Medical Camp under the Trees

A canopy of lush green trees provided temporary relief from the hot summer sun as our team from the New Generation Trust (NGT) set up a Medical Camp late one afternoon recently.

We wanted to support people living on the roadside in one particular area of Delhi. These were families we had met earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic when we had distributed food rations, followed by regular visits to get to know them more. We knew that arranging for doctors to give consultation on site could be a great help. We selected a spot near two different settlements, hoping to make ourselves more accessible for people of different communities.

For that evening, the shady area under the trees became a Triage and Consultation Area for the two doctors who graciously volunteered their time. We used NGT’s Mobile Clinic from our Jesiah project as a dispensary to give out medicines prescribed by the doctors.

By 5 pm we saw a steady stream of people lining up to register to meet with the doctors. Many of the patients were children. People came with complaints of gastritis, skin rashes, fungal infections, and pigmentation problems. Some had wounds on their feet which needed attention. Whether due to poverty, lack of understanding about available systems, caution because of negative experiences in the past, or the pressures of daily survival, for one reason or another people had not yet sought the medical help they needed.

An older man came with extreme stomach pain, which was remedied by simple medicines. After he walked home and took the medicines, he later returned, all smiles, to thank the team for helping him to feel so much better.

Some young men pulled one of our male team members aside and shared that they felt hesitant to share their medical concerns with the female doctors on site. When it was their turn to be seen by the doctors, our team member walked over with them to bridge the gap.

One of our project leaders chatted with women waiting in line, listening to their concerns. Most mothers expressed a desire for their children to receive tuition to help with their schooling. NGT’s Sahaitha team provides non-formal educational support to at-risk women and children, so we will explore how we might assist the people educationally in this neighborhood in the future.

NGT is grateful for Delhi police personnel who checked in during the Camp to make sure everything stayed in order. We appreciate that those who came for treatment waited patiently for their turns. We thank the busy doctors who set aside the day to work with us to help the people of this neighborhood. We are also following up with those patients who needed ongoing treatment beyond what could be done in one sitting, helping them to connect with the nearest government hospital.

In the coming months we hope to continue Medical Camps periodically. We will also encourage families to take their children to a nearby dispensary to receive immunisations, as we’ve come to see that most families have not kept these up-to-date.

Jesiah is a project of the New Generation Trust.

To donate towards the medical camps or other works of NGT please click here.

Nidhi’s Joy of Learning

When Nidhi* (14) first came to Rafa Home eight years ago, she seemed severely impaired: A rare condition of Tuberculosis in her brain had left her vulnerable to epileptic seizures.We were fairly certain she could hear, but she was effectively mute, making only small grunts and sounds.She showed a mischievous side: Sometimes she would hide quietly behind the curtains in the middle of the night, and simply wait.The first few times carers awoke and found her bed empty, they searched frantically, worried that she had come to harm—only to have her suddenly jump out from the curtains, making a silly face!

Over the years, we have seen her grow in mobility and responding to carers in the limited ways she could communicate. Still, she requires help with most things, including eating and going to the toilet. She had been enrolled in a school for the differently abled, but was struggling to engage with her teachers or other students, and we sensed that she needed a change.

During Covid wave-2 lockdown, we connected to a new school which specializes in autism. The teachers there are trained to look beyond a person’s “diagnosis” and to identify the unique interventions and creative methods that work for that particular student. Almost immediately after Nidhi began online one-on-one sessions with teachers from her new school, we saw newfound enthusiasm for learning.

Nidhi’s teachers use a variety of approaches such as a ‘cooking class’ and ‘experiment time’. They aim to improve her communication and motor skills, with help of flash cards and objects, helping her strengthen her memory of events and spaces.Her activities also include imitation, taking things from one place to another, and even the joy of making lemonade.

Nidhi now engages well with her online classes. She can now recognize many objects, including her brush and toothpaste. Her motor skills are improving. Earlier she was restless and would cause a disturbance in the home when other girls were trying to enjoy movie-time, but now she loves sitting with them. She is more cooperative and expressive with the carers throughout the day. In the evenings, she often tugs their hands, indicating that she wants to go outside to walk or play—yet another change from before.

In late 2021, when lockdowns had ended and Covid numbers went low enough in the city, Nidhi’s online teachers made a special trip far across town to come visit her in person.They brought gifts and special foods for Nidhi and the other girls.Nidhi was thrilled to give them a tour of her home and was simply beaming with smiles the whole time!

It's just great to see Nidhi grow in her abilities.. we're thankful to all involved in her story.

*pseudonym. As per CWC guidelines we do not reveal names of our children.

VOICES OF WOMEN AT SAHAITHA DURING LOCKDOWN

“Didi, how sad that we can’t meet each other..” We keep hearing this from our women from the slum community we associate and journey with.

Pre-Covid times, they could drop in anytime and have chai with us at the Centre. We now engage with them online, but it's not the same.

"I dread the idea of going back to my village because it would definitely mean that I will be forced to get married."

Says Megha* whom we know well. She now sells cosmetics on an online platform, hoping it will keep her from going back to her village penniless.

Megha had never been to school when she met us in 2017, but now with her determination and love for learning, she pursues her graduation through

distance learning.

.

Lalita,* a mother of two, has been struggling to make ends meet this Lockdown. Amidst time constraints, she tried to attend our online class to complete her graduation, but faced these discouraging words from her husband.

“What is the point of your degree if at the end of it all you are only going to be a maid in someone's house?"

The word 'Lockdown' is uncomfortable to the women at Sahaitha, evoking feelings of sadness, despair and uncertainty. Unlike many who can safely work from home, they have no option but to get out to often tightly packed workspaces, living hand-to-mouth.

“What do women from Sahaitha say they need?”

1. Food provisions to last a month.

2. A space to share freely about their pressures at home.

3. A way to connect with others, so as not to feel so isolated.

4. Career counselling towards future studies

5. Job opportunities for themselves and their family members

Delhi has begun to unlock again, but living with the pandemic brings new challenges.

Help us to share hope and further empower these resilient women amidst the pain and challenges they face.

Know more about Sahaitha or write to us at contact@newgenerationtrust.org

*Names changed to protect identity