Retreat Speakers

Dr. Ramadevi Sankaran: MD, FAAP, DNB (PED)

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, married to a Sai Family.

Medical Director- Department of Pediatrics, Northshore Health Centers, Indiana, USA. Adjunct Ass. Professor at Des Moines Medical University, IA, USA. Preceptor - Valparaiso University, NW Indiana, USA.  Have been practicing medicine for 30yrs (including 10yrs of practice in India) Participated in many international medical camps including disaster relief camps (Haiti, Philippines, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Jamaica, Mexico, Africa and India)

ISSE-USA (Institute of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values- USA)

· Faculty Member: 2000 - present

· Coordinator of Medical Programs Committee -ISSE-USA, Co Chair- SSIO International Medical Committee -USA, International Coordinator for the EASE program – SAI 100.

Personal History:  Have organized medical camps in the USA in collaboration with the local churches for the homeless and the needy population. Passionate about working with public health to improve the overall health of the community including Maternal and Child health. Dr Ramadevi was leading the Sai Women’s group for Self-transformation - Transformation of the family- Transformation of the society. She was involved in community outreach projects like “Adopt a Family”, Baby Shower Project for Refugee women in collaboration with Public Health.

SSEHV Experience: Conducted many SSEHV workshops in the health care system, Passionate about introducing a human value based medical system, value based medical education and working on Initiative to do so. Involved with SSEHV workshops for schools and organizations for youth on health-related topics Internationally (St. Croix, Nigeria, Benin &Barbados) Currently doing workshops in the public schools and Homeless shelters on health-related topics based on Human Values.

Leslie Farkas first visited Sathya Sai Baba when he was 21 in 1989. His mother Veronica was already an ardent devotee, but Leslie was very skeptical and even against this strange looking man in India. Leslie’s heart was deeply yearning for God, but he was living from his head, from the ego, thinking that he could be the master of his own life. Little did Leslie know that Swami was about to totally transformed him.

It was on Leslie’s third trip in 1992, when out of a deep existential crisis he finally surrendered to Swami. On that day of surrender the mind took a back seat and the Lord of Love became the charioteer of his life. This visit that was to last 6 months, turned into a five-year spiritual odyssey of living and serving in the physical presence of the Lord. In Leslie's first interview in 1992, Swami asked Veronica and Leslie to run the Western Canteen. They had no prior training or experience, but with Swami’s grace, much hard work and the service of many devotees they managed, cooked, and baked feeding many hundreds and sometime thousands of devotees per meal.

When Swami would move to Bangalore they would run the Canteen there. Their vacation time from the Canteen was when they would follow Swami to Kodaikanal, Otty and other locations in India. Through his time in India, Leslie was blessed with numerous interviews, Swami’s close personal attention and deep, difficult and liberating spiritual lessons. In the last year of his stay, Swami asked Leslie to speak to visiting devotees as a Public Relations Officer, sharing Swami’s messages, teachings and his own experiences.

In 1997 Swami told Leslie it was time to leave and go back to California, where Swami would continue to guide and polish him, removing the obstacles to Union, through the miracles and drama of life. Since returning to the USA, Leslie has been working as an Electrical & Mechanical Engineer in the medical device and electric transportation fields. He continues to do service and shares his experiences and teachings of his Divine Master who resides in his heart as his very Self.