2019 Update on the Sanjeevini Trust by Joe Emerson, India 38

December 16, 2018

The Sanjeevini Trust 2018

Hi All,

This year the Sanjeevini Trust, under the leadership of Gnanmithra Jettappa, helped hundreds of poor village families in the district of Sirwar, Karnataka State, India, by providing poor villagers with lifesaving medical care, an ambulance service, eye screening and cataract surgery clinics, preventive health clinics, young ladies tailoring classes, and cancer and heart disease prevention education programs. You can now see them all in the new Sanjeevini Trust website developed by Gnanmithra's son, Vijaya. Just click on "English" in the upper left hand corner to read it in English. And be sure to read the latest Sanjeevini Trust blog get filled in on the most recent activities of the year.

The Sanjeevini Trust Ambulance Service has helped many thousands of poor patients and saved many lives over the last 11 years. During the past 12 months the Ambulance transported 415 patients needing medical treatment for vehicle and agricultural accidents, heart attacks, pregnancy/birthing complications and a variety of other emergency needs.  All decked out for the annual Dasara Celebration in the picture below, the ambulance still commands great respect and gratitude in rural India despite the fact that it has been completely refurbished (in small stages) about three different times during its 11 years of continuous service.

Now, although it still has some life left in it, it is no longer safe for long high speed trips and is ready for partial retirement, during which it can still be used for shorter local ambulance runs and for educational programs for another few years.

So in addition to supporting the regular programs of theSanjeevini Trust, we need to raise money for a new ambulance. Gnanmithra has determined it will require at least $12,800 for a reliable, adequately equipped, road-ready ambulance, a sum that seems remarkably affordable and achievable given the cost of just calling an ambulance in this country. Some money has been set aside from recent years' contributions; in addition, Gnanmithra will be hosting a 20-year anniversary celebration for the Sanjeevini Trust in Sirwar, through which he hopes to attract local contributions for the first time.

While we hope that this local fund raising effort will be successful in the long run, our immediate goal is to raise as much of the needed funding as possible by the end ofJanuary 2019. To do this, we need to increase our total donations by about 50% to fund the new ambulance while supporting the Trust's ongoing programs. We hope that you will join us in this effort by digging a little deeper and reminding yourself that together our donations make a profound, often life-saving difference to villagers - especially poorer ones - and to dozens of villages around Sirwar.

Thanks once again for your continuing interest and vital support. 

 And Happy Holidays!

Joe Emerson and Ann Brayfield

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