ONE VISION. THIRTEEN YEARS.
A HUNDRED WAYS OF TOUCHING LIVES.

A vision has the power to transform; it has the power to create a new path. At the Vasantha Memorial Trust, we believe that it is this vision that has enabled us to move forward. One step by one. In this time, we have had to struggle. Fight. Persevere. Believe. And relentlessly move on. Looking back, it all seems worthwhile now.

In our thirteenth year of fighting against cancer, we decided to give our efforts the full throttle. We decided to rope in the efforts of the community in our every venture. And we were rewarded in more ways than one. Across Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore and small towns everywhere, we gathered more might.

This year, we were reached out to 225 victims of cancer and made a difference to their lives. What was more heartening was the fact that of these, 75 of the people who benefited were children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

We also went beyond tackling three main issues. From cancer cure, care and fund raising efforts, we also included 3 new projects. And each has been a success. The Cancer Rehabilitation Programme was launched and has been one of our most fulfilling areas of work in the recent past.

We also approached schools, colleges and other institutions to rope in with our awareness programmes. The Add Colour To Cancer was one such initiative that helped us partner with over 20,000 students from different schools to aid cancer victims.

Another initiative was partnering with women of all age groups to bring beauty into the concept of cancer. Talented women pooled their skills and gave us hand-embroidered handkerchiefs in large numbers. The proceeds from the sales have made a big difference indeed.

Fund raising, as always egged us to move on with more vigour and belief. The efforts paid off from all quarters… and every life we managed to touch gave us the impetus to go on, as we have always.

CANCER SURVIVOR’S REHABILITATION FUND
During our battles with the disease, we discovered that it was indeed easier to cure a cancer patient, than bring him back to community life. When survivors knocked the doors of employment, in several cases they were refused. Outright. This was the reason why we launched the Cancer Survivor’s Rehabilitation Fund. And what better time to do that than the Cancer Survivors’ Day?

On the 11th of February, 2006, the programme was launched at Coimbatore. The response on the first day was simply overwhelming – Rs 45,000 on the first day! Our band of volunteers sold tokens in Rs 20, Rs 50, and Rs 100 denominations and the kitty grew to almost over Rs. 1,50,000. All the 20,50 and 100 Rupee notes counted. Each made that magic figure possible.

We find no way to express our gratitude to Roshni, the organisation that helped us open more doors for cancer survivors through their whopping contribution of Rs. 3 lakhs. They not only filled our coffers, but also our hearts.

The money generated for the fund has gone towards pension, unemployment allowance, educational support, and other small aiding measures to help patients tide over the worst times. The number of beneficiaries has also been steadily on the rise.

ADD COLOUR TO CANCER
Our association with the youth began this year when we set out with the mission of involving the community in our fight against cancer. With the growing number of children beneficiaries, we thought it might be worthwhile to seek child-to-child assistance. We approached the schools with the concept of “Add colour to cancer”. Through this, we hoped children who had a creative mind and an eye for colour would come forward and give hope to cancer affected children through their works of art.

The response we received from the schools was heartening indeed. Each school volunteered to send25 participants and some schools gave us more than 700 designs. A total of 20,000 children from LKG to the 12th standard from 96 schools participated

In Chennai, the response came not only from the schools, but also from residential quarters, children’s clubs and individual children. In Mumbai, Add colour to cancer took on a new dimension when many women under the guidance of Mrs. Jayalakshmi Krishnan joined the band.

The theme decided on was Diwali – truly a befitting symbol of celebration and victory. The masterpiece cards became a steady and colourful source of both reaching out to the community and raising funds. Thus far, we have sold 4000 of these cards. And the numbers are steadily rising, as is the awareness.

THREADING BEAUTY INTO CANCER
More than 40 ladies in Coimbatore, Chennai, Trichy and other places decided to make a difference with their talent in sewing and embroidery. Together, they created more than 4000 stunning pieces of handwork that travelled beyond the shores of India and found their way into the hearts of US buyers!

It was heartening to see the wide cross section of women who joined hands to make a difference. Some of them included ladies who had not even sewn buttons in their lives! These very ladies made it a point to embroider 5-10 hankies a day to make a difference. And what a big one they have made!

CANCER AWARENESS
From focusing on the rural areas for more than a decade, we have slowly been turning our attention to the vast need to address our urban brethren. We made a big effort this year and the response has been mixed – fantastic and positive in some places; lukewarm in the rest. However, our resolve has helped to reach out.

BANGLAORE
Our association with the Silicon Valley of India came because we felt it was very necessary to address the different sections of people. Trustee Mrs. Jayalakshmi Krishnan set the ball rolling between the 19th and 21st of December, 2005. 7 talks were held at different places. The first couple of sessions were held at IT industries. The focus was largely on women – for we found that the number of ladies who took to smoking and drinking in the urban circles had travelled far beyond imagination.

The trust had the opportunity to address over 200 young IT women on breast cancer issues. No questions were asked. Two sessions at Quintiles Technologies yielded better response. Many women clarified their doubts on the effects of smoking. We also held sessions in Banks and they won us better response than other places.

CHENNAI
The year old operations in Chennai brought in both offices and factories under the scanner. And the response was mixed, as always. One of the shocking facts was that the worst response came from the most affluent sector – the IT!

Sessions at Pepsi India on the outskirts of Chennai left the audience shocked at the facts portrayed. We were also invited to hold special talks for the wives of the employees. In some places like IM Gears, the talks transformed a sedentary audience to an energetic group that wanted to get every doubt clarified.

On World No – Tobacco Day, a series of talks were conducted at the Ambattur Clothing Company. The response ranged from gratitude in some of the employees, to sheer irritation for having interrupted the lunch hour!

The best of the programmes were conducted at the Bank of India, Aquapure, ICFAI and TTK Industries. Every month, the number of awareness talks was on the rise and we have now reached a stage where about an average of 5 talks are being conducted every month.

The highlights of the Chennai activities were:

· Growing reach of awareness across industrial sectors
· More ideas need to be generated across the IT spectrum to gain a strong foothold
· Positive response from the industrial sector, with employees showing keen awareness

IN AND AROUND MUMBAI
The number of awareness programmes increased tremendously in and around Mumbai and we were able to make inroads in several places and across a wider section of industries. From hi-fi industries to hard-core industrial areas, more people came under the awareness radar.

An awareness programme at S’Prayas an NGO that works with the children of a lesser God, yielded positive results. When spoken to about the effects of passive smoking and the effects it could have on their own health, a lot of the children vowed to make their fathers stop smoking. At least, the spirit was there! Through S’Prayas, we also addressed younger children whose knowledge about beedis, cigarettes and ghutka was appreciably high.

Hi tech offices that came under the radar included Syntel, a BPO where about 30 youngsters were addressed. The talks led to the sale of several copies of the books on cancer awareness. Awareness programmes were also held at Greenback Forex Services Pvt. Ltd. The talk proved to be an eye opener for those assembled and the volunteers were bombarded with a series of questions. At Voltas Ltd., Thane, 220 employees of the company clarified numerous queries they had about the ill effects of smoking.

In the Cancer Awareness week, breast cancer awareness programmes were conducted by both doctors and volunteers for different industries – L & T employees and the RTO, Mumbai Central. Other awareness programmes conducted included those at Ashis Products, MIDC, Andheri where the talks seemed to go against deaf ears.

Other programmes included those conducted at residential complexes, a high school in the suburbs, and an anti-tobacco awareness programme conducted at VIDYA – an NGO working for the Integrated Development of Youth and Adults.

A series of outreach programmes in Mumbai have also been conducted throughout the year, with volunteers gathering at select hospitals to reach out to those with the disease.

The highlights of the Mumbai activities were:
· More and more women’s groups addressed
· Need to enhance the strength of the awareness campaigns in foundry establishments
· Positive response in places like offices and banks

IN AND AROUND COIMBATORE
This year, we took the message of cancer awareness across the city and at the booming outskirts. Here again, the talks helped us learn a lot – we never know where we will get positive response from!

Awareness talks at places like the Government Polytechnic college brought about a good response. The best response we got was from three prime movers in the area: CRI Pumps, an organisation known for its proactive role in contributing to social causes received the talks we held with avid interest.

Employees of Brharat Petroleum were also addressed and they evoked keen interest in knowing about the risk factors. At Fedex couriers, the response was less than luke warm. Whilst at the former centre, dozens of copies of cancer awareness booklets were sold, no one dared pick a copy at Fedex! The Annapoorna Self Help Group and the Sulur Air force personnel gave us a hearty welcome to al that we had to say.

In an effort to draw out more response from the youth – the movers of the future, we began partnering with a large number of colleges. We worked with their NSS teams and together managed to bring a large number of rural areas under our wing. Some of the response has been really good. One such effort was in a village near Sulur. Conducted by the Maharaja College students, the response to the awareness talks was very good indeed.

The highlights of the Coimbatore activities
· Rural and urban areas covered alike
· More strength to spread awareness by working with colleges
· Good response from the industrial segments
· Need to consolidate talks and programmes across the city

CANCER DETECTION
As with the last couple of years, this year also, we focused on enhancing awareness across different places, rather than stressing on detection. This has been fuelled by the belief that bringing about awareness is the most vital aspect. From then, every person who is aware must take the initiative of getting himself / herself detected.

This year, the detection camps were restricted to the Mumbai circle, where we focused on targeting smaller groups. The follow up care in these cases good.

CANCER CURE AND CARE
225. This year, this magic figure was achieved because we received fantastic contributions from all quarters. More importantly, a significant number of these patients who were helped by the trust were stamped CURED. That in effect means, these patients have been monitored by the trust regularly for a 5-year period post treatment. And they have been declared completely cured of cancer. This has been the most significant milestone.

75 of the patients who received support from the trust were children under 10 years, with ALL. Of these 28 patients have completed treatment and after treatment support! Apart from the cure rate, this has also helped us hit home the message that BLOOD CANCER IS INDEED CURABLE!

The second chunk of patients who received support from the trust belong to one of the most curable kinds of cancer – that of the breast. Most of the women who sought our support were bereft of any kind of support from their own families. It has indeed been tragic to see the cancer affected this way. It is also rather depressing to note that many doctors fail to avail the facility we have to offer to these deprived victims!

CANCER SURVIVOR’S DAY
500! More than this number gathered to display their might on the 11th of February, 2006 to show that they had overcome cancer!

Coimbatore
A day long of events and entertainment interspersed by touching stories of survivors filled the auditorium at Coimbatore. They came from near and far; they came with hope aglow on their faces, their smiles shining like 1000 watt bulbs. They brought with them their loved ones to show us all that they had not walked the path of battle alone, but had come out victors only because of the support and comfort of those beside them.

Volunteers and survivors gathered at the hall in the wee hours of the morning, and put up the decorations as a team. This sparked a good camaraderie amidst the crowds and made it seem like a large, happy family.

Chennai
Mellifluous notes of Smt. KS Chitra, Smt Sudha Raghunathan and Shri Unnikrishnan filled the auditorium as survivors gathered to light lamps in blue in the darkened hall. It was the first year that the Survivor’s Day was being celebrated. Shri GKR, one of the pillars and the prime movers of the trust gave a moving speech about how vital it was to increase the number of survivors gathered. His speech moved the gathering to tears. The survivors spoke with pride about their triumphs and filled us with a sense of fulfilment.

Mumbai
The gathering on a moonlit night was filled with survivor talks. People from different hospitals came to share their stories and encourage those currently in the battle.

Dream comes true
The survivors’ day was indeed an event that was made possible because of the relentless contributions. A large number of gifts and tokens were handed over to survivors everywhere. The gifts were taken with gratitude and in turn, they left us their smiles.

ROSE DAY
This was an occasion to say that “We care” and what better way to say it than with a rose! Rose Day was celebrated in Chennai and Mumbai where celebrities mingled with patients and survivors alike to show that they were not alone in their fight against cancer.

At Mumbai, the celebration was held in several hospitals across the city, including Tata Memorial, KEM, Lokamanya Tilak and Cama Hospitals. The star attraction was Tabassum, of TV and tinsel town fame.

In Chennai, volunteers accompanied popular musician Bombay Jayashree with gifts and roses to greet survivors at Royapettah. TV hero Chetan spoke from the heart to crowds gathered at the Radiotherapy Ward at Madras Medical College.

Although we were questioned about the role of such a celebration in the cure of cancer, we believe that boosting the morale of people can make a miraculous difference in the healing process.

OUTREACH IN MUMBAI
At Mumbai, several outreach programmes were conducted at different centres. The motive of the programmes was to bring in more people to seek assistance for sponsorship. We also worked with several other homes at enhancing patient welfare. At Bharath Sevashram, and Ernest Borges Home at Bandra, bhajans and music lessons served to bring about a soothing calm to all the patients.

VASANTHA SHIKHSA
Cancer awareness at the grassroots was conducted at three different locations – Chennai, Mumbai and Gudalur.
At Mumbai, we targeted the final year students. 43 of them belonged to the LTMGH of Sion. The response from the students was very heart-warming. As always, the talk by eminent speakers proved to be an eye opener for both medicos and laymen alike. This was perhaps because of the wide range of issues dealt with – and those not always dealt with in the curriculum.

At Chennai, with the band of volunteers growing, Vasantham was dedicated to training lay volunteers. At Gudalur, we began our training sessions with a group of teachers.

FUND RAISING

Fund raising continues to be a strong point of focus – for it is this that gives us the power to dream. Spontaneous donations came from different sectors – individual, organisations and corporate houses. After 12 years, this year seemed to be the time when our convincing abilities were at their best. Larger chunks of money flowed into the trust and we were able to do so much more as a result.

Many people came forward to donate on the occasion of their anniversaries, birthdays and weddings. It was indeed heartening to see the response.

GKR Charities continues to be the strongest pillar of strength. 1/3rd of the total number of patients sponsored continue to be funded by his efforts and continued support. And the great human being has pledged more support in the time to come.

903 volunteers put in more than 5 months of work to result in a grand jumble sale at Coimbatore. We raised a whopping Rs.5.12 lakhs through contributions including computers, tape recorders and even a car!

Fund raising also came from smaller chunks – like the sale of handkerchiefs, cards, cassettes, CDs, Charity boxes at locations, books and so on. Organisations like Roshni and individual donors continued to pour resources into the trust. For every drop that went in, our ocean has become larger.

REMEMBERING SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Remembrance Day is a very special day for the trust. At Coimbatore, the occasion was marked by playing recorded versions of Smt. MS Subbulakshmi’s renditions. In Mumbai, Manjapara Mohan rendered a soulful edition of Bhajans. At the Sri Matha Trust, Chennai, cancer patients were treated to a nutritious feast on the 21st of July, 2006. We also celebrated our 13th anniversary concerts in soulful style.

VOLUNTEERS

No dream would be real without them. This year, from LKG students, to college goers to retired people, the volunteer force was unified in its mission: to alleviate the ills of cancer. Whether it was a housewife who sacrificed some time for herself to sew hankies for patients, or it was the college students who spent time volunteering rather than opting to go for that movie, every sacrifice made the efforts of the year worthwhile.

At the jumble sale,. Volunteers travelled all the way from Chennai to show how much they cared. And it all turned out so well for everyone involved. The number of volunteers has been steadily growing across the cities. Yet, the number of people who come forward as volunteer educators must rise.

The trust will always be driven by this relentless spirit of humane oneness that our volunteers have displayed time and again. Their contributions cannot be described in words. But they must be shared – for the more they work, the more lives they help to save.

THE FUTURE
We have a lot of issues to tackle in the future. So much has been done, but when we look at the thick of things, so much more needs to be done. In the future, we will be seriously looking at rehabilitation issues. We envision a world where cancer survivors are looked at as part of the normal stream. And we will work towards that.

We also are working to rope in more community participation. And the year gone by has helped us believe that it will be possible.

At the bottom of everything lies the society. For it is society that must wake up to the cause and it is the same society that can work to make a difference. For us, no matter how much we do, we will always look at the society to repose its faith in our abilities. For only if the world believes that we can cross hurdle after hurdle, we can.

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