The I-SHINE PROJECT ( the yellow-heart project ): October 2009

Participants : Jason Furtado ( Chair ) , Nitasha, Purnima, Balaji, Lakshmi & Neetha.

Agenda : to design the baby kit and related issues.

Jason Updated on the recent meeting with Sr. Rose ( I/C maternity)
The need for 'angelica mission' was explain and agreed upon.
Stress was given to promote the dignity of life of a newborn.
Based on the financial commitment required the following priority items were considered in the kit.

Priority ONE : 1 - Baby Nappies 4-6
2 - White Clot Wrap for baby
3 - Soap
5. The use of soap for a poor child was questioned. Purnima said that usually they use 'channa atta' for infants because their skin was delicate. A Rubber sheet would be a better option and more practical for the infant as the infant was to be changed very often.

6 . Priority ONE was then replaced to :
1 - Baby Nappies 4-6
2 - White Clot Wrap for baby
3 - Rubber Sheet
4 - Baby gowns (jublas)
Priority TWO :
1- Soap
2- woolen blanket / baby wrap
3 - Towel

Priority THREE :
1- Baby oil
2 - Rattle / toy
3 - Baby Pillow
Priority FOUR
1- Mosquito net

7. It was agreed upon that the baby kit would contain the basic PRIORITY ONE items but would have other items too depending on the funds received.

8. It was agreed upon that ALL kits were to be given free.

9. Sr. Rose would be responsible to hand over the kits.

10. It was agreed that a record book be maintained by Sr.Rose to record the dispatch of the kits.

11: Funds : Jason suggested that the gathering of funds be done in two ways : ONE : by volunteers themselves pitching in every month. and TWO : by getting sponsorers to buy kits for the poor. Lakshmi was asked to help come up with a campaign to promote the later.

12. Volunteers agreed to put in a regular amount (monthly) towards this fund.

13 : Cost factor :

- The cost of Mul Mul Cloth was about Rs.45/- a meter. Calculation for the cloth required per kit would be : 1/4 mt x 4 = 1meter (Rs.45/-) for four Nappies , PLUS 1/2 mt for baby gown - Rs. 21 /- . A total of 1.5 meters would be required per kit.

- Rubber sheet's costs is to be seen. Lakshmi said that she would go with Ashfaaq and Neetha next Saturday to checkout prices for the same.

- Price of johnsons baby soap (small) is Rs. 16/-

- Total cost price per kit is estimated to be around Rs. 200.

14. Jason suggested that pamphlets be prepared and word spread among our near and dear ones along with colleagues rather than asking strangers at this stage.

15. Sustainability of this mission was questioned by Lakshmi. Jason said that if we charge extra, we would be able to have extra money to by more stuff so that we could only need to look for sponsors every three months.

16. Lakshmi suggested that the name of the project can be embroided on the clothes.

17. Nitasha was teaching the volunteers how to crochet a blanket.

Conclusion :

This is a good project with a strong need , a sympathetic cause and an unchartered area that we can make a name for. We will not be able to do this unless ALL the volunteers chip in with their time , efforts and resources. We request all volunteers to step up and help.

We will be preparing pamphlets with registration forms for distribution.

Suggestions are welcome to help shape up the mission and for marketing strategies.

Friday, January 16, 2009

10th January 2009 - YFS Orientation

40 volunteers , I clarified. Yes came the calm know-it-all answer from the project co-ordinator. That didn't happen . Only 11 showed up. But it didn't stop us. I kept reminding myself that better 11 dedicated people than 100 people just dragging themselves here for the heck of it .

The volunteers sat patiently as myself, Majunath, abhimanyu and nitasha introduced various aspects of the project and rehab department. All of a sudden a began to feel a deep sense of gratitude to them as I looked at their tired faces. these people could have spent their time chilling at home , but they chose to brave this sunny saturday afternoon to be a part of something special. Funny how symbiotic inspiration can be.

Highlights

1. Arrival of people late so self introduction was skipped. Impromptu name tags were issued.

2. I gave a welcome note and introduced the agenda of the meet

3. Manjunath gave an intro on stroke, its types and the importance of this info for volunteers.

4. Abhimanyu gave an intro on Stroke rehabilitation and answered questions.

5. Nitasha introduced the I-shine Project.

6. I concluded by giving them the aim of the volunteers groups and asked them to think over it and fill in the registration forms so that we could sort out the volunteers into groups .

7. Registration forms were distributed and filled.

8. Q & A

9. Badges were distributed.

10. meeting ended at 4pm .

Thursday, January 1, 2009

2nd Jan 2009

Happy new year 2009. The year saw the introduction of a few volunteers. The experience was enriching, to say the least. I allowed the volunteers to mingle in with the patients so that they could get the feel of what was happening . Its amazing how they blended in. Its also helped in filtering out people who could not cope.I guess certain amount of maturity is required when interacting with stroke survivors. Patients have to be understood as adults and treated with respect. Some that cannot manage just do not turn up again, which saves us the trouble of asking them not to come. It all boils down to a matter of choice.. not of the volunteer, but if the patient choose to accept you ..

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Motivational Talk – Chapter One

How things worked out was truly amazing. How Ms,. Nitasha was prompted to get in touch and faithfully secured an appointment with Mr. Ian who obliged to come and speak to the patients. The first thing that flashed me was the designation of a ‘transformer’ that Mr.Ian had put in his card. How unique and exciting! It was truly humbling t see such renowned people take a bit of their time and effort to come and put a smile of patient’s faces.

Nitasha had the place setup nicely for the talk. It was a pity that no other volunteer from St. Josephs showed up, because it would be inspiring for them to watch the transformation happen .
The talk lasted and bit more than half an hour, but it was impactful, judging from the smile on peoples faces.. We hope to schedule more such talks at least once a month for the patients. Tentative date for the next talk is on 13th jan 2009

Saturday, December 6, 2008

6th December 2008, Saturday Volunteers Orientation Meeting (Absolutely Excellent !!)

‘It was absolutely excellent!’ Exclaimed Mr. Gopal Krishna as he waved good bye. His black blazer and purple striped tie neatly draped over his forearm as he walked to his car. It was already passed 4pm as I closed the department for the day, but its didn’t matter as, Mr.Gopal Krishna’s honest remark resonated in my ears. I was a milestone, no doubt. A Day to be remembered. The day we had our first volunteer orientation for the I-shine Project.

Venue : St. Martha’s Stroke Rehab center (physio wing)

Time : 2pm – 3pm

Present : Mr. Jason Furtado (I/C), Ms. Nitasha Noronha (Staff/ coordinator), Ms. Bhavani (Staff), Mr. Manjunath (staff), Sr.Grace (Prison Ministry , Nagpur) , Mr.Gopal Krishna (Stock Broker/Volunteer), Mr. Ranjith (Marine engineer/ Advisory ) , Mr.Chandrashekar (Stroke Survivor/Volunteer), Physiotherapy Interns , NSS students from St.Josephs (6).

The Orientation program was designed to be of a casual discovery circle format, where participants would be relaxed and yet be able to participate in the discussion.

1.A Welcome was extended by Mr. Jason Furtado to all dignitaries present.

2.Introduction of each Participant.

3.Mr. Gopal Krishna Gave a motivational talk entitled – ‘Just a little Push’. The talk was not only inspiring but also surprisingly very down to earth and humorous. I perfect talk, I must say, with anecdotes of why we tend to remember the great-great grandparents of the Gandhis, but not our own!! We remember them because society remembers people who lived (and died) for others!. The Gopal went on to thanks the volunteers to spending their valuable time here rather than what other young people do during their holidays. They were sacrificing their value time for a valuable cause. A cause for which people would thank them in the future. As the cause not only gives a chance to do recreational therapies, but also helps in the awareness of stroke , its prevention , rehab and preparedness of an attack. This is an important key. When a person knows what to do at the time of an attack, he is bound to save a live for which the I-shine shall be responsible. The Talk was extremely inspiring and meaningful.

4. Mr. Chandrashekar (Stroke survivor) shared his experience followed by answering questions from the volunteers. This enables the volunteers to see first hand that young people can also get stroke and how communication problems (speech problems) can arise.

5. Ms. Nitasha gave a brief introduction on what the I-Shine project was all about and how we needed people to help us in three categories (Recreational Therapies, Awareness Campaign & Motivational Services )

a.Recreational Therapies: games that were therapeutically designed to help patient learn coping strategies, Improve Motor and higher functions WITH an element of fun.

b.Awareness campaigns: Would spread the word about stroke using print, Audio visual aids and Arts .

c.Motivational Campaign is being with the patient and helping in therapy and motivating them.

6.A discussion and question answer session followed.

7.The choice of being a part of I-shine was left to them. The students took many brochures to give to their college mates.

8.Volunteer badges were given to already registered volunteers.

9.The meeting ended with a promise to grow and shine!!. The next meeting would be intimated by personal Correspondence.

Friday, December 5, 2008

5th December 2008 - Mr. John's First visit

At 11am, the PRO brought in Mr. John, the leader of the NSS group at St.Josephs. Although we were busy, I was quite happy that he saw the department on a busy day. he realized the layers tasks that were were performing and also that there were young people suffering from stroke related disabilities too.

I was told that there were about 35-40 interested. There was a pause when he said that from my side. That was unexpected !! I told him quite frankly that were would prefer a smaller number so that we could expand in time . He agreed. He said that he would convey the same to the group and come back tomorrow for the orientation program.

I was also told that the two new recruits (MBA students would also be joining us as well as Mr. Ranjith. This was a good sign as I had thought that Mr.Rajith who was with us during Dr.Usha's time (the other NGO) wasn't very happy of the way things were going. I hope he would be able to guide us with this association .

In the evening, Nitasha, bhavani and I had a meeting to touch base on what would transpire tomorrow. Basically a brief intro with dynamic speakers like our first I shine Volunteer, Mr. Gopalkrishna ( a very talented speaker) , Mr. Chandrashekar ( a stroke survivor himself) . Although the meeting was to be formal, we decided to kept a casual feel to it so that the voluteers would be at easy. I think it would work. Lets see... I'll keep you posted.. wish us luck !!

Monday, December 1, 2008

1st December '08 - St. Joseph's come'n'see

Being world AIDS day the group from st. Josephs came and did a street play about AIDS awareness in front of the CCU . Then the small group came in to see the department . Ms. Nitasha showed them around. Its was a short visit at the fag end of the day, nevertheless, its was a second milestone crossed.. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Saturday 29th Nov 2008 - Segregation of duties

Today I called a meeting of the physios . Manjunath, Bhavani, Nitasha and I met at the end of the day. The exhaustion of the week was evident on their faces. I almost hesitated to place another yolk on their shoulders, but it gave me consolation that the excitement of the job would lift them up .
Mr. Manjunath, being a postgraduate was assigned the task of the 'Stroke Smart Campaign' . this would be a campaign to spread stroke awareness though audio-visual means , with the the help of volunteers. This would include making models , charts, academic input for the drams as well.

Ms. Bhavani was given the task of coordinating the indoor volunteers. once the volunteers come, Bhavani would regulate their placements and assignment of cases to them. I felt that Bhavani would be open to the challenge as I feel she has great potential , given the proper challenges.

Mr. Kulbhushan (Absent currently) was given the grand yolk of formulating and regulating the recreational therapies. and maintaining the Family tree that he had made of all the patients .

Ms, Nitasha was give the responsibility to co-ordinate the external associations and organizations. The outreach programs done outside the hospital premises by the volunteers.
She was too , to regulate and co-ordinate the timings and patients for the counselor possibly coming to help us out.

The chores didn't quite set in as per the blank look on their faces.. I will have to see the reactions on Monday .. Whatever it maybe.. I'm glad they are a aprt of my team .. I could'nt have chossen better .

Posted by Jason at 11:03 PM

Saturday, November 29, 2008

24th November 2008 - St. Joseph's experience

The Reality of the I-Shine project finally dawned on me as I walked into the grand halls of the prestigious st. Josephs college. We, i.e. the PRO, Nitasha and myself were there to present the I-Shine project to a group of volunteers working under the center for social concern . Although we joked about it, the nervousness was clear on our faces. There would be a thin line between being awed by the group from doing such a noble job and being laughing stock. Young people are so unpredictable.

The presentation went okay in a classroom of about 50. Some listened attentively, some looked un interested , but many were moved to sniffs. I felt the response was good. The chill air of the cyclone 'Nisha' tormenting nearby Chennai gave the tinge of excitement another boost.

We left the venue to allow the presentation to set. in .. we were to know about it the next day .. Will keep you posted ..

Stepping stones..

The first step we had taken was to have an NGO help us initiate the Wellness program . The idea was that as the NGO would be established in their methods, it would be a welcomed addition to our idea of expanding to Rehabilitation package to a much more wholistic level.

An MOU(memorandome of understanding) was established with blind faith in each other. Minor details like the qualifications and the number of volunteers were overlooked. This turned out to be crucial with time as it was to affect the quality of the services provided and professional accountability.

One this was clear that this wasn't and ambitious project. It was an emotional one . And emotions are quite volatile to handle sometimes.

The Connection with the NGO was established through a good friend of mine. But sadly , in time, our friendship was scarred by the conduct of the NGO. My friendship was the first martyr for a good cause. Nevertheless all was not lost. These sort of experiences help us to work at a much more mature level.

A potential loss of the NGOs suport meant disappointing stroke survivors that were expecting to congregate on sceduled dates. Nevertheless , I was ready to let negotiations work its way in its time.

The I-Shine project was no child's play, and certainly not at the expense of survivors. Me, being in the centre , between the hospital management and the patients , could not tolerate things being done in a slack fashion. One had take a firm stand on certain issues, which I did. Like asking the NGO to clearly outline in methods of working, list of volunteers, a commitment to the cause as a sole provider of such a facility and spreading in collaboration with the hospital. these had to be done to regulate a safe , qualitative wleness program. Signing and MOU on blind faith was one thing, Exposing patients to people blindly was another !!

The good thing, I must add, that came out of this exercise was the motivation to initiate stuff on our own. We started looking beyond the scope of the NGO and started broadening our horizons.. This has given us a renew fire to place our faith in the divine healer.. and help us to let our light , truely shine !!

In the begining .. there was nothing ..

In the beginning there was nothing.. Then there was light !! A sudden realization that this vision had to be realized. A sudden , almost tormenting urge to strive to achieve that goal or forfeit some sort of damnation for not doing the best you could have !!

Such was the realization of the 'I-Shine Project' .

I-Shine !! Such an animating phrase that just lifts your spirit when you say it .. just try saying it aloud ..

I-Shine !

I-SHINE !!

Brilliant, isn't it ? How one word can lift your spirit !! how one touch of compassion can give hope to the hopeless.. How one person who dares to think out of the box can save the lives of many ..

People say why ?? I say 'WHY NOT !!'

Why can;t we , for a change step out of our comfortable little recipe protocols of ideally treating a disease and not a 'Human' patient !! How is it that we tend to be lost so much in the recovery of the patient that we forget to see the 'PATIENT' itself ?!!

I-Shine is a dream that dares to confront the traditional rehabilitation protocol. I-Shine will prove that if your treat the patients heart ( pun intended) you will save his life..

Rehabilitation is not done TO the patient.. it is done WITH the patient.

I-Shine is the humanization of therapy. I-Shine be a new way of healing rather than simple 'curing'.

Welcome to our dream of the I-Shine Project !!