Pulse WWW.ATMAUS.ORG 10395 KINGSBRIDGE RD ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21042
atmaus@yahoo.com
V O L U M E
V I I I ,
I S S U E
1
16 DECEMBER 2012
Gudalur Sickle Cell Disease Center ATMA Charity Project Spotlight — Hari Prabakhar and Dr. Nandakumar Menon
DON’T MISS!!! Register for the convention — see flyer on page 5
IN THIS ISSUE: Executive Committee
2
President’s Message
3
Chairman’s Message
4
Convention Flyer 5 Post-convention Reflection
6
Message for Hope
7
Diet(ing) and Dementia
8
Chapter Updates 9
The Trip to South Africa
12
W
ith a sizeable population and evolutionary adaptation to malaria, there is a high prevalence of sickle cell disease among rural populations in India. The presence of sickle cell disease in India has surged to the forefront as a critical public health problem among rural, and particularly tribal (adivasi) groups. Over 20 million individuals throughout India are affected, the prevalence of the disease being up to 10% among some populations in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala, and Gujarat. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive management program in India for this disabling disease that affects the poorest populations in India. Sickle cell disease has traditionally received little attention from health services in India. As such, comprehensive management systems in affected areas are critical to ensuring that the millions of people with sickle cell disease are provided appropriate care, counseling, and support. Since 1997, the Gudalur Adivasi Hospital has been conducting sickle cell screenings in the Gudalur and Pandalur taluks of Tamil Nadu, and with the support of the American Tamil Medical Association, it launched the Sickle Cell Disease Center in 2004. The purpose of the Center has been to develop a comprehensive sickle cell disease management pro-
Sickle cell screening in the villages. gram for the tribal and non-tribal populations of the Gudalur valley through a combination of screening, treatment, and education. Trained community health workers and lab technicians, all of whom are adivasis, conduct screening of the entire population, both at the village level and at the hospital. If patients are identified to have the disease, then an appropriate combination of penicillin prophylaxis, vaccinations, hydroxyurea, and nutritional/vitamin supplements are deployed as preventive and palliative mechanisms against painful sickle cell crises.
Welcome to Pulse!
O
Continued on Page 4
n behalf of the Editorial Committee, please enjoy this issue of Pulse, the quarterly electronic newsletter of the American Tamil Medical Association! We hope you enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together.
in Tamil Nadu are particularly of interest. We also welcome your suggestions for improvement,—and if the possibility of having a more direct hand in this publication excites you, do not hesitate to contact me!
ATMA is a member driven organization, and the content of this publication reflects that orientation. We are always looking for new ideas—we want this to be a robust forum for members to discuss topics they feel passionately about. If you find something interesting, chances are your friends and colleagues do too!
OK, some editor speak before signing off: reflecting this member orientation, please note that the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect ATMA official positions. Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!
We welcome articles in Tamil or English on a wide range of topics, but those articles pertaining to any aspect of health or disease either here in the US or
Best, R. Kannan Mutharasan, MD kannanm@northwestern.edu On behalf of the ATMA Editorial Committee
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
ATMA
Executive Committee President Dr. Balu Mani — balu786@yahoo.com Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Nazeera Dawood — nazeera@ymail.com President-Elect Dr. Baskar Sambandam — SBaskar@aol.com Chairman, Board of Directors Dr. Nedunchezian Sithian — nsithian@yahoo.com Board of Directors Dr. Tamilarasi Kannan — arasikannan@yahoo.com Dr. Colathur Palani — cpalani@yahoo.com Dr. Sankari Sivasailam — sankari1964@yahoo.com Dr. Prakash Rau — uprau33@hotmail.com Advisory Committee Dr. Vellore Parithivel — velloreparithivel@yahoo.com Dr. Jay J Gopal — jayjgopalmd@yahoo.com Dr. M. Nallathambi — mnallathambi@yahoo.com Membership Committee Chair Dr. Sara Sambhandham — ssambandham@gmail.com Editorial Committee Co-chairs Dr. R. Kannan Mutharasan — kannanm@northwestern.edu Dr. Radha Syed — radhasyed77@yahoo.com Meredith Morrow (Ass’t Editor) — merdith.morrow@gmail.com Volunteer ATMA Program Co-chairs Dr. Sendhil Cheran — senthamizhan@gmail.com Ms. Shobha Kumar — pennqueen@hotmail.com Website Committee Co-chairs Dr. Ashok Kumar — ashok00@yahoo.com Dr. Sudha Rajasekar — srajasek@hotmail.com
Chapter Governors California Governor Dr. Rajee Ananda — anandarajee@yahoo.com Carolinas Governor Dr. Veerapan Sundar Florida Governor Dr. Venkatasamy Durairaj — durairajblhc@yahoo.com Georgia Governor Dr. P. Mahizhan — drmahizhnan@gmail.com Dr. Kalai Parthibhan — arkchellam@aol.com (prospective) New York/ New Jersey Governor Dr. S. Adimoolam — theallergistusa@yahoo.com Ohio Governor Dr. Palani Raman — palaniraman@hotmail.com Michigan Governor Dr. Arivoli Veerappan — veera@cbpu.com Mid-South Governor Dr. P. Vasudevan — pvasu1@gmail.com Philadelphia Governor Dr. T.N. Subbiah — drtns@zoominternet.net Texas Governor Dr. Periannan Vadugunathan — pvnathan2008@gmail.com Tristate Chicago Governor Dr. Xavier Roche — franxer@gmail.com (outgoing) Dr. Priya Ramesh — priyarameshmd@gmail.com (incoming) Washington, DC Governor Dr.Jeyanthi Sithara — jsirithara@yahoo.com
2
PAGE
3
Message from the President Dear ATMA members, As I start my term as president of the ATMA, I have reflected on the history and mission of the association. This is an exciting year for ATMA. I have set goals to achieve in this one year term. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Initiate the strategic planning process for ATMA Assess organizational capacity and weakness Increase our membership especially among youth and allied health professionals New initiatives and involvement from young physicians / residents A robust marketing plan to increase our association’s presence and awareness Electronic publication of PULSE Increase our Social media presence A revision of our website making it user friendly and transparency Active participation of all the chapters at the Annual ATMA convention
For almost 9 years, ATMA has been dedicated to meeting the needs of the Tamil community in USA and back home. Our founders were passionate about promoting volunteerism, and improving the health care needs of the Tamil community. Clearly, we have a challenging agenda for the coming months. If you wish to share your expertise or knowledge by serving on one of our committees, please let us know. The strength and value of ATMA comes from all of you as members. By working together we can fulfill the purpose of ATMA. There could be nothing more rewarding than using your skills and experience to help people in poor communities expand opportunity for themselves. I welcome your interest in joining a diverse, talented, professional, and extremely committed team. Thank You. Sincerely,
Balu S. Mani MD, MBA
For details on Dr. Balu Mani’s goals, please see below:
I suggested a trophy to the Governor of a Chapter, which enrolls maximum new members. I also floated the idea of recognizing individual members with Plaque and a certificate, if they achieve 10 new members before our next convention.
Grant Writing and tapping for funds from unconventional sources were discussed. I am looking for professional help and
guidance in identifying the potential governmental and non-governmental philanthropic entities and the methodology to do the application process. Our current and future associates conducting research in medicine and allied sciences will be a good source to look for. Our web site needs immediate institution of members-only, password protected site. Our website should contain detail of every projects, name and contact detail of the sponsors, quarterly reports, dollar amount and the date given, etc Our website also should have our current assets in various accounts (Charitable Foundation, Membership and operating accounts). This will need to be updated every quarter (Q3 of 12 will be due by the end of September, Q4 of 12 is due by the end of December etc...,). As soon as Boston convention account is completed and the Board accepts the final tally, we should be able to post them within a week. Our website should play a major role in the utility of our junior members. We also discussed about instituting one or two Visiting Tamil Nadu Medical Graduates fellowship for the coming years. The amount suggested was $1000 to $1500. A review committee will be in charge of seeking applications, grading the applications and recommending the name or names of the winning candidate(s) to the EC/BoT. In addition to this, to provide a valuable resource to the Tamil IMG's, we should begin compiling a current Directory of Research Programs that are conducted by Tamil/Indian Scientists that are needing assistants(paid) or volunteers. I have requested all the Governors to update the email addresses of their members and compile a more dependable data base. Communication, Transparency, Accountability, Democracy and Inclusiveness will be our guiding principles and sources of energy in the months to come. Please feel obliged to communicate and participate.
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
4
Gudalur Sickle Cell Disease Center Continued from Front Page Simultaneously, education programs including genetic counseling, using a culturallysensitive and empowering model of care are deployed. Educational materials have been devised and deployed to educate the adivasi community on the nature and implications of sickle cell disease. The project also continuously trains local community members to function as critical components of the community sickle cell management system in order to ensure knowledge transfer and sustainability Since beginning sickle cell screening in 1997 and launching the Sickle Cell Disease Center in 2004, the Center has screened approximately 13,000 individuals and has 247 active patients on its roster. 97 of these patients are on hydroxyurea. The approxi-
mate prevalence of the disease in the area, based on screening data to date, is 2.3%, with a carrier prevalence of approximately 12%. It is of note, however, that prevalence rates vary by tribe, of which they are 5 in the target area.
Through a coordinated and community-based approach, the Sickle Cell Disease aims to continue serving patients of the Nilgiris in order to improve the quality of life for patients with a potentially devastating disease. We thank ATMA for its continuing support.
Indeed, the initial support provided by the American Tamil Medical Association has been critical in allowing the Center to develop a public-private partnership with the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, which is now funding a significant portion of the Center’s hospital and community-based interventions. Furthermore, several organizations throughout India have visited the Sickle Cell Disease Center and are beginning to adapt lessons learned from the Gudalur experience in developing their own community-based sickle cell programs.
Sickle cell screening in the villages.
Message from the Board of Directors Dear Members of ATMA, I am succeeding in this position after seven esteemed chairmen, and I will continue to uphold the values and responsibilities that are part and parcel of the role of Chairman. ATMA has made considerable strides in our quest to fulfill the obligations that we imposed upon ourselves since the inception of this energetic organization. We are held together with this inseparable bond called “Tamilians” and with our added bond as medical professionals; we carry out our ambitious tasks as best as we can. We must continue to maintain this cadre of work, and fulfill the requirements that we voluntarily chose to do: to continue to support the charities that we have donated to, and to help the poor and unfortunate back in Tamil Nadu, India, and also here in the United States. We are forever thankful for all those members and their families for participating with vim and vigor in all our activities both locally in their chapters and nationally at our annual conventions. We are eternally grateful for their monetary donations that they so selflessly contribute to achieve our goals. We acquire new knowledge when we gather together and we are also appreciative for all those hours of camaraderie during our annual meetings. We should continue to maintain these conventions, and should encourage all our non-participant friends to get involved in the Organization and in all the activities of ATMA. I request that all of our members visit our website (http://www.atmaus.org/atma/), familiarize themselves with the activities of the ATMA – both past and present – and plan to attend our future events. We are all aware that member participation, especially from the newer and younger Tamilian medical professionals, is the key to ATMA’s continued success in the future. Let us continue to be united and cherish the benefits of ATMA, forget the missteps (but always mindful to learn from our mistakes) and be proud of our organization, and its tremendous growth in such a short time. On behalf of the Board, I look forward to sharing in ATMA’s continued success with all of you. With regards,
Nedunchezian Sithian, M.D., F.A.C.S.
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
Post Convention Reflection
W
ho can and who will go to distance with distinction in this life? The one who is an ardent student and who has realized the meaning of the lessons learnt and subsequently humbled by the same. That one, then will stay clear of the evil, will always perform only the righteous deeds. That enriched one will become content with what they are given. That contented soul will pursue the cause assigned, with unceasing vigor. That one will soon realize the ultimate truth, WHICH is SELFLESS SERVICE POWERED BY PURE LOVE. That one WILL travel the distance with distinction.
Dear Friends, Dr. Somasundar and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Prakash Rau and his wonderful family and Dr. Palani for giving us the opportunity to edit the convention souvenir and share our thoughts by giving us the CME podium with our friends from our motherland. The ATMA convention is a unique assembly in which to meet, recall, and reflect with our friends the wonderful fun filled time we had during our medical school days; find ways to pass on to our brothers and sisters in Tamil Nadu the lessons learnt in this great land; and learn in turn from them their unique rich experiences in Tamil Nadu. Attending another convention is costly in terms of time and money for all of us. Meager attendance is worrisome. It is important to define precisely the nature, the purpose, and above all the real role that our organization can provide for the cause of our brothers and sisters back home in Tamil Nadu.
—Dr. Sundaresan T. Sambandham
We Tamilians are passionate about our language, culture, and homeland. Unless and until we rekindle and sustain that buried passion and goodwill, our organization is bound to shrink. We must also develop lasting relationships with passionate groups of people in Tamil Nadu and build reciprocal sister organizations to nurture and sustain not only short term but real long term relationships between us. A team of us must develop ways to attract the next generation of US-educated clinical and academic physicians to be a part of ATMA by creating an atmosphere and platform for them to relate and grow. They must be enticed to join ATMA because there is meaning and merit to do so. I honestly believe that the quality and the timeliness of the service and experience rendered by ATMA will sell and appeal to both young and old to be part of the organization. To ensure success, we must develop attractive, achievable, and meaningful goals and purposes for the organization which is led by a selfless, humble volunteer pool which is constantly replenished and rejuvenated year after year. We must all realize the cause and the organization is more important than individuals. In summary, with untiring energy and honest persuasion, each and everyone of us must recruit our eligible friends and neighbors to become members of ATMA. Next, the visionary leaders must develop an attractive place and role in our organization and in our annual convention for our children and our friends’ children who have had their medical education here, so that our organization, conceived and developed by our founding visionaries, will
survive and continue to contribute beyond our time. ATMA shall not perish because we lacked in our imagination and enterprise. Next, we do very noble charitable projects through the hard work of our leadership and with the tireless help of the membership. It is indeed very commendable. But the real reach of these projects are very, very limited and the needs are really immeasurable. We must attract nonmedical, successful entrepreneurs and other economically blessed people to partner with us in our new ventures of promoting social responsibility, ethical, and moral accountability with humility, modesty, and without offensive tone. Public education and professional education must focus not only the Science of Medicine but also about the Art of Medicine also. With tact and vision, we must create grass roots organizations from Chennai to Kanyakumari to achieve this objective. My personal opinion is that we should ally with Tamil Nadu foundation, FETNA and other similarly-valued organizations to make our dream a reality soon. We must dream big and dream to do the impossible. We, then, must have the faith and the hope to make that which is seemingly an impossible dream a reality. It is doable. Mahatma Gandhi did it, Martin Luther King did! Tamils and Tamil Nadu educated us for free. As Dr. Prakash Rau alluded correctly, we owe this to our ill brothers and sisters who got us here. We must always remember ATMA’s goal is far more important than our own individual glory and ego gratification. If everyone of us work with that mantra, our organization shall never fail. “To serve and remain to serve the needy with humility is my calling.”
6
PAGE
7
Prescription for Hope: Health Care Professionals & Volunteer Work
A
s a public health professional in Georgia and a former practicing physician in India, I have always led a double life of sorts–on both continents, I've been as committed to my medical career as I am to my volunteer work. Indeed, I often find the work for which I am not paid is as rewarding (or more) than the very rewarding work of ministering to patients and the community, my “official job.” And I'm not alone. Literature shows that there are many
“The
—Dr. Nazeera Dawood
At Kasturba Hospital, time flies by at the senior citizen center in the hospital as you chat with the seniors in the evenings. Each one of them had an interesting story to tell. It did not take much time to create a rapport with the senior citizens. Once you made a connection, they always awaited your arrival. Then there was this adoption home at Kasturba Hospital, Gandhigram. They were babies whose parents left them at
The memories that I have from there are hard to let go. These are memories that money could not buy. Health care volunteer work can transform our societies for the benefits of all people. So how do health care professionals prescribe for hope? Be compassionate. Season of Giving is the month of December and International Volunteer Day is Dec 5. Serving the community should be instilled by parents to their children in younger age, a value that should be taught at health care
best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
benefits to volunteer work. Volunteers who devote a “considerable” amount of time to volunteer activities (about 100 hours per year) are most likely to exhibit positive health outcomes. Volunteer work was found to contribute more to lower mortality rates than high religious involvement or perceived social support. Volunteer work has been shown to provide individual health benefits in addition to social benefits. Volunteer work enhances social networks to buffer stress and reduce risk of disease. Studies have also shown that people who volunteer have lower rates of depression later in life .
the hospital doorstep, or those who had lost their parents. As soon as you entered the adoption home and saw the infants/ toddlers, tears would roll out as you would think that they are the most beautiful creatures in the world. Then there was this orphanage home at Gandhigram: - around 250-300 children: girls and boys of all ages, the happiest kids you ever saw with no worries as they knew they had each other. The kids would bond very easily with each other. Celebrating the birthdays along with them was a real treat and their hand made bouquet was a signature gift I have received.
professionals’ schools to their future doctors, nurses, public health professionals and allied health professionals. Consider volunteer work whether there is a hospital, senior citizen center, online programs or program that foster/orphan children near you. Were more medical professionals in America to adopt a similar mentality, they'd surely see the benefits as well. In the words of Mohandas K. Gandhi: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
Lack of time is one of the reasons we often tend to hear from health care professionals for not volunteering. As a health care professional myself, happiness is all I have felt serving others, especially the underserved. One such place was working at a charitable hospital, Kasturba Hospital in Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu, India. Here is a place where you will mostly see like-minded; service minded people striving each day to make a difference in others’ life, be it an administrator, a staff, a physician or even nursing students. Serving the rural community in itself is a great challenge, but the reward that comes out of that service is a lifelong treat. Kasturba Hospital, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu.
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
Diet(ing) and Dementia
PAGE
—Dr. Veerappan Sundar
F
asting for regular periods could help protect the brain against degenerative illnesses, according to US scientists. Researchers at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore said they had found evidence which shows that periods of stopping virtually all food intake for one or two days a week could protect the brain against some of the worst effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other ailments. "Reducing your calorie intake could help your brain, but doing so by cutting your intake of food is not likely to be the best method of triggering this protection. It is likely to be better to go on intermittent bouts of fasting, in which you eat hardly anything at all, and then have periods when you eat as much as you want," said Professor Mark Mattson, head of the institute's laboratory of neurosciences. Cutting daily food intake to around 500 calories – which amounts to little more than a few vegetables and some tea – for two days out of seven had clear beneficial effects in their studies, claimed Mattson, who is also professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Studies examining nutritional risk, which often rely on self-reports, are fraught with difficulties and should be cautiously interpreted. Observational data suggest that the low risk of dementia in some developing countries can be attributed to the type of diet.
Dr. Veerapan Sundar Internal Medicine Durham, NC
“Diets rich in fruits, vegetables,
Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber improve human well-being and significantly reduce development of the pathological processes that are characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders. Chinese studies suggest that regular tea drinking might be protective against Alzheimer’s disease. The low incidence of dementia in the Yoruba Nigerians is consistent with their traditional low calorie and low fat diet consisting of grains, yam tubers vegetables, and some fish. Among Indonesians, there is a 30% lower risk of impairment with higher consumption of mucuna tempe, which has a high fiber content.
and fiber improve
By contrast, eating tofu has been associated with worsening memory, independent of age, sex, and education, among Indonesians, which concurs with the association of tofu consumption in midlife and cognitive impairment and brain atrophy in elderly Japanese Americans.
development of
The dietary supplement with brand name “Axona” is recommended for dementia as add on with other medications with the concept that Ketone bodies protect neurons against multiple types of neuronal injury and are associated with mitochondrial effects similar to those described during calorie restriction or ketogenic diet treatment.
processes that are
human well-being and significantly reduce
the pathological
characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders. ”
Metabolism in a PET scan (left), indicated in yellow and red. The levels of glucose metabolism in the brain are decreased in patients with mild cognitive impairment (middle) and with Alzheimer's disease (right). (Cindee Madison and Susan Landau/UC Berkeley)
8
PAGE
9
Mid South Chapter Governor’s Report
Mid South Chapter gathering March, 2012. From left to right: Kanaka Vasudevan, P. Vasudevan, Ranga Vasu, Al. Swami, Ramu Swami, Shyam Ramachandran, Santosh Koshy, K.B. Ramanathan, N. Rangaswami, Jagan Sitaraman, Kasturi Vinay Ranga, Damodaran Narayanan, Dan Swaminathan, Veena Ammal, Usha Swami, Meera Vasu, Krupa Manjunath, Jaya Venkataraman, Lekha George, Jyothishree Pinnaka, Nithya Sureshkumar, Bharathi Rangaswami, Jaya Ramanathan, Pushpam Talaiver, Ruth Talaiver, P. Vasudevan, Kanaka Vasudevan. This group photo was taken by our good friend Mr. Alex Talaiver, a physical therapist who passed away a few months after this photograph was taken. His hobby was photography and his photography will live forever (he is not in the picture).
Mid South Chapter Update: Dr. P. Vasudevan was appointed Governor of the Mid South chapter in August 2011, succeeding Dr. N. Rangaswami who was Governor of the Tennessee chapter prior to that. The Secretary is Dr. Jyothishree Pinnaka and the Treasurer is Mr. Jagannathan Sitaraman. The Mid South chapter covers western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas--but members from any part of all three states are welcome to join! The constitution and by-laws of the new chapter were adopted at the first Chapter meeting in March, 2012. At present we have 22 physician members, three associate members, 10 auxilliary members, and four housestaff members. Five additional physicians have been attending our meetings and will be joining soon. We have a projects review committee up and running and soon will be involved in charitable activities. Our meetings are every three months.
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
Chicago/Tri-State Chapter Governor’s Report We had our final event for the year on 12/2/2012 with 35 attending, including 2 new members from Madras Medical College, thanks to Priya, the upcoming Governor. After summarizing the past year’s accomplishments as our outgoing ATMA President, Dr. C. K. Palani gave an update on past and present charitable projects. A special request was made for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund; our Chapter is donating $1000 to Sandy Relief. Special mention was also made about the “Train the trainer”-project spearheaded by our Chapter member Dr. Narmadha Kuppuswamy.
Our talk was in the field of Preventive Medicine named “HEALING with NUTRITION” by Man Mohan Sharma, author of 4 books on the subject and internationally known. This was greatly needed for the patients and doctors alike, and was highly applicable on a personal level. Thanks to Kalyani Perumal, our Secretary for finding this wonderful speaker. Dr. Francis X. Roche’s term as Governor ends this month. Dr. Priya Ramesh, a Pediatrician in the Chicago area who has served as Chapter Secretary for 3 years was nominated for Governor by Dr. Krish Rangachari and seconded by Dr. C. K. Palani. This nomination was ratified enthusiastically by the members present. Priya Ramesh also will serve as the Treasurer. Dr. Kalyani Perumal will continue as Secretary. After a sumptuous dinner, we had a music program organized by Dr. Roche with Drs. Raji Chandran, C. K. Palani, Bhanu Chari, Roche, Mr. Madan Ramprasad & Miss. Savita Sundar entertaining the crowd.
Kalyani Perumal
Francis X. Roche
C. K. Palani
Secretary
Outgoing Governor
Past President
Priya Ramesh Upcoming Governor
10
PAGE
11
Carolinas Chapter Governor’s Report
Dr. Veerappan Sundar
Dr. Thanigaiarsu
Carolinas Governor
Carolinas Treasurer
I would like to thank all the members of the Carolinas Chapter for choosing me to serve as Governor of ATMA Carolinas.
After the successful ATMA annual convention last year by the previous Carolina team under the leadership of Dr. Valarmathi Sundar and Dr. Tamilarasi Kannan, the big task of carrying on their excellent work is in the hands of the present team. It is good to have Dr. Sankar Kumar continue as Secretary; thanks also to the newest member of the ATMA, Dr. Thanigaiarsu for extending his hands to serve as Treasurer of the current team. The new team took office earlier this month. Caring, sharing, and learning, are the primary goals of the team. To achieve this we needed more members involved actively in the leadership, so we added Dr. Sandhya Kumar as the North Carolina Representative, retained Dr. Meena Kumar as Cotreasurer, and are currently recruiting a South Carolina representative. With the new team we will assist the ATMA in all possible ways to succeed in our goals and plan to involve younger generations for new ideas and to expand our charity work in India and USA
"There is no better gain to seek, now or in the life ahead, than service to society" - Thirukkural, # 213
VOLUME
VIII,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
The Trip to South Africa
A Poem by Deeptha and Dr. Nedunchezian, New York
(
We sailed in the air in SAA Our rears glued to the seats Trying hard to forget the time in air Reached JoBurg in a flair
Giraffes, Impalas, Hippos were plenty And the crocs and guinea fowls too. Three trips to the jungle and we had Our fill ready to take on the next .
With everybody accounted for Off to CapeTown, not so far Dinner at local Desi Place Recounting the days events And kibitzing with our new friends
A brief interlude back in JoBurg History was noted at Mandela And Bishop Tutu's domiciles And there were cries in the hearts To learn of Apartheid past And not to forget the children of
And to table top mountain we went To view the Cape from the sky , With the lion slouching next to us But the fog at the top put a little Damper in our hearts, brief, I 'll say.
Penguins Here we come, with Smiles in our heart and winds on our Face we climbed up the Capes The Good Hope and down to the Point, the end of the continent A sight to behold forever. Back to V and A briefly to rest And to Bismillah for a feast. Kruger was great animals and all A treat to the eyes and minds Safari journeys were exciting with Winds blowing our caps off, hands Gripping the purkhas tight, eyes Wandering to get the glimpse of A leopard or a Bull Elephant but The lions were invisible to all.
Professional photographers we were For the last two days, animals seen Before the eyes and the lenses until The dusk to see the natives dance To their beat and the guests Stomping their feet, with wine and Stories to share till the moon rose To shine on Chobe river Moments earlier the eyes and hearts Engulfed the sunset,a rare treat Hearts filled with glee,pleasantries Shared with friends final passage to Jo burg to get back to where we left From to continue our journey we Briefly parted from.
A visit to the Diamond Factory, To glare at the stones and gems Ladies in glee,gents to flee Wallets lightened,bags filled Back in bus to a fort we rather didn't Lunch in a wrap, on a boat to Robben's to see Mandela's fate Then to a Bistro wining and dining. With winds howling and stomachs Churning the Seals were clicked and Pictured, Pizzas consumed, curios And trinkets bought Vat slipsgot.
12
(Goodbyes and hugs hand shakes Exchanges of e-mails and phone Numbers and addresses concluded The memorable trip and our heart felt thanks and best wishes to all our fellow travelers.)
Visiting the Cape of Good Hope
Soweto, where time stands still And no future to behold. Zambia, Zimbabwe were a flash Not to mention the Victoria Falls A conglomeration of water, mist And a rift in the ground, a Canyon Hawkers at bay things to bargain Need'em or not we got them curios. Botswana was a treat,the dreams Realized in Chobe the ultimate Purpose of the trip fulfilled and the Meals of the choice to go with it
The Group taking photos on safari