Saturday 05 / October / 2024
Muscat: Santrupth G.R.Vedanthi, 17, a 12th grade student of ABA School Muscat and a musician who is known for his charitable pursuits, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the Oman Cancer Association (OCA), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the cause of augmenting cancer awareness among the public.
Santrupth will use a popular online crowdfunding platform to raise funds to support the cause OCA has been long advocating.
To raise funds, Vedanthi will reach out to his contacts locally and internationally by sending (via email) and posting the link (on social media accounts) he will create on the crowdfunding platform to raise funds.
Those interested in contributing can use their credit or debit cards to make the donation, which will be deposited into the OCA's bank account.
Vedanthi met Dr Wahid Al Kharusi, president of OCA, who has assured him of his full support for this initiative.
Besides, Vedanthi will be performing at the 15th edition of the OCA Annual Walkathon to be held on October 30.
Speaking of his initiative, Vedanthi said, “OCA has been rendering yeoman service to the Omani society with regard to cancer awareness.
OCA has been spearheading the cause of cancer awareness since it was officially established many years ago. The association has been advocating through patient support, empowerment, education and research.
"Besides, the association’s Mobile Mammography Unit travels around the Sultanate, providing free mammography screening for all women and increasing cancer awareness across the country.
"In addition, Dar Al Hanan Centre of the OCA hosts families of children receiving cancer treatments within the city, who reside outside Muscat.”
He added, “I have worked closely with the association and have myself seen the kind of service they have been rendering through their varied service and commitment. I call upon my friends and acquaintances to support this very worthy cause through the concept of crowdfunding.
Having observed the predicament of cancer patients, their families running out of resources and the lack of awareness about cancer has made me want to support an organisation such as the OCA, which has been doing an incredible job. I really will be able to raise a substantial amount.”
His connection to the association goes back to 2014, when Vedanthi donated OMR1,000 from the money raised through his performances in Oman to the centre. The young man was first moved to take up the cause of cancer when he saw his schoolmate battle the dreaded disease.
All the money he has earned through the sale of his first album "Amogha Milana" was donated to the cause of cancer awareness in Muscat and for Manonandana, a school for the mentally challenged in Bengaluru.
Vedanthi has also donated profits from his performances to the Bangalore Hospice Trust – Karunashraya—which provides free professional palliative care for advanced stage cancer patients who are beyond cure.
He was also part of the "Trinity Live in Concert" organised in Muscat to raise awareness and funds for the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability. Vedanthi recently donated 50 solar lanterns to poor students of a school in Gowdgere, a village located on the outskirts of Bengaluru, in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Vedanthi raised money for the solar lanterns from the sale proceedings of his albums and funds from the numerous concerts he performs at.
Last year, Vedanthi donated 50 per cent of his income from concerts and the sale proceedings of his album "Palasampada" to help set up a drinking water facility in Gowdgere.
Nearly 400 families benefitted from the drinking water plant. Before setting up the project, Vedanthi supplied 25-litre water bottles for each of the families in the village to solve the immediate problem of water shortage.
Vedanthi was recently presented the "Youth Award" for his contribution to charity through his work in the field of music.
Indra Mani Pandey, former Ambassador of India to Oman, presented the award at an event organised in association with the Oman Hockey Association. He was honoured with the award for being a youngster with a vision and a passion to serve the society. He was recognised for enriching the community through music and charity work. Vedanthi has a keen interest in computer science and renewable energy.
On the music front, Vedanthi was selected to attend a one-week-long Stanford Jazz Workshop at Stanford.
While he has completed a five-week scholarship programme at the US-based Berklee College of Music, at 13, he became the youngest student to clear the eighth grade in drums from London's Trinity College of Music.
Vedanthi, who plays five instruments, has played the drums at India’s renowned composer A R Rahman's "Jai Ho Muscat" concert.
He has also shared the stage and been mentored by Sivamani, Gino Banks, Bikram Ghosh, Dilip Doshi and Arunkumar, eminent names from the world of percussion.
The youngster, who is profoundly committed to multiple causes, wants to carve out a niche for himself in the world of music, academics and continue doing a world of good.
