Sewa Sandesh     March 2014 TRAINING CAMP FOR GRAM VIKAS WORKERS IN SURAT A two-day training camp for the workers of Gram Vikas was organised in Surat from February. About 300 workers from different states participated in the camp and shared their experience. RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi addressed the workers on second day of the camp. He said when we think of individual development we try to achieve the goal on our own strength, but when it comes to the development of our own villages we depend upon the Governments or other agencies. “If we have to raise the status of our society we must take steps ourselves. When we move a step, the rest of the people would follow us. The RSS wants that the villagers should develop their respective villages themselves and they should abandon the habit of always depending upon the Government,” he said. AROGYA BHARATI TO WORK FOR POSITIVE HEALTH IN A VILLAGE  Arogya Bharati, the premier organisation dedicated to the sphere of health in rural areas, has come up with a new initiative to spread positive health in rural India. “We have been working on ‘Swastha Gram Yojana’ from 7 years in a village in Gujarat. Results of our efforts in that village are very encouraging. We have demonstrated a positive impact on many health parameters. Hence we now want to replicate the experiment across number of villages in different parts of our country,” said Dr Hitesh Jani, HoD at Gujarat Ayurveda University in Jamnagar and convener of ‘Swastha Gram Yojana’.“We have developed a 10 point programme to be followed under the ‘Swastha Gram Yojana’, which includes environmental protection, clean drinking water, developing collective thinking about the health issues in the village and promoting discussion over such issues, developing ‘Health Card’ scheme for health monitoring, cleanliness drive, de-addiction etc. We are also in the process of enhancing the programme with the help of institutions and individuals who have worked in the area of rural health,” Dr. Jani added. He said there is a vast gap between the health facilities in cities and the rural area which makes the task of rural welfare tougher. While working on the area, we realised that the scenario can be altered by creating awareness about positive health in the rural area. If we can create an environment where people will be motivated to follow a positively healthy lifestyle and they could be provided with guidance from experts in the field of health, health conditions of an area say a village can be altered within a stipulated time frame. Once we came to this conclusion, we started to experiment it at the Surya village in Jamnagar district of Gujarat and 7 years down the line we can easily see that this works, he said. Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio Humanitarian Services Committee Report on Medical Yatra -2014 @ Gandevi, Guj. Jan. 22-28, 2014    Jointly Organized by Rotary Club of Gandevi, American Association of Indian Physicians of North Ohio (AIPNO), Gandevi Seva samaj of North America Gandevi Taluka Seva Trust SEWA-USA international       Rotary Club of Gandevi, American Association of Indian Physicians of North Ohio, Gandevi Seva Samaj of North America and Gandevi Taluka Seva Trust jointly organized Medical Yatra in Gandevi and surrounding villages from January 22nd to 28th.  A brief summary of the camp and beneficiaries is given below. Educate/Train, Prevent, Save the Lives!  Medical Yatra was comprised of Six General Medical Camps-Screening Clinics at six different locations namely Bigari, Gandevi, Kharel, Gadat, Kesali and Amalsad followed by Specialty Camp for Cancer, Diabetes, Heart and Thyroid at Gandevi on 26th to 28th January 2014. In all General camp locations we had mobile Pharmacy to distribute free medicines, blood collection facility for testing, dental facility, CPR training to General population, blood pressure and blood glucose testing, and poster presentation for awareness for healthy life style and preventing diseases. All patients suspected of Cancer, Diabetes, Heart diseases and thyroid disorders were called again in Specialty Camp at Gandevi Canning Factory for further evaluation, investigations and treatment planning. We had Sanjeevani Rath from Gujarat Cancer Research Institute with mammography, sonography and PAP Smear testing facility in the van. We also had mobile pharmacy and blood collection facility at all General Camp locations and Gandevi Specialty Camp location. Group of 25 Medical Professionals and paramedics from AIPNO, USA came on Thursday 23rd January from Dharampur. After a brief meeting, they formed two teams. Following Screening clinics were organized for Super Specialty Camp Jan 26-27-28   Date Team #1 No. of Patients Team #2 No. of Patients Jan. 23 Sarvajanik H.School  Bigari 186 C.J. High School,Gandevi 237 Jan.24 Naik High School,Kharel 85 Ambika High School, Gadat 261 Jan.25 H.D. Sarvajanik High School,Amalsad 391 N.B.Patel High School, Kesali 244 Jan.27 Ram Mandir, Bardoli 370 Patients who are suspected of Cancer, Coronary problems, Diabetes and Thyroid disorders were advised to come to Specialty Camp at Canning Factory location in Gandevi on 26th, 27th and 28th January .Patients who were examined on 23rd in General Medical Camp came on 26th, patients from 24th came on 27th and patients from 25th and 27th came for Specialty camp on 28th January respectively. For Specialty Camp we had Medical Experts from USA, England, Mumbai, Amdavad, Vadodara and Surat. All these Medical professionals worked very hard and gave free services for this noble cause. Patients with following medical conditions took advantage of the specialty camp at Gandevi.   Super Specialty Camp @ Canning Factory   No.of Patients Jan.26  189 Jan.27  198 Jan.28  181 Mammogram, sonography, calcium deficiency and PAP smear testing were performed; Detected Positive Prior to Yatra @ BAPS Hospital, Surat 151 7 Jan.26-Gandevi-S.Rath   9 2 Jan.27-Gandevi-S.Rath 29 2 Jan.28-Gandevi-S.Rath 35 4     Patients with following Medical conditions were identified and efforts are being made by Rotary Club of Gandevi to treat these patients at no cost to them.    Medical Condition                          No. of Patients  CancerCervical Cancers                        9 Cancer of Uterus                                 4 Mouth, head & Neck                            10 Other cancers                                    20                                                                                                                      43 Diabetes   Patients -          Diabetic                     677 Heart For Bypass surgery                               5 Valve disorders                                    6 For Angiography                                  29 For Echo & Stress studies                     39 Other conditions                                 13                                                                                                                     92 Thyroid Patients already on treatment               34 Patients who needed treatment              3 Patients seen during general camp         23        Prescribed medicines were given to patients for immediate treatment of certain conditions free of charge. We set up a mobile pharmacy with medicines donated by pharmaceutical companies, medical stores and medical practitioners.       Many patients needed further investigations and treatment and the arrangement is being made to refer them to various major hospitals. IMPORTANT to NOTE:      Investigations activities started in early part of January and shall continue the follow up activities until June-July, 2014. Gandevi Rotarians and NGOs have been committed to give each and every patient utmost satisfaction. Vocational Training Program  The most important component of this Medical Yatra was to train and educate Local Medical professionals, bring awareness regarding these deadly diseases amongst rural and tribal communities in and around Gandevi and to take preventive measures for improving quality of life. To achieve these goals following activities were planned and successfully executed. On Thursday January 23rd 2014, a seminar was organized at New Civil Hospital Surat. Similar seminar was also organized on Friday, January 24th at G.M.E.R.S Medical College, Valsad.  The following expert professionals from AIPNO shared their experience leading to CME program.   Dr Adi Mehta,  Cleveland Clinic, USA (Endocrinologist)                                           Dr Sethu Reddy, Cleveland Clinic, USA (Endocrinologist)                                       Dr Martin Wiseman, Hillcrest-Cleveland Clinic,USA (Cardiologist)                               Dr Pushkar Khande,St.Vincent Charity Hospital, USA (Resident)                               Dr Mahesh Varia, University of N. Carolina,USA  (Oncologist),                                 Dr Indu Varia,Duke University, USA (Psychiatrist). Total 32 doctors and lecturers of Civil Hospital at Surat and 62 at Valsad attended the seminar. Academic meeting of AIPNO Super Specialist with Local Medical Practitioners   A meeting of local medical physicians of Gandevi and super specialist doctors of AIPNO was organized at Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple Hall on Sunday 26th January 2014 to discuss latest advancement for diagnosis and management of patients suffering from most deadly diseases like Cancer, heart disorders, and diabetes. Total forty three professionals attended the seminar. Training of   Government Paramedical staff                                                                                                                                                                    Health program of Rural area is managed through Gandevi Taluka Primary Health Department. Gandevi Taluka has one block office, six primary Health Centers, two community health centers and two urban health centers. They have team of nursing staff and ASHA workers, who visits all people in villages to provide health care.There is also Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of Government comprising of Anganwadi workers in every villages, who work for child and mother care program. There is also Nutrition wing of ICDS, who work to combat malnutrition amongst children. A seminar was arranged to train these paramedical government staff on January 27th in Koli Samaj Bhuvan Gandevi. Total of more than 650 staff attended the seminar. The seminar was addressed by Doctors from Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, and local Non-Government  organization- Action Research in Community Health. This was one of the best way to impart training for rural health.                                                                                                                                                    Awareness Program for General Public                                                                       A seminar was organized on Saturday January 25th, 2014 for General Public in Koli Samaj Bhuvan, Gandevi. Lectures by noted Nutritionist  and Chair-person Indian Diabetic Association, Dr Niranjana Shah and her team were very informative to control diabetic and heart problems by proper diet. Mrs.Salome Samuel (Nutrition expert) and Mrs Nazin Husain (Dietician) also gave important information on diet. They also highlighted the role of Yoga to improve the quality life. This was one of the best seminars attended by more than 275 citizens of Gandevi and surrounding villages. Dr Adi Mehta, Consulting Endocrinologist from AIPNO, USA touched upon very important points for healthy life style in very hilarious way. We are sure that this seminar will change the life style of many to control diabetes and heart problems. CPR Training    Dave Diffendal-Rotarian and others arranged CPR training with ‘Hands On” training for Nurses, Paramedics and general public est. 1,000 persons benefited from this half an hour training to save lives. So many places we left mannequins to continue the CPR training year around.                                                                                                                                               Public Awareness Campaign by street performance                                               A team of Gujarati Movie Artist from Ahmedabad was invited to give street performance program called “BHAVAI”. They performed Bhavai at ten different villages during late evening and night few days before the General Medical camp. A village at Medical Camp site and the village near each site were decided for the Bhavai for awareness and attract more patients to take advantage of the Medical Camp. This performance was unique and designed to convey messages on cleanliness, avoid bad habits of drinking alcohol, tobacco chewing etc with comedy in local language.                                   Video recording was prepared on local streets to cover major aspects of personal hygiene  such as washing hands before meal, brushing teeth, keep streets clean, disadvantage of  plastic usage, oral cancer due to tobacco chewing etc. This video was projected at different villages along with Bhavai.  This was an eye opening event in Gandevi Taluka. We had large number of patients turn out who are suffering from Diabetes and this in turn end up with Heart and kidney problems. Most of the patients were economically poor and hail from rural areas of Gandevi. They were treated at no cost to them. Uncontrolled eating habits, consumption of country liquor and tobacco, uncontrolled use of plastics and polluted environment are the root cause of these deadly diseases. We could convey the message to prevent diseases and to remain healthy by seminars and awareness programs. For this project we received help from many persons and organizations. We thank all people who helped us putting their time, talents and/or financial resources (SEWA-USA and others)or rendering honorary professional services for this noble cause. We also appreciate the hard work of one and all who helped directly or indirectly to make this Medical Yatra-2014 a grand success.    Prepared by: Mohan Patel, Parimal Naik & Ramesh Shah                   SEWA MELBOURNE FUNDRAISING EVENT

In response to the appeal made by Sewa International Bharat for fundraising towards a computer center in Uttarakhand, Sewa (Melbourne) arranged a fund raising event on Sunday, the 23rd February at Annual Street Festival of Clayton. Funds were raised through two activities i.e., hand painting (Hena) with the help of female Sewa volunteers and sale of cold drinks with the help of male Sewa volunteers. Sewa also participated in Annual Australia Clean Up Day on 2nd March, attended by Mayor, Monash City Council and local Councillor. HEALTH LINE FOR SPECIALIST MEDICAL ADVICE INDIA Health Line (IHL), a unique social service in socio-medical field, was launched in Hyderabad on February 16 in the presence of eminent medicos and representatives of medical fraternity. The Health Line will have a National Call Centre to attend to patients calls who, after seeing the neighbouring general practitioners, want to consult specialists for further advice and necessary treatment.Launching the Health Line renowned cancer surgeon and VHP working president Dr Pravin Togadia said there are many half-treated diseases only because patients after primary examination by the doctor do not approach specialist doctors as advised. It is mainly due to poverty, fear of increased medical expenses if any serious disease is detected and sometimes even ignorance. “To avoid this, India Health Line aims at connecting Medical Fraternity with the needy patients. Doctors are a part of this great nation and the society. They always want to help. So for nation's sake thousands of specialist doctors like Cancer Surgeons, Neuro Surgeons, Cardiologists, Gynecologists, Nephrologists, Urologists and many other specialist doctors have got associated with IHL.They will see the patients per appointment arranged by IHL and advice further. To streamline further, thousands of Pathology Labs, X Ray / MRI / CT Scan Centers, Chemists Shops, Hospitals / Day Care Centers, Ambulances / Blood Banks have come ahead to be a part of this socially important initiative to help the needy patients and save valuable human working hours of the nation and of course to save manylives,” Dr Togadia said. THE ART OF GIVING A SOCIAL ENTERPRENEUR WAY   There are many young Indians who dream of being employer to many rather than being employee. However, after facing all hardships throughout life even to fulfill basic needs, creating a cluster of world class institutions, generating employable human resource and at the same time, providing education, shelter, training and food to more than 20000 tribal kids is a social revolution in itself. This has become a key instrument in curbing conversions and fighting menace of naxalism by a single handed initiative of Dr Achyuta Samanta. A rare combination of philanthropy, spirituality, revolutionary ideas and social entrepreneurial skills to provide space even for the man languishing in the lowest strata of the social order makes him a trend setter of different kind. Samanta, who had the feel of being poor without his father’s hand on his head since the age of four, strength of shouldering agonies caused by the untimely death of his father, never ever shied away from putting a brave face to console his widowed mother, while still bleeding deep inside his heart. Samantha withstood the vagaries of circumstances to rise tall enough to dwarf everyone rich and influential, not by material richness, but by ethical values of life. Setting up KIIT- a world class university all by himself with less than Rs. 5000 in his pocket is now history. It is no less a miracle to create an architectural marvel, spreading across 25 sq. kilometers of land in 20 wi-fi state-of-the art campuses, but it was not what he wanted to make. It was his experience that made him to think for millions of poverty-striken children. He dreamt of a world where poverty would not stand as an obstacle to one’s education. In his efforts, he created a slice of heaven on earth, christened it as Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), for fifteen thousand neglected and underprivileged tribal children living far away from out civilized world, as he strongly believes: Poverty creates illeterary, literary removes poverty. Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) organised a mega guardian’s meet on Sunday February 2, 2014 with more than 50,000 parents and guardians of tribal students of the institution attending the meeting. Assembly of such large number of triabls representing 62 tribes and 1 primitive tribal communities from Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Assam, is one of its kind. While expressing gratitude to KIIT and KISS founder Achuta Samantha for securing the future of their children by providing free education at par with top public schools, the parents also stressed the need for government support to better the institution that has more than 20,000 tribal children in its fold. A guardian committee is to be formed to appeal to the government on problems faced by KISS.   KISS AT A GLANCE Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar, with an humble beginning in 1993 with 125 children, has become the largest residential institute for the tribals in the world, providing Accommodation, food, Healthcare, Education from Kindergarten to Post Graduation, vocational training and all other basic amenities of life absolutely free with a job after completion of education. Today KISS has:- Current Strength-15,083 children 60 per cent boys and 40 per cent girls as on June, 2011. Land Area - 80 acres Built-up Area - 8,00,000 sqft. Students enrolled from 62 tribes of Orissa including 13 primitive Tribes. Students from adjoining States 5% reserved seats in different professional courses of KIIT University. Library in 15,000 sq.ft. building with over 20,000 titles A DAY FILLED WITH THE WONDER OF SCIENCE —  Malini Hoizal   When I first saw a mail from my colleague regarding YFS volunteering opportunity, I thought it was one of the regular opportunities. The event was – Visit Indian Institute of Science with children. The description stated that the volunteers were required to take care of school children visiting IISc. On the day of the event I reached the rendezvous point, met our YFS point of contact, Mr. Lakshmikanth and was in for a wonderful surprise. Indian Institute of Science was actually celebrating its Founder’s Day and had organized an Open Day in conjunction with the same! The Open Day is a day when IISc opens its doors to the public, to Explore, Experience, and Enjoy the wonders of scientific and technological innovations, experiments, research and a whole lot of other things. We were formed in groups of 25 children and 4-5 adults. Our group included children from Rajarajeshwari Nagar with their enthusiastic and cheerful teacher. Armed with a map of the humungous, gigantic campus, an eager group and a curious mind we proceeded toward our targets – the departments that would offer something interesting. We were blown away by the Glass-blowing demo and learnt about the different types of glasses and their uses.  Each of us gaped when a glass tube was heated, blown, twisted and finally turned into a swan. Wow! What an experience! We thought nothing else could top this experience. But wait, we were yet to visit the Civil Engineering Department. The Ground Penetration Radar won the children’s interest hands down. Everyone was allowed to move the radar on the soil surface and experience its operations. And the best part was when they “treasure-hunted” the chocolates “hidden” below the surface. Each department had its own fun way of demonstrating their work and had innovative ways to facilitate learning. We played fun games, watched Math movies, learnt about different types of rocks, saw a piece of a meteorite, did a nature walk, tried our hands at a few experiments and had a blast. On the whole, it was an amazing experience that would remain as part of some fond memories. And guess what made it fun? Seeing all the demos, experiments, posters, the campus and the displays through the eyes of the school children we accompanied!

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