By Naina Grewal The pandemic has brought about a multitude of changes from local and global standpoints. Undeniably, near or far, instrumental to the fight against COVID-19 have been changemakers, volunteers, and organizations that tirelessly devote their time into making sure our loved ones are safe and protected. Such is the story of an organization, the Sikh Health Foundation, that was born during these unprecedented, tough times. This organization is now a community catalyst in the realm of health and public education. Sukhmeet Singh Sachal,
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University of British Columbia (UBC) medical student and Founder of the Sikh Health Foundation, traces the beginnings of his idea to a visit he took with his father to the local Gurdwara. He observed that, of everyone present, only he and his father were wearing masks. Sachal details, “I’d see Dr. Bonnie Henry on TV everyday telling everyone to wear masks, so I decided to ask one of the Gurdwara attendees why they weren’t wearing a mask, out of curiosity. They expressed that they were unable to find a mask they could tie around their turban. They also explained that most pandemic-related
information disseminated was in English and therefore inaccessible to those with language barriers.” Sachal realized that these problems are indeed significant and can possibly have a tremendously negative impact if not addressed. With his school shifting to online learning and the inability for Sachal to assist COVID-19 patients physically in hospitals, he decided to help the community in another way. By creating a campaign to keep patrons visiting Gurdwaras safe, he committed to shining light on public health practices and providing related COVID-19 resources in
Photos credits A Master Media
Vaisakhi Spotlight
From Local to Global: Sikh Health Foundation
