Hello Friends, Let us first discuss on the 'Emotional Attachment' part.
*Questions:* What should we do? How do we want our group to be? Should we like any other foundation or NGO that gives 'only' money and do not take any responsibility? Should we try to 'value add' to the 'money' that we are intended to give? *My points:* Let us take the example of Munnabhai MBBS. (I haven't seen the movie. I watched Lage Raho Munnabhai). What I understood is that he explains that doctors must be patient friendly and should show warmth and concern instead of being very practical (how justified on their part may be). Second example, the idea of Nachaki and other supporters including me, what are we aiming at mingling the children and old people? Is it not the emotional support and other benefits that we can derive from such a union? Why people feel bad about paying money to the oldage homes and joining old people there? Why are we intended to visit orphanages and old age homes and thinking of spending time with them, buying them sweets, fruits whatever? Why not we just give money to the management asking them to distribute so and so on so and so date? What is that we want to give them? Do we call it emotional attachment or love or concern or responsibility? Do you think the fruits or sweets or money or our personal visit makes them happy? If only one is to be given and chosen, they will be happy even then. So what is our choice? As anyway they are happy, let us give only sweets or only fruits or just pay a visit? To old people and children money, food or love, which gives support? Which helps them to get motivated psychologically. Can we guide a child with money by paying the school fee, providing bags? Or by paying regular visits, inspiring the child, teach them morals, lessons, explain them about the world, play with them. In which way we can expect an acceptance from the children to read well and get good grades, shine in all other areas of life? Do we consider visiting the children every week a waste of time? Coming to the oldage homes and orphanages part again, should we visit one orphanage one day, do whatever we wanted to do and leave. Next week go to another orphanage and so on. One day, we will end up completing our visits to all orphanages. Fine. What does that we achieved here? Count to be boased on our website that we visited so many orphanages in so and so weeks, we did this and that. Fine. Is it what we want? Should we be in the same bandwagon of people and be one more number adding to the count of other NGOs/groups operating in the same lines!! *My answers:* ** *Orphanages and Oldage homes* Take one orphanage, visit them regularly for few weeks, study/understand the problems, contemplate and discuss on how far we can help them and what are all the things with in our reach. This is the first task. Next about the tasks that we think are not in our hands or within our immediate reach or constraints or volunteers or resources. Think of alternatives and try to find out if at all we can do anything. If we think we can, let us explore. Otherwise limit ourselves there. Third or Second (if the proposed second cannot take place) phase, there is nothing wrong in paying occasional visits to find out how people are doing and what is the progress and plan some entertainment programmes with different orphanages and let children interact with each other. *Medical cases* When we read a case in Helpline, think whether we can accept a case or not. *Questions to be pondered over at this stage:* If the parents or family members cannot support themselves, decide whether we can consider such a case or not. Clearly talk to the family members on what their position is and also our limitation that we can only consider the patient but not others. This means that they should somehow make plans for their survival. Also inform them that it is not easy for us to spend time with them. Only if it is very much necessary we can come. Otherwise please take care on their own. Also when we join them in the hospital, tell them in a polite way that as it is city it is better to try to curb the expenses as much as possible and to make an effort to find about where they can find good food with reasonable and cheaper rates. ========= Second option If we want to consider such cases also, where the family is too poor to support themselves, how we wish to proceed? Like we thought earlier for the medical cases on the whole, find out any people/groups who are interested to sponsor the money for the operation and spend our money for the bare necessities of the people accompanying the patient. Here also we should say that only one person should be with the patient not all the family members. ================= So what is our stand? Should we not take up medical cases at all? No problem. We have other works too concerning health. Campaigning. Campaigning for Thalassemia, Organ Donation and other serious diseases. Visit slums and explain them about the hyegenic conditions etc., At a later stage, some point in future, consider adopting a hospital. Here I do not have any clear idea. So I cannot write much on this topic. What I think is the best option is, let us talk to the hospital authorities, explain them clearly that we want to help and we do not know what and how it should be. If they can explain us different options, we will see if we can fit into them or not. Once we get to know the problems or areas of help, then we can think on whether we can take it up or not, and if we need volunteers, share our plan with others and seek their help. *Post Mortem:* Try to evaluate Divena's case. What do we think are the 'excesses' and the 'don'ts' in this case? -- Thank you. with regards, PRASANTHI. ---- When you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
