In April 1999, while Sikhs around the world were celebrating 300 years of the Khalsa Panth, a very bloody war in Kosovo was raging with thousands of Kosovans fleeing their homes for the safety of neighbouring countries.

At a Nagar Kirtan in Slough (England) an idea of reviving the Sikhi concept of sharing with the unfortunate was reborn. The name Khalsa Aid was chosen as it represents the spirit of the Panth (Sikh Community). An appeal was launched to help the refugees of Kosovo who were in camps across the border in Albania.

The Sangat (congregation) was very generous and kind in their response to the appeal. It was the first such operation of its kind and involved a lot of networking with other communities. Within 2 weeks of the appeal, 2 trucks and a van load of aid was ready to depart for Albania. It was both a very emotional and Chardi Kala (high spirits) time for the founders of Khalsa Aid.

The Khalsa Aid convoy was joined by another small convoy from England, who were also heading towards Albania. The convoy drove through Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy. It was a fascinating sight for Europeans to see Singhs driving through their towns with Kirtan bellowing from the speakers.

The group initially had to wait a few hours to get out of the port (Duress) in Albania but the local contact (a Catholic priest) was very welcoming which made up more than enough for the wait. The first drop off point for the aid was a Catholic mission in a town called Lac. It was very good timing , as the food stores were almost empty. The mission was looking after about 3700 refugees.

The second drop off point for aid was a disused tobacco factory, which was being used as a temporary shelter for refugees. The conditions at this camp were very bad. It was also a trip through some rough and dangerous countryside. The team had been warned not to travel in the dark due to armed bandits roaming the area.

The third trip was a very long drive to a town called Kukes, which was on the Albanian/Kosovan border. The eight-hour drive involved dealing with tiny roads along 4000ft high mountains. At Kukes, there were refugees everywhere and more arriving by the day. We unloaded the remaining aid and after spending the night there we started our journey home.

It was a very important first-time experience for the group and a great moment for the Sangat. The Sangat made all this possible and set up a Sikh action group to directly help the less fortunate.