Yo Peeps,
Hope all is well back home. From Gopal being a great big brother to Dumford being a fun roommate and providing me with DEET to keep all the mosquitoes away to Jones being cool and having one of the best IPod selections ever to Sujan's fantastic jokes and stories to Bindu's easygoing sense of humor to Indo-Chinese food, the trip is off to a terrific start.
The past couple of days will stick with me for a long time to come. On Monday, we began our involvement with the Sivanand Rehabilitation Home. This place was started in 1958 and simply performs outstanding work. They work with patients who have leprosy, TB, and HIV, and they do so much more than just provide treatment for them. They really invest their time and energy to making sure their patients have as good a life as possible. This place gets the patients and sometimes even the patients' family members help with education, jobs, rehabilitation, psychiatric matters, and even transition back into the community. There is an orphanage for HIV infected children who receive education and health care on site. There is even a home for the elderly. There is also an alcohol detox program. The best part about this home is that it provides everything to its patients for free! And yes, this includes medications and surgical procedures for the leprosy patients as well!
As many of you know, I started a national service organization in 1999 called New Life Volunteering Society (www.NLVS.org). Though NLVS has accomplished great things including starting tutoring programs, health education programs, and a free health clinic amongst many other strong efforts across the United States, our long-term goal is to work towards setting up schools, free clinics, and orphanages in Third World Countries. No easy task. However, I can tell you that I personally have been very inspired with the work this rehabiliatation home has accomplished, and I now feel that it is very realistic to make a huge difference in the lives of so many people on a global scale. It's great to see the proof in front of your own two eyes after hearing about so many stories of failure due to obstacles of funding, government support, time, resources, etc.
The rehabilitation home's wall had a quote I'd like to share with you:
"Those who carry on great public schemes must be proof against the most fatiguing delays, the most mortifying disappointments, the most shocking insults, and what is worst of all the presumptuous judgment of the ignorant."
Means a lot to me, and I hope to you as well. We all carry the potential to make a difference in this world. It's just a matter of finding your niche and giving 100 percent. I've already spoken with the rehab home's chief administrator today, and it looks like we will likely have collaboration between our organizations in the near future. Come join the fun if you'd like!
Vijay
ps. Miss everybody at home! Keep in touch :)
3 comments:
When I did not see blogs for a few days, I was wondering whether it was due to a busy schedule or you wanted to keep it all to yourselves or you are having too much fun or it was the effect of Indo-Chinese food. Your blogs are great even for non-med people like me. Keep us posted of all about the medical and volunteer work done there. Thanks to those that posted today and earlier.
Who pays for all of this care? Take some notes Vijay, I'd love to help you in your endeavors when you come back.
Does Don snore?
Vijay, it was great and very moving to read about your experience at the rehabilitation home. We have enjoyed reading all the other blogs too. We wish you all many more wonderful happenings in the days to come. Vijay, dad wants you to think of him when you eat the authentic South Indian meal in Hyderabad. We miss you very much. Hope everyone is doing fine. Talk to you soon. Lots of Love - Mom and Dad
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