Those who accept the generosity of others, with gratitude, set up a chain of generosity, performing magnanimous deeds to aid their fellow beings. -- `Words of the Spirit', compiled from the discourses of Param Pujya Ma, spiritual head of Arpana AshramWork is worship at the Arpana Ashram in Karnal. Over the past three decades, some 40 highly-qualified voluntary members of the Arpana Research and Charities Trust, a key wing of the Ashram, have been working ceaselessly to augment the lives of the poor living in and around Karnal in Haryana. Under the guidance of their spiritual head, Param Pujya Ma, and with the support of various corporate organisations and foundations, the Trust has achieved dramatic results in the realm of healthcare, community development and functional literacy. To sample a few of their achievements in Karnal: Adult literacy and family planning programmes in the Haryana town have far exceeded their targets; infant mortality in the villages has dropped from approximately 200 per1,000 to 50 per 1,000; over 555,000 patients have received treatment at the dispensary and hospital run by the Trust, and immunisation programmes in the villages recorded over 90 per cent coverage.
The Trust has won international recognition for its contribution in the area of healthcare. In 1993, the Trust received the prestigious Sasakawa Health Prize from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the ``outstanding and innovative rural health services'' rendered by the voluntary members of the Ashram. Interestingly, the Trust has evolved a three-tier rural healthcare service that is based on a 175-bed referral base hospital with training programmes, mobile clinics in villages, and trained health workers and midwives who bring healthcare to rural homes in their own villages.
Dr Ela Anand, associate executive director of the Arpana Group of Trusts, medical superintendent of Arpana Hospital and director of Arpana rural medical services, informs that ``the hospital started with a mere 13 beds in 1980. But,with the help of Glaxo Wellcome Plc, the international parent of Glaxo-India, we have been able to develop it into a 175-bed, four-storeyed, multipurpose hospital with the latest facilities in the field of gynaecology and eye care.'' The Trust has received over Rs 60 lakh from this organisation for the upgradation of the hospital.
About 70 per cent of the hospital patients are given free or heavily subsidised treatment.
The hospital has a fleet of mobile vans that visit 35 villages once a month. ``The mobile staff conducts diagnostic healthcare programmes, the accent being on maternal and child healthcare,'' she adds.
Dr Mehta, chairman of Arpana Group of Trusts, informs that every year, the hospital staff ``conducts 60-80 screening camps for cataracts. Each camp is attended by 15-20 out-patients.''
According to him, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh is one place where the Trust had to conduct several eye-camps because of the acute lack of eye care facilities in that town.
Over the years, the Trust hassucceeded in extending the healthcare services to certain remote parts of the Himalayas. The members inform that ``Arpana has a medical centre at Dalhousie, which is being expanded into a mini-hospital. That apart, they have set up a multipurpose health and socio-economic centre at Village Gajnoi with in-patient facilities, an operation theatre, and provision for training of healthcare workers in health and socio-economic activities.''
The Centre serves over 50 villages with intensive primary healthcare services, in a catchment area of about 150 hamlets and villages.The other main activities of the Trust are:
Nutrition programmes: To motivate and assist villages mothers in setting up community kitchens to provide necessary nutrients for malnourished children. Family planning programmes: For intensive motivation, information and counselling of the poor on family planning methods. According to the Trust members, this has led to a 21 per cent reduction in birth rate in the target villages duringthe last five years. Provision of water and sanitation facilities: Educating rural folk about the necessity of clean water and a sanitary environment. Committees being formed for taking responsibility for projects for hand-pumps, latrines and lanes and drains for a healthy and beautiful environment. q Development of entrepreneurial potential: Discovering entrepreneurial talent in villages and forming programmes to assist them in developing the necessary skills for their own small businesses. Over 1,600 rural women received training in handicraft skills. This not only increased their income, but also their status in society.Arpana's provision of an assured market further lent security to their homes. For instance, Devotion, a shop in Khan Market in New Delhi, provides an outlet to the handicrafts of the ashram.
Ela Anand says that ``income generation is a key component of healthcare. We have formed self-help groups amongst the poorest in the villages. Many of them have approached Bank of India forloans to set up shops or buy buffalos, etc.''
Setting up credit circles: To enable villagers to build up their own economic resources, facilitating loans among members for small businesses, agriculture and personal needs. Training villagers as healthcare and community workers: 266 villagers, including midwives were trained to bring healthcare and development to their own communities. Day care centres: 14 village centres were set up to care for children, neglected during the day as parents work, by providing them with clothes, nutrition and pre-school education. Functional literacy: Over 1,200 women have been enrolled in functional literacy classes. Contact programmes, workshops, libraries and further classes, including sewing and food preservation, have been initiated to sustain their interest in these fields.Aruna Dayal, a volunteer at the Ashram, says that ``it is extremely difficult to get girls and women in Haryana to come for education. Most of them are agricultureworkers who attend classes during their free time. Pure literacy has no takers. Instead, literacy linked to skills like weaving, sewing and achar manufacturing appeal to them much more.''
Dayal informs that the Ashram is also ``providing pre-school education to children aged 3-6 years. Ten anganwadi programmes have been set up in the villages, with focus on nursery education, health and hygiene. The anganwadis are set up in a chaupal or somebody's house. More than 500 children attend these schools. They also get mid-day meals.''
R M Sabharwal, executive director, Arpana Group of Trusts, and former director of Burmah Shell, says that ``the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have been highly supportive of our activities. In fact, the Delhi government has given us a 1,500-square-metre plot in Vasant Vihar for setting up our centre in the city. We got a 473-square-metre plot in Dalhousie from the HP government at Re 1 per square metre. The Haryana government has given us token support for ourprogrammes in immunisation, family planning, etc.''
According to Sabharwal, ``Principal support (for the Trust) has come from corporate organisations in Mumbai. They are ACC, the House of Tatas, the Sir Dorabjee Tata Trust, the Walcott Foundation, the Mafatlals and Khaitan.''Arpana UK and Arpana France enlist international support for the Ashram's programmes. Apart from Glaxo Wellcome (UK), contributions have also come from Lady Aruna Paul and the Shukla family (UK), Misereor, Sight Savers International, Lions Club International, HelpAge India, and Christoffel Blindenmission (all from Germany), and many other donors.
Sabharwal points out that the Trust is ``not flush with funds''. ``The financial deficit keeps widening as we expand our programmes. We need more support from the donors,'' he adds. Arpana also conducts programmes in the slum colonies of Indira Camp and Ashok Bindu Saar in East of Kailash, New Delhi. ``Mahila Mandal women's groups, medical clinics, children's day-care centres, literacyclasses, sewing classes, a youth club, scholarships and non-formal education are all contributing to making this slum into a model community,'' states Sabharwal.
Summing up the achievements of the Trust, Sabharwal says that ``the services are our form of prayer''.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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