India – PunjabState Activities
The PPEP CEO made the inaugural trip to India in 2008. It focused its visit in Sultanpur, Lodhi in the PunjabState, which is the heartland of the Sikh’s. Dr. Arnold was hosted by the local Rotarians, which he had met the year before in Owerri, Nigeria. Dr. Harjit Singh then the President of the Punjab Regional Rotarians was the organizer and host of the visit based out of his medical clinic in SultanpurLodhi.
During the one month stay a number of visits to local elementary, high school, and colleges were made where Dr. Arnold addressed the students with motivational talks and he participated in their community service projects as well as cultural events.
Dr. Arnold also was involved in a number of humanitarian projects including rural/farmworker dental hygiene clinics. Also, he participated in the Polio Free India program and the distribution of warm clothing and blankets to farmworker children. Dr. Arnold was instrumental in promoting a recycling project with local business in SultanpurLodhi with cardboard, plastics, and wrapping paper related daily after business hours. Dr. Arnold befriended the Punjab Minister of Education and exchanged on-line learning methodologies. He signed an MOU with the regional credit union to trade technical assistance with PMHDC. The agreement was executed and signed in ceremonies in both countries. During his stay, a trip to meet with the Dalai Lama was made where Dr. Arnold discussed the necessity to form a micro business program in Dharamsala. Efforts were made to introduce vegetarian, veganism, and sustainable farming among his hosts. This led to organizing a regional seminar on the Natural Cure and Prevention of Diabetes/Sustainable Organic Farming. This seminar was scheduled for December 2013 to be conducted by Dr. Gabriel Cousens, Tree of Life and Dr. Arnold from PPEP. The target population of the seminar was to reach out to the medical community. Also the TATA Foundation initiated a week long technical assistance exchange regarding innovative educational approaches attended by high level team of TATA officials. Funding to carry further the aforementioned initiatives has been on going.
