By Spy Uganda
It was pomp and glamour on Saturday 26th August 2023 at Fairway Hotel where Pan African Pyramid (PAP) an umbrella organization for Pan Africanists across the globe, hosted the 6th edition of its awards commonly known as PAP Global Awards, an event that attracted hundreds of Pan Africanists to celebrate their forefathers.
The event that saw hundreds of participants proudly clad in their charming African attires was graced by famous Pan-Africanist dubbed Seventh Day Adventist Church Bishop Joshua Marara III Maponga from Zimbabwe and his wife, Cuban Ambassador to Uganda H.E Mrs.Tania Perez, UN Peace Keeping Ambassador to East Africa HE. Paul Flynn, a representative from the family of Martin Luther King Junior, and officials from various pro-African NGOs, cultural chiefs and politicians.
This year, PAP recognized 11 Pan Africanists, among them including Shanta Patel Rabadiya who scooped a Humanitarian [Ubuntu] Award.
Here We Analyse Why PAP Awarding Committee Recognized Rabadiya;
Shanta Patel Rabadiya is a Hindu of Swaminarayan sect born in India but relocated to Kenya at the age of two with her family. After her education in Mombasa, Shanta moved to Nairobi Kenya, where she worked for a few before she moved to Uganda in 2006 till todate.
Shanta later founded her charity Organization called Apar Foundation derived from the initials of her parents as a sign of appreciation.
Her foundation, since 2017 has been focusing on helping the less privileged communities like orphans, children with single parents, teenage mothers, special needs and elders among others. The services she extends to them include; school fees, scholastic materials, menstrual hygiene for girls, village mobile health clinic for remote areas, boreholes, wheelchairs for PWDs among others. Shanta’s humanitarian work has touched and changed lives of hundreds of less privileged communities.
In one her quotes she says she is inspired by her spiritual mentor whose slogan was “Sacrifice a little for others. If we are to foster harmony, we must see the world as bigger than ourselves. Our focus must be on giving more than receiving”
Shanta has lived a life sacrificing for others’ joy because she believes, “in joy of others, lies her own”
Because of her humanitarian works, Shanta has received the following accolades by different Organizations from around the world over time.
World Association of Women Warriors (category-Change maker), The HRAI Women achievers awards (category-twenty two women achievers who chose to stay real yet magical), High commission of India in Uganda (category-Corporate social responsibility award), Global goodwill Ambassador Foundation USA (category-Outstanding Humanitarian work) and Indian Achievers Award USA in 2022.
Today,the Pan-African Pyramid is simply re-affirming observations by previous organizations that Shanta Rabadiya is a unique creature who deserves a pat on the back.
