#MyGivingStoryIndia

Dilip, though young at a sprightly 19, is unable even to stand on his own – thanks to skeletal fluorosis. His doting and loving mother has gone beyond taking care of his daily needs. Surprisingly, she has also made it almost natural for ebullient Dilip to be as naughty and playful as any kid of his age. What had transpired in their Bankpura village of District Dhar in Madhya Pradesh? What had wrought such changed condition that Dilip’s mother today had more time to lavish on her son? Our earnest quest soon gave us answers that took us to the newly installed water tank at their door. Now she no longer had to trudge that long distance to the faraway hand pump for her daily requirement of water, resulting in having more time to devote to her son and also have the satisfaction of having safe water. There are many others like Dilip who are not just suffering from crippling deformities of the spine, bones, severe pain and stiffness of joints but also from lack of self esteem due to their physical disabilities. This is being caused by geogenic presence of fluoride in the deeper sources of groundwater in this region. Although access to water is fundamental to human health, it is a struggle for the marginalized tribal communities in Dhar as they have no access to safe water facilities. Dehradun-based organization People’s Science Institute is making safe drinking water available to people in 21 fluorosis affected villages of Dhar since 2014 with the financial support of Frank Water, UK. Their interventions are based on hydrogeological studies, groundwater quality monitoring and community involvement for operation and maintenance. This noble work is not only helping the affected people live with dignity but is also resulting in their health improvements. In a way, it has set a successful example of decentralized management of fluoride safe drinking water resource at the village level without the use of expensive and chemical based defluoridation techniques.

Shree Amrutvahini Gramvikas Mandal is a voluntary organization based in Maharashtra working for the rehabilitation of homeless people with mentally ill roadside destitutes since 2006. organization is providing services like rescue the people with mentally ill destitute with support of police and we provide them shelter food cloths and counselling facilities through our centre. After the treatment we find out their families and re-unitate them in their familiy. During the course 572 people have been re-united with their families after a spell of sustained care, treatment and psychological help offered by the organization. Objectives of the projects- a. To identify and provide shelter, care and psychiatric and medical services to mentally ill destitute persons b. To provide innovative clinical treatment and therapy. c. To aim at self-sufficiency and de-institutionalization through a rehabilitation / restoration programme. d. To enhance public awareness and gather public support for the care of mentally ill destitute. e. To help bring about positive changes in Government policy and planning with relation to mentally ill.

The story of Santhia, is fighting all odds to study Santhia, a beautiful girl, youngest of 3 girls in an illiterate family living in a remote village named Codular of Villupuram district of Tamilnadu. On July 14th, 2018 she woke up around 5:15 in the morning and went to her cowshed to say good morning to her lovable cows, goats and hens. She does it every day as her regular duty is to clean the cows in the shed. Then she went around to fetch water to wash her uniform, her Grandparents’ cloths and boiled water for her Grandparents use. The rest half an hour she did her homework and had leftover food of yesterdays keeping some for grandparents. The she dressed up and walked to a bus stop at main road 7 Km away. The bus stop was bustling with school students numbering in hundreds to catch the only bus allowed for the students to travel another 8 km to school. The bus was coming in from far away while the students were rushing here and there to catch the bus. I was in my car, suddenly a very speedy car, overtook my car. While the oblivious children were moving here and there, the car hit Santhia and thrown her out for nearly 14 meters away. I stopped my car and found that the girl was unconscious. No hospitals and doctors nearby, called for an ambulance which picked her up to the district hospital where she was admitted. Her parents who are the coolies (daily labourers) working in a brick making chamber, rushed in crying, saw her lovely daughter on dying bed. After seven days, doctors refused to keep Santhia more and asked to shift her to nearby central government medical research centre, Puducherry. She was there for forty-five days. The medicos frequently asked their parents to buy medicines from private pharma which was very costly. The poor parents borrowed money, pledged jewels and materials and bought medicines for her dying child. At the end of the days the doctors from the hospital refused to keep her further, advised them to take her to the state headquarter hospital in Chennai where she was for 63 days. They operated in two places in the neck and top of the head. Still she could not recover. There the doctors again asked the parents to buy medicines from outside. Which costed Rs 4000 per day. The poor and illiterate parents pledged their house, suffered without food and lived on the footpath of the hospital. The parent brought her back to their little house. I visited their home and talked to their parents, neighbours, her class mates and the schoolmates in the village who narrated the whole story. They shared that Santhia is a talented girl who received prizes and medals for her dancing, singing an drawing. I personally saw her and found that she wanted to become a teacher. Now though the whole family and the village is sad and in depression, Santhia hopes that she will resume school. And that there will be more buses to reach her school comfortably as currently the government has allowed only two buses. She recalls how she walks 15 km to and fro daily to study. As a director of a voluntary organization, I collected some donations from well wishers and settled a small part of their debt and food grains for the daily livelihood. I expect some good-hearted people to help the family which is ruining slowly keeping the beautiful girl lying on the small hut without any medical and financial help. I am one of the witnesses of this real story.

School life is usually all about learning and having a good time with school friends. But for the school students of Fazlani L’Academie Globale, Mumbai, it was much more. Lets rewind to June 2018 ...... A group of enthusiastic students were having an exciting conversation. Lets do something meaningful this year -Lets spread Kindness. Thus the chatter began first as whispers in between classes, then as break time conversations and then as a bold statement - We can and we will spread kindness. So the core team began their planning and initiated their first act of kindness by raising funds for disabled Kargil civilians to provide them with Jaipur foot, caliper etc. Following which students added some colour and beautified the corridors of the LTMG school for Deaf and Mute. The deaf and mute students were pleasantly surprised to see a new look of their school Next the students wanted to bring a smile on the faces of weary train travellers who alighted everyday at Sandhurst Road station. So off they were with their palette and paint brushes and painted beautiful images revolving around the theme of Kindness. The students played a friendly football match with the street children of Hamara Foundation and participated in art sessions with the children from Angel Xpress Foundation Along side students are working with WSD- welfare for street dogs to create awareness about their plight. Students visited the kennel, walked the dogs and displayed kindness towards them. During the Diwali holidays each child decided to do one act of Kindness which was woven into a Kindness Mat and unveiled at Worli after a Kindness Walk where students spread their message to join their movement of spreading Kindness to humans, animals and the environment . Student power is yet to be tapped in our country . Our school has shown that empowered students can do so much to make Life more Beautiful .

This case will break your heart for sure. Baby Swapnil ( (name changed to safeguard the patient's identity) from Taloja was just a 2 month old baby and his parents noticed something unusual with his eyes. They were fortunately referred to the right place at the right time. A super specialist (from Hyderabad) diagnosed Retinoblastoma (cancerous tumor between retina and choroid) in both eyes with reasonably good prognosis for the right eye. They were advised chemotherapy every month for a few months but parents had no idea that each chemotherapy session would cost Rs 16,000/- plus routine tests and hospitalization. His parents made every effort to give the baby chemotherapy but how long can a father manage with a salary of around Rs 20,000/- Our Foundation supported one session of chemotherapy and Baby Boy Swapnil completed a total of 6 sessions with help and support from several other funding sources. His reports show 99% tumour regression and Swapnil completed One year on 8th Sept 2018 (Mother Mary's Birthday). God Bless the Baby and his parents with a beautiful life.