Achievements in 2006

We would like to thank you all for your support during 2006, helping us to bring the work to this stage. We are proud to say that this year has been a year of big achievements bringing our dreams true. The year started with a bang by addition of the dental centre to our hospital facilities, which was opened on 25th Jan. 06 at the hands of Mayor of Gwalior in presence of many volunteers and local dignitaries with sponsorship of Dr. Neil Sikka, the dentist in London, U.K. Immediately thereafter physiotherapy and pain management centre was started on 25th Feb. 06.

We are happy to say that more than 450,000 people have been benefited with this work of the charity in India so far and we continue to provide for more as much we can with your support through Gwalior Hospital for Children and Women, the General hospital with eye centre, dental centre, Physiotherapy services, 14 rural health centers, mobile hospital and the hospice. 965 people had eye operations gaining sight through our eye centre so far. 632 volunteers from abroad have worked with us at Gwalior providing their expertise and services to the community there through our facilities. Sunrise school continues as an integrated school providing education to 84 children for main stream and the children with mild learning disabilities or physical disabilities. It also caters for another 118 children under outreach programme. We continue to provide support to more than 1000 children in schools and existing Orphanages of Gwalior and Chambal region esp. those in Kedarpur School, Adhar School, Mercy Home, Mother Teresa Home, Orphanage for homeless girls, School and Orphanages for blind girls and boys, deaf and dumb children, Roshani, Vivekanand Ashram and other schools in slum areas.

We could not make full use of our mobile hospital for lack of funds to engage a full team but could make use of it only while organizing camps in slums or rural areas using our hospital’s team of specialists and staff along with volunteers. However services through 14 rural health centers are being provided continuously. Our mobile hospital “The real hospital on wheels” has proved its value by playing a significant role in the Tsunami affected areas in South India providing medical care and counseling services for more than three months last year following Tsunami disaster.

Our long time dream came true on 23rd Aug. 06 with opening of “Snehalaya, the home with love” at the hands of Mayor of Gwalior, famous film celebrity Mr. Tom Alter and many dignitaries from India and abroad as well many volunteers. In its first phase it started with a community centre including school for special needs, multi-sensory room, physiotherapy, health and vocational training centre and five cottages. It has been designed as a care home for disabled and destitute children, home less women and the aged where they live together as a family. At present we have 70 residents including 37 children in Snehalaya with aims to make these children independent. These facilities are available for the children from local community too for day or respite care services. When completed Snehalaya will have facilities to accommodate 200 children with a school, hospital and vocational training centre on site. Work for its second phase has already started for construction of a 30 bedded primary care hospital and five more cottages. We hope that these should be ready within one year. To complete this work our “Sponsor a brick appeal” continues, whereby £5 or $10 or equivalent in any currency pays for one brick with your name on it. £1500 or $3000 will pay for a room and £5000 or $10,000 will provide for a house to accommodate 10 children with the name of your choice as its sponsor.

A rose garden is being developed around Dr. Meena Sharma’s memorial in Snehalaya, where 500 plants were planted there in Jan.07 and 3000 more will be planted in Feb. when more varities become available. We have started our Souvenir shop too at Snehalaya, where you can buy or place an order for any handicraft items or services from India to help us in this endeavor. Hand crafted greeting cards, candles, files; bags and many more items are available made by children with disabilities and also souvenir items of charity with its logo including T-shirts, lapel badges, key rings, pens etc. You can see and order now on http://gchvols.pbwiki.com where you can participate in discussion or write your views and suggestions too.

Our new website http://www.helpchildrenofindia.org.uk is also up and running. We are grateful to Mr Robin Prentice for putting in countless hours of hard work to make it go. Please visit this and let us have your views. For more details and updates please visit our PBWIKI and see our news letter “Healing Hands” published every three months

Our volunteers continue to give their time, expertise as well raise funds helping us carrying this work forward and we depend upon them for publicity too mostly by word of mouth. To mention of some are- Katie Elliot has raised £11500 by writing a booklet depicting the conditions in Mercy home with reasons for funding of Snehalaya and has earned to become fund raiser of the year. Lee Rollo with Anne, Bonny and many of their friends and family organized Linky Lea Music festival on 1st July raising £8500. Charles and Griselda organised volunteers day at the castle like home as well tastiest home made food by Lady McDougall. We could not hope for better. Jamie Ramsay with James Callander and six young Scots participated in Sweden Marathon, while John Hall went for Gobi March. Gillian Kerfoot observed a 24 hours silence successfully, though a proclaimed chatter box otherwise while Dr. Leather asked to gift funds to GCHC for her silver wedding anniversary and Dr. Richard Levin went for a 77 mile long walk through high hills in Scotland. Amy Gliddon and Olivia Hunt organised sales in their village hall raising £1055 while Fiona, Anne, Bonny and Araminta had organised a photo exhibition and Christmas card sale in Dec. 06 raising 3500 Pounds. There are many more and it is not possible to name every one. We are obliged of all our volunteers, without whose help we could not achieve, what has been achieved and we are sure for their continued support for many years to come to help us take these works forward.

We are very much obliged for all your support, but the needs are much more now: we are moving on and asking for your support to provide for the children who live at Snehalaya. As per “sponsor a child programme”, with your just one thousand pounds sterling (or US$2000) once, a child is provided with home, education, food and health care giving him or her a new life and an opportunity to live with dignity. Ten pounds—or US $20 a month—or its equivalent in any currency, provides the same support or it will give sight to a blind person in India. We need £10000 PM for maintenance of ongoing facilities and more for planned expansion. 100% of funds received are used for the work of the charity as per only as per wishes of the donor or the sponsor. We believe—and you will surely agree—that this is not a large amount, and every one of us can spare that without much hardship. Yet it can give a child a new life. You can donate online now by going onto our donation page. Every donor is issued a receipt for their tax deductible donations for IR purposes as per rules of the country you live in. Why not do this today, before it slips your mind? You can be sure that whatever amount you send—large or small— will be fully devoted to supporting a child. Unlike numerous other organizations, administration costs of Gwalior Childrens Hospital are met by the founder and the generosity of individual members of the board. This means that one hundred percent of your donation goes towards supporting the health, education, and welfare of the homeless and disabled of India.