Zone 2B
Argentina
On February 24 and 26, 2023, SSSIO volunteers in Argentina repaired and renovated the Los Sauces Service House, by painting the premises, restoring electrical connections and removing rubble. The facility, which is 100 years old, is the venue for ophthalmological and dental care, neural therapy and knitting workshops. The volunteers also restored the Sai Library, garden, and an old cave with the image of Jesus of the Sacred Heart.
Over 60 children celebrated Easter at Florencio Varela's Sai Service House with songs, sacred chants, and educational games. The service house regularly hosts activities on Sundays, including breakfast, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Human values workshops and educational games are also held for the children.
In December 2023, Noccan Kani had celebrations. It is a service house where Sai volunteers provide humanitarian assistance to the Mocovíes aboriginal community in Recreo Santa Fe. Over 60 people, including children and families, participated in the activities. The service house also provided food and clothing to local families.
Bolivia
Sai Centers have extended services to over 40 families in rural and impoverished neighborhoods, including offering food and organizing workshops on human values. Groceries were delivered to 30 families in January. In March, an SSEHV workshop on love was held in the Lourdes neighborhood, and in December, another SSEHV workshop on love was held in Guarayos.
Since May 2023, the Sucre Sai Center has provided monthly services to people in extreme need. In July, young adults distributed hamburgers to the homeless, while in November, cleaning and personal hygiene products were donated to nursing homes. A camping trip was organized during Swami's Birthday celebrations, and in December, chocolates were distributed to the homeless.
Brazil
On March 5, 2023, the Sri Sathya Sai Centers of Copacabana and Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro State, started a monthly service in the Grajau forest reserve. The project, "Live the Green Life," underscores the importance of caring for both external and internal nature and fostering a connection with God through Mother Earth. The event, attended by 35 people, included dancing in a circle and talks on nature. The volunteers also weeded out the Zebrina plant (65 bags, 100 liters each), an invasive species that threatens native biodiversity. The task, which would have taken the forest reserve team five days to complete, according to the environmental engineer in charge, was completed in less than two hours by the volunteers.
On March 26, 2023, the Natal Sai Center donated fruit tree seedlings to the rural village of Queimadas in Taipu, Rio Grande do Norte, to provide food for the community and support the greening of the planet. Inspired by the SAI-100 initiative, 360 seedlings of various fruit trees were donated to 90 families, including avocado, acerola, grafted dwarf cashew trees, coconut, soursop, wild olive, pitanga, mango, sapodilla, sweetsop, pitaya, tamarind, pomegranate, and araçá. Seven SSSIO members and five public participated in the project to benefit about 450 people.
On May 6, 2023, the SSSIO of Brazil, led by the National Medical Director, Dr. Eduardo Barbosa, organized a medical camp in Lauro de Freitas, Bahia, with the help of eighteen doctors, three psychologists, and ten medical students. A total of 215 attendees participated in the medical camp. Patients who needed additional procedures were referred to Hospital Santo Antônio, part of the Sister Dulce Social Works.
Workshops on SSEHV were organized for children, including drawing pictures of animals and nature and playing music. The National Coordinator of Sai Spiritual Education, Ms. Fabiana Hussein, and other volunteers gave personal attention to each child.
From April 21 to 23, 2023, the 12th Congress of the SSSIO of Brazil was held in Rio de Janeiro. The three-day event included lectures, devotional singing, study circles, testimonials, poetry, Vedic chanting, light meditation, processions, SSE classes for children and teenagers, workshops, Yoga, and other activities. The Congress was attended by 183 people, including 161 SSSIO members from all corners of Brazil, 54 of whom had never attended such an event before. On the last day, participants sang melodious devotional songs dedicated to Sathya Sai Baba.
In September and October 2023, the Sri Sathya Sai Center of Caxias do Sul organized three service projects to assist the victims of a cyclone that caused fatalities and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul. The project was spearheaded by seven SSSIO members and seven people from the general public who packed 51 containers of bleach, 48 personal hygiene kits, 73 toys, and 120 children's diapers for distribution by the Fire Department.
Chile
The Sri Sathya Sai Center of Seminario prepared and distributed 50 lunch packages to the homeless every Sunday, including serving a special Christmas lunch.
A National Sai Meeting in August featured Yoga, spiritual education, devotional singing, and a fellowship lunch for spiritual and physical growth.
Two workshops on healthy eating were held for Sai Center members in Santiago and others to teach them how to prepare healthy vegetarian meals and educate them on their nutritional benefits. The Young Adults organized a Healthy Dessert Workshop on November 18, 2023. The cooked delicacies were later served as prasadam (blessed food).
Colombia
From November 4 to 6, 2023, 78 SSSIO members participated in a National Meeting. The SSSIO of Colombia has consistently served older people in need, distributing towels, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and organic chocolates at nursing homes in Bogotá, San Joaquín, and Santa Ana Homes. The Archive Committee organized a series of virtual talks called Divine Opportunities to archive the experiences of devotees with Swami.
The Secretariat of Education of Funza awarded a teaching award in the category "Leading Educational Company" to the foundation representing the Sathya Sai School of Human Values.
Ecuador
The Seventh International Meeting on Education in Human Values, "Mainstream Values for Conscious Citizenship," was held online from October 23-25, 2023. It was organized by the Ecuadorian Pedagogy Network, the Institute of Sathya Sai Education and the Ministry of Education, and featured the Sathya Sai School of Bahía de Caráquez.
Paraguay
The free cataract surgery project began in 2019, and as of 2023, more than 700 surgeries had been performed.
SSSIO volunteers provided non-perishable food kits to indigenous communities in Paraguayan Chaco. They also offered lunch twice a month to 150-200 relatives of patients in hospitals in Asunción.
In December, a holiday camp was held for children from a Sathya Sai School which opened in February 2024.
Peru
During 2023, SSSIO volunteers gave clothes and food to two adopted communities in Huarochirí and Cerro San Francisco, on the outskirts of Lima. The impoverished community also benefited from medical camps and monthly SSEHV classes.
In April 2023, SSSIO volunteers provided clothing, food, and medical care to 50 families affected by mudslides.
SSSIO volunteers held a public conference on "Youth self-leadership to transform society" on May 25, 2023. They also held seven workshops on "Young People with Values" in August and September 2023.
The Sri Sathya Sai Center of Trujillo holds a sewing workshop where various items for cold weather are made, such as sheets, quilts and clothes. The products are sent to the Sai Group of Cajamarca, which distributes it with food supplies to the needy in several villages.
Uruguay
The SSSIO of Uruguay resumed the SSEHV Course in June 2023 with four students and four educators. Volunteers served food to the needy twice a month on Saturdays, serving an average of 30 people.
Venezuela
Every Saturday, SSSIO volunteers distributed 100 servings of food to the homeless in Caracas. The Sri Sathya Sai Center of El Toro and members of Western Region also distributed monthly rations to needy families.