Cayman’s Sikh community is holding its first annual food drive on 13 Nov. in support of the Cayman Food Bank, as they mark their annual festival Guru Nanak Gurpurab.
The festival commemorates the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and is the largest celebration held by the Sikh community, Ishan Singh, a member of the Sikh & South Asian Community in Grand Cayman, told the Cayman Compass.
Singh said similar charity events are held around the world by members of the Sikh community and those here in Cayman will be doing the same next month.
“In celebration of the 553rd birth anniversary of the founder the Sikh community, the South Asian community as a whole is putting together a food drive for the benefit of the Cayman Food Bank. It’ll be essentially the first annual food drive for that purpose, but as the community grows, it’s an opportunity for us to give back to Cayman and the community at large and it’s also something that we would like to continue as the years progress,” Singh said.
The food drive, he added, is a testament to the values that were instilled from the outset from the founder of the religion. Singh is encouraging members of the community to bring non-perishable items on 13 Nov. to Constitution Hall in George Town.
He said they will be accepting donations from 5pm at the celebration, which is open to the public at no cost and will also feature free vegetarian meals.
Singh, who said the Sikh community has about 200 members, is inviting the public to join in the celebration and learn more about the teachings of the Sikh religion.
“The neat thing about Sikhism is that it’s a very inclusive and open religion. It is much more of a way of life and philosophy,” he said.
Singh said there are three founding pillars, or three main teachings, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji – hard work and honest work, sharing with others or a concept of selfless service, and connect with God.
He added, it is also about being godly in words and thoughts, and being “grateful to God for whatever you have in life”.
Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Gurpurab, is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism as it marks the birth anniversary of the first of the 11 Sikh gurus, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was born in 1469.
The Sikh community, in a release on the food drive, shared a story about Guru Nanak, that when he was a child, he was given some money and told to visit the market by his father to do ‘Sacha Sauda’ (a good bargain).
“His father was a well-known trader of his village and wanted young Nanak to learn the family business when he was just 12 years old. Instead of doing a worldly bargain, the Guru instead bought food with the money and fed a large group of saints who had been hungry for days. That is what he said was the ‘true business,'” the release said, pointing to the importance of service to mankind.
The Cayman Food Bank has expressed a need for the following items:
Flour (All-purpose white flour)
Rice
Tomato Sauce
Mac & Cheese
Canned Beans
Pasta
Canned Vegetables
Other non-perishable food itemsAll items collected on 13 Nov. will donated to the Food Bank.
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