Ravi Singh (humanitarian)

Ravinder "Ravi" Singh (born 16 September 1969[4]) is a British humanitarian and founder and CEO of the Sikh international non-profit aid and relief organization Khalsa Aid.[5]

Ravinder Singh
Born (1969-09-16) September 16, 1969
Mundian Jattan, Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India[1]
NationalityBritish
Alma materSlough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise College
OccupationCEO of Khalsa Aid
Years active1999-Present
Known forHumanitarian work around the globe, Promoting sikhism
Notable workFounded Khalsa Aid 1999
Humanitarian Aid to Yazdi Families in Iraq escaped from ISIS
Board member ofKhalsa Aid
AwardsSikh of the Year 2014
Bhagat Singh Thind community empowerment Award 2017[2]
Darpan Award 2017[3]

Career

Ravi has been working as a Sikh humanitarian since 1999, when he had the idea of taking the ideals of the Khalsa, to regions of the world that needed it the most with the hope that it will help to rekindle people’s trust in humanity.[6]

Ravi shot to fame in the UK in 2014 when he mobilized his charity to help the people of Somerset after heavy rain and high winds caused huge amounts of damage to property and land.[7] Later that year the people of Somerset nominated him to appear on the national hit TV show 'Surprise Surprise' as a way of saying thank you for his support. He received a family holiday and a new car.[8]

In 2015 Ravi helped the people of Nepal after an earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 25,000. He encouraged his newly made friends from Somerset to help.[9]

The BBC made a film about Ravi in 2016 titled 'The Selfless Sikh' which documented his journey to northern Iraq, where he provides aid to Yazidi families who have fled their homes to escape the brutality of Islamic State.[4] The film follows Singh into the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan as he delivers aid to Yazidi refugees in makeshift camps, barely 70 kilometres from the IS stronghold of Mosul.[10]

In 2016 Ravi's team assisted motorists stranded in the Dover traffic chaos by delivering 6000 water bottles. Some travelers spent up to 15 hours at a standstill on the M20. Ravi was praised widely on social media. Ravi Singh also stepped in to provide relief to flood victims in multiple Indian states impacted in the 2019 Indian floods.[11]

Awards and recognition

Sep 2018: Received 'The Award Of Excellence and Achievement' by the Punjabi Society Of British Isles at a ceremony in the British Parliament.[12]

May 2018: He refused the ‘Indian of the Year’ Award nomination for his humanitarian contributions because he does not identify himself as an Indian but as a Punjabi/Khalsa.[13]

Dec 2017: Honoured with the Bhagat Singh Thind Community Empowerment Award at a national gala dinner in Maryland USA.[14][15]

Sep 2017: Received the 'International Sensation Award' at Darpan Awards ceremony in Surrey, Canada.[16]

Dec 2014: Awarded 'Sikh of the Year 2014' at an award ceremony in Amritsar[17][18]

See also

References
  1. "Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh refuses 'Indian of the Year' Award nomination". SikhPA. Sikh Press Association. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  2. "Founder of Khalsa Aid,Ravi Singh to receive Bhagat Singh Thind community empowerment Award". Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  3. "Khalsa Aid's Ravi Singh named as 'International Sensation'". Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  4. "The Selfless Sikh: Faith on the Frontline - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  5. @RaviSinghKA (3 September 2021). "Register" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 August 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. "Ravi Singh: Reigniting Faith in Humanity". www.darpanmagazine.com. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  7. "Disaster Charity Khalsa Aid Helps Flood Victims". Sky News. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  8. "Relief worker surprised on national TV after flooding help". Slough Observer. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  9. "Nepal earthquake: Happy List hero inspires people to return the help". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  10. Visvak (19 November 2016). "Ravi Singh: the Sikh who leads relief work from Haiti to Iraq". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  11. Boult, Adam (24 July 2016). "Volunteer group delivers water to motorists stranded in Dover traffic chaos". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  12. "Founder Of Khalsa Aid Ravinder Singh Awarded By Punjabi Society Of British Isles". Ghaint Punjab. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. "Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh refuses 'Indian of the Year' Award nomination". SikhPA. Sikh Press Association. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  14. "Ravi Singh, Founder of Khalsa Aid to Receive Bhagat Singh Thind Award | SALDEF". saldef.org. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  15. Reporter, India-West Staff. "SALDEF 2017 Gala: A Night of Love and Strength in Diversity". India West. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  16. "Nominate Now: Darpan's International Sensation Award Winner Ravi Singh Talks Real Sikhi". darpanmagazine.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  17. "Humanitarian named Sikh of the Year at awards ceremony". Maidenhead Advertiser.
  18. "Highlights of the Award Ceremony in Amritsar organised by SEWA International". Sikh Channel.
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