St. Jude India
| Founded | April 2006 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Shyama Kaviratne & Nihal Kaviratne |
| Type | Section 8 company under MCA, Govt of India |
| Focus | Free accommodation and holistic support for under-privileged children suffering from cancer |
| Location | |
| Website | http://www.stjudechild.org/ |
St. Jude India ChildCare Centres (St. Judes for short) is a not-for-profit organization in India that provides free of charge shelter and holistic care to children who are undergoing cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital and many other treating hospitals and their families. It is a section 8 company supported by individuals, corporate houses and Charity Trusts. Founded in 2006 by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne, St. Judes has 18 centres located in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad. The holistic care includes an infection free environment conducive to the child’s recovery, educational and recreational services for the children and their parents and counselling services throughout the duration of their treatment. Those children who come back for maintenance and follow up can once again stay at one of the centres.
About Us
Parents bring their cancer-affected children from distant villages and towns in India all the way to large cities where they can get medical treatment at minimum or zero cost. During the treatment there are intermittent periods of rest when the child recuperating under chemotherapy treatment must be protected against opportunistic secondary infections resulting from unhygienic conditions and poor quality food. The unavailability of hygienic shelter and nutritious food often forces the parents to abandon treatment. By providing to the child and the parents an infection free accommodation and the necessary nutritional support, St. Judes makes the crucial, tried and tested intervention leading to the child’s recovery and a noticeable increase in the survival rates of child patients of cancer.
In addition, St. Judes also addresses the educational, recreational and emotional needs of the families under its care by organizing customized educational programmes, celebrations of cultural events and outings. Transport facilities too are extended to patients for hospital visits. Regular counselling and alternative therapy sessions are held to help the families cope with the stress and trauma they undergo during the treatment.
Our Centres
Founded and funded by Mr and Mrs Kaviratne, the first centre for St. Judes was established on the first storey of Mhaskar Hospital in Mumbai. This first prototype centre has 8 individual family units, each accommodating a child patient and its parents. Three more centres are located very close to Tata Memorial Hospital, where most children receive their medical treatment. Four more centres have been established in Kharghar, on the campus of Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC); the R&D section of the Tata Memorial Hospital, with a special centre only for patients recuperating from Bone Marrow Transplants.
The total number of family units across India is 221, set up in 18 centres. Of these, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai together have 90 units across 8 centres. Delhi houses 42 units in 4 centres while in Jaipur there are 40 units in 3 centres. In Hyderabad 1 centre accommodates 19 families while in Kolkata 36 families reside in 2 centres.
The Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) has recently given on lease three of its buildings to Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) for housing patients from out of the city. TMH in turn has offered these to St. Judes for providing accommodation and care to child patients, which will take care of additional 165 families.
Donations to St. Judes are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Founders
Nihal Kaviratne is currently the Director of DBS Group & Bank, StarHub, SATS, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, GSK Pharma India, and Chairman of TVS Indonesia and Akzo Nobel India Limited. To add to this, he is a member of the Governing Board of Bombay Mothers & Children Welfare Society. A founding member of the Board of Governors of President University in Indonesia and one of "25 leaders at the forefront of change" chosen by Business Week in 2002 for the Stars of Asia Awards, he has been associated with Unilever for forty years. Nihal has vast experience in the fields of CSR and good corporate governance. Nihal was cited in the Queen’s 2004 New Year Honours List in the United Kingdom. He was awarded the CBE for services to UK business interests. He was Chairman of Unilever Indonesia, until he moved to playing a more regional role in the Unilever Asia Business Group based in Singapore as Senior Vice President - Development & Environmental Affairs. He later assumed the position of Chairman Asia for Unilever’s Home and Oral Care sector.
Shyama Kaviratne has been associated from childhood to the fields of social work and charity. Having completed her studies in management, her 20-year experience of working with a nationalized bank provides her with the ability to deal with a vast section of society and in relation to project finance.
International Support
SJICC UK is a registered charity in the UK (No. 1120539) with the objective to relieve sickness, preserve and protect good health and relieve poverty, relating but not limited to children under the age of 15 suffering from a chronic disease in India.
SJICC USA aims to provide a tax effective way for residents and taxpayers of the USA to make donations that enable the organization to fund grant applications submitted by charities in India that meet its objects.
Awards and honours
St. Judes is a Give India Tier 1 Organisation and has been rated at VO 2A by CRISIL.
St. Judes has received GuideStar India Gold certification for legal & financial compliances and sharing these transparently in the public domain. The organisation is also accredited by Credibility Alliance under Desirable Norms.
St. Judes has entered into a tie-up with UTI Mutual Fund, which has introduced a facility called "CanServe" for investments under UTI Balanced Fund, UTI Spread Fund and UTI Mastershare Unit Scheme. "CanServe" will enable investors to contribute their dividend payouts if they are under dividend payout option or specified amounts as desired, if they are under the growth option, towards St. Judes as donation for needy and under-privileged children who are being treated for cancer and their families, during the period of the child's treatment.[1]
St. Judes has been honoured with the following awards:
• AmeriCares 5th Spirit of Humanity Award, 2014
• Vocational Service Award for Outstanding Service to Humanity, 2014
• Can India Conclave Certificate for Excellence, 2013
• Qimpro Gold Standard Healthcare Award, 2012
• Marico Innovation for India Awards 2012 In The Social Category, 2012
• Finalists in the Special Category of Vodafone Mobile for Good Awards 2014
Notes
[1] http://epaper.telegraphindia.com/details/166753-516914.html
http://epaper.telegraphindia.com/details/166753-51550934.html
The Asian age: http://onlineepaper.asianage.com/articledetailpage.aspx?id=3165011
1. http://www.csrtimes.com/community-articles/st-jude-india-childcare-centres-bringing-sunshine-to-wilting-flowers/400
2. http://www.spiceroutemag.com/offering_holistic_care.html
3. ToI City Lights 23 March:
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com//Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=CITY-LIGHTS-02032015006027
http://www.kolkatafirst.in/?author=1
Times City Kolkata: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/A-place-to-stay-for-cancer-patients/articleshow/47932908.cms
5. Mumbai Mirror: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/columns/columnists/mudar-patherya/Going-beyond-caring/articleshow/47953686.cms
6. The Telegraph: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150704/jsp/calcutta/story_29485.jsp#.VZ0wqHr3_Gc