Strengthen 1000s of Indian Families w/ Healthcare

Dear Supporter of Save Kids Trust,

The summer months have brought several unique cases to the clinics. One major case was a Karan, a boy whose leg was broken after being hit by a motorcycle. In his case, Dr. Saini arranged for quick surgery (due to the lengthy time the leg was broken) and therapy afterwards. Karan and his family now report that he is walking and playing with friends. They are very grateful! Another case was a boy who cut his foot playing cricket. He knew right where to go and Dr. Saini was able to tend to his wound (stitches required) and help him heal properly. For more detail on both stories, and more, go to our website.

Dr. Saini also forwarded the front page of the local newspaper from April that was reporting on slums in Jaipur. Based on the data in this article, a survey in 2015 showed that Jaipur had the highest number of slums in the state of Rajasthan: 308 documented slums. Calculations now say the total slums in the state of Rajasthan are 1843. Dr. Saini shared that the government defines slums as NOT having proper water supply, electricity, and proper sanitation systems. The government also recognizes that the reason for the increase is that poor people are coming from villages and from other states to earn their daily wages to live. This migration from other villages and states breaks the government-supplied healthcare that these people theoretically have access to.

In India, one must be able to prove they are a resident of a state to gain access to services, including healthcare, provided by the state government. If a person doesn't have a residency card for the state they are in, medical treatment is denied. When someone in the slums has a baby, the birth is often unrecorded, so this child starts life without this important document. Also, many people migrate for work from their home village in one state to a city in a different state. In both situations, people are denied medical care. This is one of the factors that perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

This is also one of the reasons why Save Kids Trust is so effective. They treat every person who comes to them regardless of papers, religious beliefs, or financial status. Often, these people can donate a small portion of the cost of treatment. Always, it is the generosity of SKT donors who created an avenue to help. We thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sharwan Saini and the SKT Team

Links:

• This is our team in India!

Dear Supporter of Save Kids Trust,

It is a great privilege to write this seasonal update. March 9-14, 2023, three board members traveled to Jaipur to be ‘on the ground’ with Save Kids Trust to witness first hand the impact your support is making. It was a very busy few days. Each morning we visited families served by a clinic. In the evenings, we participated in different educational events and each event had a medical street clinic running nearby. The India Team worked very hard during these long days, and we appreciate it so much.

Our board member who had not visited the clinics previously, was struck by the locations of the clinics – which are not close to each other. He marveled at how each clinic is central to at least three Informal Housing Settlements (aka slums, although this is not our preferred term). It would be a long, expensive journey for residents living near one clinic to go to a different clinic. This was on purpose. SKT can reach more people if our clinics are geographically spread out around Jaipur.

Dr. Saini also showed us the site of the newest clinic. The land and building are privately owned and SKT has permission to transform it into a clinic. The existing rooms need modest changes for our grand opening, but the goal will be to remodel the main floor and add a second floor for offices as funding allows.

While we were visiting the housing settlements we were honored to see and participate in many morning rituals with families. Look for these stories on our website under the heading “Meanwhile…” to glimpse insights into daily life surrounding the clinics.

It was also amazing to meet and visit individuals and families who SKT has helped over the years. Many of these stories are already on our website and we will post updates soon. We re-met the family behind these two stories (here are the hyperlinks:  6.4.12 A True Story of Darkness to Light and 4.10.22 One Family’s Decade-Long Journey). We are pleased to say this family is doing well. 

Thank you for your continued support of Save Kids Trust. The poor in Jaipur are resting easier because of your care. We hope you enjoyed our update and photos. Visit Save Kids Trust - Stories for more!

Sincerely,

Donna Shively, Marty Shively, and Steve Dobson

Board Members

Links:

• More stories are available at our website