A Heap of Waste was all that was left....

9 months pregnant woman describes her ordeal through the floods. As the waters started invading her little hut, Thankamani who was 9 months pregnant at that time put her strength together to climb on to her cot. She then placed a bench on it to stay safely above the water level. She stayed that way long until it was dark. By then electricity had failed and with the water level climbing higher, she managed the worst for herself.

Fortunately for her, she was rescued in time by her father and brother. They swam her to a school where they took shelter along with some others.  As the school had no food supply they had to move. Weary and hungry after carrying Thankamani for over an hour, her father and brother reached a relief camp where they survived for the next 4 days on dry bread and water.

When they finally returned home after the floods receded, they found that they had lost everything- ornaments, clothes, utensils and furniture. What was left was only just a heap of waste!

When she came to see the doctor at the Camillian Task Force Medical Camp at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar of Thiruvallur District dated Dec. 14, she was still suffering from that horrific experience. She was still suffering from body pain and mental trauma. Tears dropped down her eyes as she spoke to us. Even though her loss of property was irretrievable, she said the flood brought her closer to her family and strengthened her relationships with the fellow beings who faced the sufferings alongside her.

Analysis based on our medical camps in Thiruvallur district, Chennai

Going by the medical camps organized between December 13-17 across 24 different locations of Thiruvallur District, Women (46%) and Children (33%) were the most vulnerable groups, followed by men(20%). A small group of 13 pregnant women were also  listed among the total of 5.7 thousand people that benefited from the medical camps organised by Camillian Task Force  in association with Caritas India Network.

Analgesics (Diclofenac, Aceclofenac) were the medicines used to treat arthralgia and arthritis, the second most common symptoms, after common cold, cough and fever. Though not flood related, due to the poor nutritional status, poor personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation, worm infestations, vitamin deficiencies and anaemia were the other illness that were rampant. Other medical conditions like tonsillitis, pharyngitis, otitis and acute gastro enteritis were also seen among these groups. A limited number of anti-biotic also were used to treat these conditions.

Other Findings

• The diseases observed in our campus could have occurred due to contaminated drinking water, mixing of sewage water with the stagnant flood waters, poor personal hygiene, inadequate hand washing practices, consumption of unhygienic food and poor environmental sanitation.
• Illiteracy was found to be playing a major role in the cause of these diseases, awareness of flood related diseases among those who are affected should be increased by means of health education.
• Alcoholism and tobacco consumption was rampant among the affected areas with many men visiting the camp in drunken state. These issues should be addressed during rehabilitation. Substance abuse delays and hampers rehabilitation process. It affects the family members including children’s health and education.

Two HIV positive children from Bangalore participated in Children’s Olympics, Netherlands

Sneha Charitable Trust (SCT) founded in 2003 is a non profitable organisation providing social and community health care services to the poor, sick and the most neglected section of our society in India. SCT has many care centres for Children and adults living with HIV across India. We give prime importance to the healthcare of each and every person living under our care. They have been given exposures in many co-curricular activities as part of their education. Champion in me is first-of-its-kind project in the world, this programme deals with sports for children living with AIDS. The focus here is to eradicate stigma and discrimination through sport as a medium; to empower these kids with the right to play sports; to get them to the mainstream; and to also work on the immune system of the kids. 

We are working with 400 plus kids in our care centres and many more on outreach across Karnataka.” Every year, on the 1st of December, we conduct sports meet exclusively for children with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Elvis Joseph, the founder of BSSF and a close associate of Sneha Charitable Trust, has been working towards the training of young sportspersons since the inception of Bangalore Schools Sports Foundation (BSSF). With the support of his organisation we have been successful in identifying two boys with exceptional performing calibre to participate in the children’s Olympics in 2015.

Budding sportspersons, Babu and Manik were trained for six months to take part in the tournament held in June. The duo has shattered the myth that being HIV positive is the end of the road. This is something that had never happened before anywhere in the world, and the members of the Olympics committee were also very excited about it.

Among the many kids, Babu and Manik have been very special because they have been a cut above the rest. They have been participating in all the main stream projects and sports meets that are happening, track and field events happening in the city and they have been qualified for the international children's games which is a children's Olympics. 

‘It’s very tough to get motivated if you have nothing to train for but our children run almost 10 kilometres every morning to keep up their energy level, an excellent recipe to stay healthy’ Says Baby Ellickal, the president, Sneha Charitable Trust.

A Tale of Sita......

Delhi’s rape case is just one…. there are lot happening around us….

Fight is not with the Virus in Blood but with

                                     Virus that is in the  minds & in the Society

  Sita was born like any other child but her normal childhood did not last long as she becomes a burden for her mother who is into sex work. Sita takes refuge in uncles’ (the brother of her mother) house. Uncle was rather good with her though he did not send her to school. As she grew older her mother died, it did not affect her much, but soon her uncle dies. This dramatically changed her life she had to live with another uncle. This new uncle did not care her but ill treated her very often ended up beating her.

This new situation made Sita to change her life and adopt new ways to survive. In this processes she meets a girl of her own age...Sita makes friendship with her. This new girl her friend was already into sex work. Sita not knowing about it wanting to escape from the ill-treating uncle she goes away from her uncle’s home to a house in the forest with her new found friend. Then after two months of living with her friend she realized that this is not a good and safe place. She flees from there and comes back to the uncle’s home again. But bye that time she had to give her body  to three to four people.

Now back in uncle’s house she hoped to live a normal life. But uncle did not care her but beat her for no reason. Then one day she meets her friend  and a temptation to go with her again. She goes to meet her where she was trapped and abused by two and there were some more waiting she escapes from them takes refuge in one house, they then inform the police, police takes her to custody and arrest those who abused her.

 Sita’s struggles do not end there, after she came out with the police case the uncle did not want to receive her any more. Bye now she was quite sick and with all these problems she ends up in Govt hospital with no one to care for her. From there..  through some net work people she reaches Snehakiran almost dying. On admission she had very bad pulmonary tuberculosis and anemia. We transfused blood and started treatment for tuberculosis and she fought almost six months ...  a big fighter.. Fought back to life ..from the jaws of death.

 Sita after one year  of Vanavasam of healing at snehakiran  is fine and  going to begin her life again.. She is now with a well known organization that works with women. As of now she is getting trained in tailoring....

Well the problem is not the virus in her blood but the virus in the society. Of course you and I are part of that society. Can we do something to erase that virus from society and allow Sita to live in !!!!!!!!

LET US  WISH ALL THE BEST  TO SITA  AS SHE  STARTS HER NEW JOURNEY.......

Our address:

The Coordinator
Sneha Charitable Trust
Snehadan Campus, Ambedkar Nagar
Sarjapura Road, Carmelaram Post,
Bengaluru – 560 035
Office Mobile:+91 8050785674
E: snehacharitabletrust2003@gmail.com

Contact information:

Fr. Biju Mathew MI: +91 8050785674 snehacharitabletrust2003@gmail.com
Fr. Siby Kaitharan MI: +91 9963434400, sibykaitharan@gmail.com



All the donations made to Sneha Charitable Trust are exempted under section 80G of the income tax act.

'God bless you and your family for the kindness shown towards these people'

Malli

Did you see the picture above? Are you wondering what it is .....yes it is my head. Looking horrible ....yes it was much more horrible to experiance. Let me tell you my story. I am Malli, an 8 year old HIV positive girl, my mother is also sick with HIV and i have an elder sister who is healthy. I do not know what is really wrong with me. I was always sick and I have never gone to school so far. I think it is almost a year back my head started itching and small wounds appeard in my head. My mother took me to different hospitals they gave some medicine but it only became worse. Pus started pouring out of my head and my head became a hunting ground for flies to the extent of laying eggs.

One day I found something moving in my head, I put my hand and pulled....oh it was a big worm. Then I cannot really explain it was a horrible experiance, so many of them moving in my head and biting. I was taken to different big hospitals but as I was so ugly, no one really dared to admit me.

Finally I reached a place called SnehaKiran a care center run by Camillian missionaries most commonly known as friends of the sick. For the first time some one touched my head. It was painful experiance as the brother washed me, cleaned me and took the worms out; this went on for 4 days and then a great relief no more worms in my head. They say I have TB, with the treatment and care my wounds are healing and I put on 5 Kgs in one month. I will soon be going to school for the first time in my life.I want to become a doctor in life so that no one else  has to suffer like me.....Thank you for going through my story. Please do remember me in your prayers.

Lovingly Malli.

Our address:

The Coordinator
Sneha Charitable Trust
Snehadan Campus, Ambedkar Nagar
Sarjapura Road, Carmelaram Post,
Bengaluru – 560 035
Office Mobile:+91 8050785674
E: snehacharitabletrust2003@gmail.com

Contact information:

Fr. Biju Mathew MI: +91 8050785674 snehacharitabletrust2003@gmail.com
Fr. Siby Kaitharan MI: +91 9963434400, sibykaitharan@gmail.com



All the donations made to Sneha Charitable Trust are exempted under section 80G of the income tax act.

'God bless you and your family for the kindness shown towards these people'