Friday, January 12, 2018

SICW Orphanage

The Society for Indian Children's Welfare, also referred to as SICW, was formed in 1979, the International Year of the Child.  Although Pathways to Children is not involved with the SICW Orphanage, the Orphanage is a sister facility to Jan Seva school and its many programs, so a visit to the Orphanage is a regular part of a Pathways to Children trip to Kolkata.
 
After visiting the Umeem program, the equivalent of the Udaan program at Jan Seva (Umeen means hope - Udaan means flight), we went upstairs to visit the babies.  Then we moved outside for treats and a concert by the seminarians.  It was a warm visit.
 
 
 



 

 
 
 
 

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Jan Seva Parenting Seminar

The Jan Seva Community Health Program staff and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health conducted a parenting seminar with a focus on anger management.  Community health education has been a critical part of the Jan Seva mission in the community.
 





  

Mothers' Job Training Program at Jan Seva

The ultimate goal of Jan Seva school is to give impoverished families the necessary education and skills to lift themselves out of poverty.  It is therefore critical to offer job training for mothers.  Jan Seva offers sewing and knitting classes, language lessons, computer training and jewelry making.  As part of the program, the mothers make the uniforms for the school children.
 
 

     

The Jan Seva Food Program

There is a large vegetable garden on the Jan Seva grounds where a good portion of the food served to the children is grown.  There is no charge for any of the meals served to the children since their nutrition is a highly important mission of the school.  
 












Arriving at Jan Seva School

 
 

 
 
 
 



 
 

Street Scenes

The entry gate to the Baptist Mission House

 
 
 
 

Dolly - An Udaan Success Story

"Dolly" was an Udaan student at Jan Seva.  On January 9, 2018, Dolly's mother brought her back to Jan Seva to celebrate Dolly's admission to a large, mainstream school.  Here's what Dolly's mother had to say:
 
"When Dolly came to Udaan last year, she could not walk.  Now she is able to walk.  It is a new life for my child."
 
 


 
 

Udaan - Jan Seva's Special Needs Program

Udaan is a Special School for challenged children with special needs in partnership with the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy.  It is the only such facility in the area.  Currently, 30 children are enrolled.  The objective of the program is to mainstream these children into society.  The program provides the children with education, nutrition, medical needs, prosthetics, psychotherapy and counseling.  With these free services, the children's skills are developed according to their capability.




An Udaan graduate who returned to show off
his new school uniform












Anushka Sharma and her mother




 

Jan Seva cervical and breast cancer screening clinic | January 8, 2018

Early in the morning the women began lining up in the hall with noticeable excitement on their faces. Some fidgeted with their heavy winter shawls. Others craned their necks to get a glimpse of the bustling clinic room, filled with unfamiliar utensils. All of this excitement was for something we consider far less glamorous in America: a routine pap smear.
 
For all of the 78 women served by this free screening clinic supported by the Cancer Foundation of India, this was their first pap smear. Cervical cancer remains a disease that largely affects women living in poverty due to the lack of primary care infrastructure. On average it takes 10 years for cervical cancer to develop from detectable pre-cancer to in situ cancer, leaving a critical window for intervention to prevent otherwise avoidable deaths. The technique used, visualization inspection with acetic acid (VIA), is an especially effective and inexpensive method for detecting suspicious pre-cancerous cells and is a technology approved by the World Health Organization. In it, vinegar reacts with abnormal cells and a trained clinician can determine whether or not a woman should be referred for a colposcopy (cervical biopsy), also provided free of cost for those who need it. Furthermore, anyone who tests positive for cervical cancer throughout the screening process will receive treatment free of cost thanks to the generosity of the Cancer Foundation of India.
  
In addition to VIA, this clinic offered pap smears for further testing and also complete breast examinations and tutorials. For the handful of women who tested positive for potential precancerous cells, they were met with warmth and clear guidance on next steps for free biopsies at a nearby hospital.
 
It was incredible to witness the trust the women placed in the hands of strangers during such a vulnerable process. In every stage of this program there was a clear sense of sisterhood and empowerment. For women who give so much to everyone else in their lives, this clinic was a space for celebration of health and self care, even though the discomfort and newness.
 
 
 
 


 








 

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Jan Seva Family Home Visits


As a part of the Jan Seva Community Health Program to evaluate nutrition in the home, members of our group will be making visits to the homes of a few students.  Today, we had the opportunity to meet a Jan Seva family in their home. Dad walked to school to escort us to the family’s home, located next to an open sewer alley gutter.  Grandma, Mom, and Dad shared their struggles with food insecurity, sharing that two to three times per week they do not have enough to eat. On those days, the family does not eat or eats puffed rice. The family purchases the equivalent of $1.50 - $2.00 per day. Through tears, Grandma shared how she worries about the health of her children and grandchildren.  Grandma shared pictures of the family and brought us to a Kali, a Hindu goddess, shrine to share a blessing with us. We continue to work with families to determine how Jan Seva can best support the community families and children. 

Mom, Dad and younger sibling

Grandma




Cooking quarters

Kali Temple

We visited the village where Grandma
buys the daily food for the family