message to people is that everyone should donate blood since it only helps and causes no harm.
“Blood donation is a very healthy activity and there is no harm caused to the body. We all have a social responsibility and blood donation is an easy and effective way to fulfil it. My motto is ‘Service to Humans is Service to GOD.’”
