Harshadbhai Uka Patel

Harshadbhai Uka Patel from Los Angeles, CA has become Partner in Service for Anand Hospital. Over the last few years, Harshadbhai has raised over $150K for the Gujarat Hospital by donating his personal funds, organizing several fundraising activities in LA area and persuading potential donors to donate. Born in Satem near Navsari, he graduated as a Chemical Engineer and relocated to Los Angeles in 1975.  In 1999, he started Q-Flex Inc. (www.QFLEXINC.com) - a prototype manufacturing and design company for the flexible circuits and assembly.

Harshadbhai is a quintessential humanitarian. He is actively involved with an Emancipation Network that promotes ‘Made by Survivors’. The network fights against global slavery and sale of young girls into prostitution and helps them lead an independent life. He is also involved in a NPO in his village which operates a small hospital and a state of the art high school. In the LA region, he is actively involved with Matiya Samaj (SOCAL) and Federation of Indian Associations (FIA)

We at Sankara are very fortunate to get someone of Harshadbhai’s caliber fully involved in carrying our mission further. In his own words, here is how Harshadbhai got involved with SEF: 

“Fate has a strange way of bringing together a group of people. Ram Dutt, a friend, introduced me to SEF.  Although I liked the cause, I had so many other activities on my plate that I didn’t consider this on the top of my list.

 One day, I was talking to a group of people about one of the charity projects I was involved in.  My wife, Nayna, says to me – ‘you are spending so much time on all these projects, why don’t you look at SEF?  Which project gives the most benefit to ones who needs the most?’

 Then I realized that this was something I need to consider. ‘When you build a temple, who benefits?  The people who visit the temple… Are they poor? Are they not capable of building one?  Do you have to have a multimillion dollar temple? How much community work is done by a limited number of people? Who benefits?  Are the beneficiaries not capable of doing what the limited number of people are doing?’ I realized the simple fact that SEF helps people who are in no position to help themselves.  

Throw in the facts that SEF is non political, non-religious and the accounting is crystal clear, the issue was clear in my mind. Majority of my commitment right now is for SEF and Emancipation Network.”

Harshadbhai has completely embraced SEF and has been leading the fundraising efforts in Southern California and beyond for Sankara Eye Foundation.