prasad chikitsa – PRASAD Australia

Celebrating 20 Years of Service

PRASAD Australia — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 06:51:09 +0000

Community Shares

Photo circa 1992- Share by Nalini Rae, PRASAD Australia Director

On 4^th February this year we are celebrating 20 years since the inception of PRASAD Australia. I am Nalini Rae- one of the Board Directors of PRASAD Australia and as I sit quietly and reflect on all the great work that has been done, all the lives that have changed, all the doors that have been opened, and the pathways to a bright future that have been created, I feel so honoured and privileged to be part of this.

I recall back in 1992, I went to India and volunteered with PRASAD starting first on the milk project which would take milk to more than 8 schools in the district. We would rise early, and warm huge pots of milk flavoured with spices and a little sugar, transfer that to several huge milk urns, load them onto a four-wheel drive and off we would go, bumping miles along the dirt tracks to the schools. Some were just simple one or two huts with mud floors and others were larger, stronger constructions and had many more students. Regardless, the reception we received from these village children was the same – welcoming, joy filled smiling faces that lit up our hearts.

Most of the time it was just me and an Indian driver and throughout the morning we would serve more than 600 children. We would pour the milk from the urns into jugs, by which time teacher would have the pupils sitting in rows and singing with full voices.

Each one received a cup of the warmed milk which would ensure that they had protein nourishment for the day and were able to concentrate on learning.

To see the children sitting with big wide smiles and frothy milk moustaches is a scene which will stay with me forever. Even now more than 30 years later I feel my own heart full of joy from reflecting on that scene and how not only it changed their lives, but mine too.

PRASAD truly is a gift that carries blessings – for the giver as well as the receiver.

WEBINAR: An interview with Manju Kochhar, PRASAD Chikitsa trustee

PRASAD Australia — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 06:23:22 +0000

On July 7, 2021 we had our very first Webinar, and we heard from Manju Kochhar about the impactful work of PRASAD Chikitsa in the Tansa Valley, India.

In particular, about the work being done in response to the current pandemic, as well as the far-reaching ways that your donations contribute to assisting the people of the Tansa Valley and beyond.

Manju was interviewed by Susanna Mason, Chair to the PRASAD Australia board, and here is the recording of the evening. Enjoy!

Thank you for your continuing support to PRASAD Australia and PRASAD Chikitsa

MAKE A DONATION NOW

COVID-19

PRASAD Australia — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 01:39:12 +0000

COVID-19 has shaken the foundations of our societies, presenting unknown new challenges but, together, we are navigating a course to the other side of this pandemic. Together, we are standing strong, responding and adapting quickly to a changing world.
Because of the lockdown in India, PRASAD Chikitsa is doing what it can.
It is focussing on three main areas:

Food Packages
3,586 Family Food Packages will be delivered to 2,248 indigenous Adivasi families who have no income as a result of COVID-19. They are day workers who have lost their jobs.

PPE – Masks
Women in the SHGs (Self Help Groups) are sewing masks which allows them to earn some money. PRASAD Chikitsa staff then distribute them across the Tansa Valley.

ANUKAMPA Health Centre
The outpatient department is restricted to one doctor and staff who live locally. In spite of this, it is still open six half-days per week to serve the needs of the community.

COVID-19 Fundraising Project by PRASAD Australia
In April, PRASAD Australia began a fundraising effort. Our aim was $12,000 but that has already reached over $18,000.
You can watch the front page of the PRASAD Australia website to see our progress. Your money is already going to the people who need it most. THANK YOU to each one of you!

Some of the biggest emerging issues that the Tribals face is shortage of cash, availability of essential goods in the market and the unavailability of markets to sell farm produce.

Representatives from PRASAD France, PRASAD Spain, The PRASAD PROJECT, PRASAD Australia
and PRASAD Chikitsa who attended the annual International Meeting.

Post Covid-19 and into the Future

While projects are on hold or operating at reduced capacity during the Covid-19 virus, there is much to be hopeful about. In February, before the virus became global, the annual International Meeting of PRASAD met in Ganeshpuri for an intensive week visiting projects and planning. We reviewed a commissioned report which looked at the expressed needs of the Adivasi people, examined consultant’s PRASAD Chikitsa’s strengths and weaknesses and discussed where our efforts would lie for the next ten years. The planning generated great enthusiasm and excitement.
So, like a bulb, while we are in the winter of the Covid-19 epidemic, there is much unseen work going on and when this epidemic passes, the excitement, enthusiasm and commitment generated at the meeting will burst forth into life.
Some changes have already occurred. For example the highly successful nutrition program can no longer operate due to government decisions, the AIDS program while still occurring needs less focussed attention, the SHGs continue to be a ground-breaking sector of strength and other areas, such as sustainability and community development, will gain more attention. Education and training will be much more focussed. A cancer clinic once a month began while we were at the meeting and there are plans afoot to give more support to the dental program which is doing amazing work.
We look forward to sharing more information as it evolves. Thank you for your support.

What your representatives had to say:

Chairperson – Susanna
It was a wonderful experience to visit PRASAD Chikitsa and be taken by bus to the various villages and hamlets. The residents were very pleased to see us.
One project was the new free-standing concrete toilets and what a difference they had made to the health of all.
We also visited wells and the new plumbing that has diverted grey water away from the houses. These also contributed greatly to improve their health.
It was very heart-warming to experience first-hand the difference PRASAD Chikitsa is making.

Communications – Maureen
I was overwhelmed by the deep sense of respect and trust between the Adivisi people and PRASAD Chikitsa.
At a cultural celebration we attended, group after group talked about the projects they had done that were l tailored to their community’s needs. The women were so confident. Step by step, they are raising their standards of living out of such basic poverty.
There were stories of women running for government positions now. They even performed a song recognising the bond with PRASAD Chikitsa thereby adding it to their cultural history.
They have strong groups skills and their communities have reaped the benefits.

Fundraising – Sonia
We all hear about the great work done by PRASAD volunteers in the newsletter but watching them deliver first-hand added another dimension. We met the doctors, the trainee doctors and other health workers at the Anukampa Health Centre.
We were told locals prefer to attend the Anukampa Health Centre even when they are required to pay a minimal fee rather than visiting the government-run free health service.
The PRASAD centre offers high quality continuing care and the doctors always follow up every patient.
As a PRASAD supporter, I was elated to see my small donations making a big difference in people’s lives!

YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK

This table gives a picture of the successes of PRASAD Chikitsa for the last year.

How You Can Help

In Australia, we talk about ventilators, the number of ICU beds, hand sanitisers, hospital wards dedicated to Covid-19 and JobKeeper.
In the Tansa Valley, the support is very basic – food parcels and masks. The projects that are run by PRASAD Chikitsa are crucial to the health and welfare of the people in the TANSA Valley and the raising of living standards. That is why PRASAD Chikitsa takes such a holistic approach in its response to individual and community needs.

Remember all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

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Already a monthly donor?

If your monthly donation has not changed for some time, would you consider raising it?
Even a few dollars could make a big difference.

Leaving a Legacy

Have you considered nominating PRASAD Australia as a beneficiary in your will?
This could be in the form of money, or a percentage of the assets of your estate.
Find out more HERE.

Support PRASAD Chikitsa During Covid 19

PRASAD Australia — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:33:40 +0000

Everywhere you turn, Covid-19 is the main topic of conversation, and reporting, around the world because of its dire consequences.

The Board of PRASAD Australia has met to discuss our direction and decided to concentrate our focus and efforts on supporting the people of the Tansa Valley.

As you are aware, they do not have the medical and economic support they need to manage the consequences of the virus. They are also in a remote, poorly serviced area with little access to support. PRASAD Chikitsa is working very hard to alleviate issues but it is an enormous task.

We believe, if the pandemic spreads through the Tansa valley, as it has in other hard-hit parts of the world, PRASAD Chikitsa will need our help more than ever both during and after the epidemic. Therefore, we are creating a separate funding point for donations that are specifically dedicated to the work of PRASAD Chikitsa with Covid-19.

The testing for Covid-19 can only be done at the government clinics but, even so, the Anukampa Health Centre out-patient department is open for six half-days a week. This, despite the Centre’s smaller number of staff available due to travel restrictions.

A Self-Help Group member making masks. A homeless man receives a protective mask

SHG women are sewing eighty face masks per day, with materials supplied by PRASAD Chikitsa, which are then sanitised and have been given to the homeless in Ganeshpuri so far. There is a huge need for not only masks but other personal protective equipment.

PRASAD Chikitsa is also providing food parcels to families. By using wholesalers, the cost is approximately $12 per family. The parcel will feed a family of 5-6 members for a fortnight. The groceries will be distributed to 500 families in the first week and another group of 500 families in the second week. This rotation will be repeated over a six-week period. The groceries have to be sorted and packed before they can be distributed to often very isolated hamlets.

This is just the beginning. The needs are very great.

If you feel you could offer a donation to help the amazing people of the Tansa Valley in these very difficult times, please make your donation to COVID-19 Donations and it will be used solely for this purpose.

In gratitude,

The Board of PRASAD Australia.

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