The key strategies required to build organizational capabilities and the importance of accessing global resources to co-create unique experiences with customers formed the crux of the management power lecture by Prof. CK Prahalad in Dallas, US, on October 14, 2009.

Prof. CK Prahalad was at his eloquent best as corporate executives listened with rapt attention while the management guru delivered the “New Age of Innovation: Driving Co-Created Value Through Global Networks" lecture in benefit of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai.

The event which saw 250 people, including senior corporate executives, management professors, and students, attending, was organized by Sankara Nethralaya, Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust, US, and the Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (GDIACC).

Earlier on, Director, Fund Raising, Sankara Nethralaya, Dr. Tarun Sharma made a presentation on Sankara Nethralaya and highlighted its achievements and activities, including the community ophthalmology programs and the state-of-the-art medical research facilities.

Sankara Nethralaya Alumni Dr. Arvind Neelakantan, a practicising Glaucomatologist in Dallas, while praising the institution for its Ophthalmology training and focus on Community Ophthalmology Programs, urged the gathering to donate to SN OM Trust and thereby support Sankara Nethralaya in its fight against blindness. Prof. Prahalad, too, spoke highly of Sankara Nethralaya.

On behalf of Sankara Nethralaya, Dr. Tarun Sharma presented Prof. CK Prahalad, Mr. Harry Iyer, president, Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and Ms. Shabnam Modgil, FunAsia, with a plaque of Honor for their contributions and for supporting Sankara Nethralaya’s mission for vision.
The programme was followed by a Q&A and a book-signing session by Prof. Prahalad.

Soul-stirring songs complemented by a mesmerizing performance, recounting the tales of Radha and Krishna, marked the silver jubilee celebrations of Sankara Nethralaya Women Auxiliary (SWAN).

Hiren Parpani and his team from Mumbai kept a captivated audience glued to their seats with a scintillating performance of ‘Sathavaro Radhe Shyamno’ (in company of Radha & Krishna) — an amalgamation of songs, music and dance based on Radha and Krishna. Held at the Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, on October 25, the three-hour programme took the audience on an enchanting journey through Gokul, Mathura and Vrindavan and through the various Krishna leelas. Every act was preceded by a narrative laced with humour and conveying a message.

Earlier on Ms. Vani Jayaraman enthralled the audience with an exceptional and soulful rendition. Welcoming the gathering, Dr. Vasanthi Badrinath praised the efforts of all SWAN volunteers for their remarkable contributions. Describing the various activities carried out by SWAN at Sankara Nethralaya, Ms. Surekha Mehta urged the audience to support SWAN and Sankara Nethralaya in its various initiatives. Ms. Jayaraman and the entire troupe from Mumbai, including Mr. Parpani, were honoured on the occasion.

About SWAN:

Registered as a public charitable trust in 1984, SWAN volunteers consist of non-professional housewives and men, who have served Sankara Nethralaya in various capacities.

SWAN volunteers organize conferences, events, maintain the STD booths, utility and coffee shop, dilate patients’ eyes, maintain patient records, serve as translators for non-natives at Sankara Nethralaya, look after the crèche which it set up for consultants’ children and assist the ophthalmic hospital in its day-to-day activities.

SWAN has also helped raise funds for Sankara Nethralaya. They have held cultural programmes and proceeds obtained from the events have benefited thousands of poor patients. SWAN members help Sankara Nethralaya doctors and optometrists at the eye camps that the hospital conducts.
Over the years, with the help of donations received from society at large, they have successfully launched a number of schemes for indigent patients, including the Annapoorni scheme (free food), Spectacles scheme and Dark glasses scheme benefiting over one lakh poor patients.

The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/11/06/stories/2009110651300400.htm

Date: 30/10/09

Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust (SN OMT) Inc, a fund raising organization in the US that supports Sankara Nethralaya, has been recognized, yet again, as an eligible organisation to receive contributions under the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC.

What is CFC?
CFC is a program under which US federal government employees are encouraged to donate through payroll deduction a certain portion of their salary for a designated non profit organization. Millions of dollars are collected and distributed for worthy causes around the world every year.

How you can help?
If you are a US federal government employee please designate Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust (No. 68803) as your chosen charity organization for your contributions. If you are not an employee, but know of one, kindly motivate them to designate SN OMT as their chosen charity organization.

For further information on the CFC program, please contact
Mr. SV Acharya
e-mail: acharya@omtrust.org
Ph: (301) 529-7377