Plenty to do and very little time.  Sometimes, we get frustrated and feel like calling it a day.  But we do not want to do that, when we have friends and relatives, who have been supporting us in this noble journey of ours.  Of course all of you will be doing your bit to the community around you in your own way.  But we are sure you also do not wish that SAHYOG downs its shutters and would lend us your hands.

Our projects in mind -

a. Conducting stem cell collection camps
b. Conducting blood donation camps
c. Conducting health awareness programmes in colleges, to avert certain common problems like infertility.
d. Sponsoring free lunch for students of community colleges, where the students are from the poorer strata of the society.
e. Continuing with the present deeds of assisting the poor to meet medical and educational expenses, to the extent possible.

We seek your sincere support to enable us to keep SAHYOG alive and make a difference in the society in our way.  Little drops make an ocean.  Even Rs.100/- per month from each of you will go a long way in the lives of many needy persons.  Please pledge and commit to donate Rs.100/- per month.  Higher donations are most welcome.  Please do not ignore our appeal.  Do send us your donations as well as your valuable suggestions.

Long since we updated you all about our activities, though we continued doing our bit to the community around us.

a. Sanjay, who runs a taxi was in dire conditions, when one of his legs was amputated up to knee level due to gangrene and was unable to drive for quite some time.  Hence, we helped him meet a part of his hospital bill - Rs.15000/-
b. Rajesh, son of an auto-rickshaw driver is pursuing a course in NTTF.  His father was hospitalised due to gangrene in his foot and hence Rajesh needed assistance to pay his fees for his 3rd Semester.  We granted Rs.10000/-, as one of the donors.
c. Assisted B.M. Rafiq to meet his medical expenses of Rs.4000/-.
d. Provided medicines worth Rs.900/- to Haseena Begum.
e. Madhusudan, who himself is a volunteer, assisting poor patients admitted to M.S.Ramaiah Hospital, sought assistance to pay his fee to a private institute, where he is pursuing a course in designing and we granted Rs.20000/-.
f. Contributed Rs.10000/-towards the medical expenses of a poor patient Master Trilochan, referred to us by Ashakiran, an NGO.
g. Met the expenses of purchasing spectacles on behalf of Ramaswamy and Devaki, parents of Rajesh, whom we had assisted earlier for paying fees- Rs.4000/-.
h. Abhilash, son of Adisesh Babu, who works on a meagre salary for a private firm, met with a gory accident and had to undergo surgery of his thigh bone.  Met Rs.15000/- out of his hospital expenses.
i. Mohan Kumar, a young man, met with an accident and underwent a surgery for multiple fractures.  Granted Rs.10000/-, being the cost of certain medical fixtures for the surgery.
j. Granted Rs.10000/- towards the chemotherapy of Manjula, a poor woman, who works for a blind school in Yelahanka.

These are our small deeds for the last two years.

Satisfying achievement

As we wished, we could donate Rs 5 lakhs to Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation being, the cost of one ward in their charitable hospital.  This is a very small drop in the ocean that the hospital is.  It is a multi-crore project being built as per international standards with the latest technological support.  However, every drop matters.  When we met the unassuming founder director Dr. Srinath, whose dream this is, we were awed by his simplicity, his mission, his concern for the poor, his dedication to the cause and his perseverance to reach the best treatment to everybody – rich and poor. The hospital has started functioning, though another three floors are under construction.  It is a 550 bedded hospital, where 10% of the beds will be reserved for the really poor, where the treatment will be totally free, while another 10% for those who can bear a little cost, where the treatment will be subsidized to the extent possible. The ward we donated for will be on the fifth floor and catering to two patients at a time (semi-private ward), with the option of being converted into a private ward when the need arises. 

Our experience was really satisfying and we can never forget the hundreds of people who helped us realize this dream of ours.  We thank all of them profusely and assure them that their donation has reached the right hands.  Here are a few pictures of our visit to the hospital and an image of the citation that the Foundation gave us. 

This was our dream of 2014.  Now that we are in 2015, we have to continue our journey.  Many poor patients and students have been knocking our doors for assistance.  We can assist them only if you all rise to the occasion.  We request you to continue supporting us the way you did all these years so that we could make a difference in many lives.

                                 Sahyog Trustees with the Trustees of Shankara Cancer Foundation

                                                                      The ward

Dr. Srinath

   

Latest status

Friends, its been long since we interacted here.  2014 was an eventful year in the life of Sudha  and Narasimhachar, as their son Varun married his beloved Poornima on 1st June.  As members of SAHYOG, they thought of using this occasion for a good cause.  An appeal was sent out to all the invitees that the families would not accept any gift but would be pleased to receive their donations towards making a dream of SAHYOG come true!  The dream - donating the cost of construction of one ward to Shankara Cancer Foundation, who are constructing a state of art cancer hospital in Shankarapuram, Bangalore.  10% of the 550-bed hospital will be reserved for the poorest of the poor, who will be treated free of cost, while even the other beds will be offered to patients at cost. 

All the invitees responded whole-heartedly and SAHYOG could collect  Rs. 1.50 lacs at the wedding.  Thereafter, another Rs.1.50 lacs were collected.  During October, SAHYOG donated Rs. 3 lacs to the foundation and promised to collect balance of Rs.2 lacs by February, 2015.  The members visited the hospital, which is under construction and has already started functioning partially and were very impressed with the quality of the hospital.  International standards are being followed and the Trust is truly charitable.  "We do not discriminate patients based on the economic status.   A rich patient who pays all the costs and the poorest patient, who is offered free treatment -both of them get equal treatment.  In fact, their files will not disclose their category so that there can be no subjective treatment by any technician, nurse or doctor, whatsoever", said Ms.Latha Rao of the Trust.

Now, our endeavour is to collect Rs.2 lacs by February, 2015.  We pledged to do this only trusting the cooperation of all of you.  Please do take this appeal seriously and work hard.  Each of you can definitely commit to collecting at least Rs.10000/- to Rs.20000/- from your side (Rs.1000/- each from 20 of your friends), which is not a difficult task.

So, friends, what are you waiting for?  Please celebrate your birthday, anniversary, marriage or any good event in your family by setting aside a small amount for this noble cause.  Let us make this grand dream come true this financial year.  Of course, this is not the end.  SAHYOG means to make a lot of differences in this society, thanks to the excellent support that you all are giving.

Once again the details of the account for your ready reference.  Crossed Cheques or DDs favouring SAHYOG can be sent to SAHYOG, HIG 1212, 8th B Cross, Yelahanka Satellite Town, Bangalore-560064 or amounts remitted directly SB Account of SAHYOG -No.694104000002592 at IDBI, Yelahanka Satellite Town, Bangalore-560064; IFSC Code IBKL0000694.  When you remit directly, please do inform us to enable us to issue valid receipts to you, since all your donations to SAHYOG are eligible for exemption under Section 80G (5)(XI) of the Indian Income Tax, 1961.
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This month, we paid partial fee of Rs.10000/- for a poor student Rajesh to NTTF. Rajesh's father is an auto driver and is under rest after gangrene attack.  His mother is partially blind.  Rajesh, who has a gruelling time at NTTF throughout the day, drives the auto in the night, to help the family survive.  His fee comes to Rs.50000/- per term at NTTF, which is a very good institute where jobs are assured after completion of the three-year course.
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Members
SAHYOG                      

Let's do something bigger

Shankara Cancer Foundation is a charitable trust headed by a dedicated Oncologist Dr.Sinha and assisted by the Shringeri Shankar Mutt Trust, Bangalore.  This Trust is already running a full-fledged hospital Ranga Dore Hospital, where treatment for the needy is offered at subsidised rates or even free, for all kinds of ailments.  However, of late, the hospital has been receiving increasing number of poor patients suffering from cancer and the hospital does not have enough infra-structure to meet the increasing demand.  Thus a separate Trust was formed and a special hospital to cater to cancer patients is being constructed just beside Ranga Dore Hospital, Chamarajpet.  The aim of this hospital to extend free treatment to the really needy people and offer subsidies to those who cannot afford the full expenditure.  The hospital is being equipped with all the latest technological support and every patient, rich or poor, will be treated alike.  The Trust is manned by very dedicated and compassionate staff members.  The following is the list of the aspects that can be donated by willing donors.  Many benevolent donors have already been doing their bit.  But, since it is a huge project, much more assistance is welcome.

DONOR OPTIONS FOR THE PROPOSED HOSPITAL - SRI SHANKARA CANCER HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE

Sl.#		Description	Amount (Rs.)
1		Single/Shared Rooms – Each room	5 Lakhs
2		General Ward – 1 Room  (5  beds) (27 Rooms)	11 Lakhs.
3		Operation Theatre (8)	50 Lakhs Each
4		ICUs (4)	50 Lakhs Each
5		Sri Shankara Hospital Kitchen	50 Lakhs.
6	Surgical OPD ***		1.00 Crore.
7	Laboratory Equipment and Space ***		1.50 Crores.
8	One wing of the hospital floor ***		2.00 Crores.
9	One Full Floor of the Hospital ***		4.00 Crores
10	MRI		4 Crores.

*** Donation of Rs. 1 Crore and above for equipment or for a part of the wing or block will be.

i.              Entitled to avail concession to the extent of 10% of the total bill for patients of their choice.

ii.            Such donors will be eligible to become the governing council member of the hospital.

iii.           This will be in addition to the right for dedicating the facility / part of a facility in honor of the donor or the person / name of donor’s choice.

The following are certain services which require funding.  The cost of these services have not been worked out, thus needing discussion with the prospective donors.

Sl.	Name of the Department
1	Pain Centre
2	Physiotherapy
3	Prosthetic and Rehab Centre
4	Molecular Biology Department
5	Ultrasound Centre
6	PET –CT Scan Centre
7	Dormitories
8	Central Sterile Supplies Services
9	Solar Water Heating
10	Patient Information Centre – Operation Theatre Floor
11	Patient Library
12	Playroom for children

SAHYOG feels if all our friends extend their support, we could donate at least one room costing Rs.5 lakhs, to begin with. This needs a lot of fund-raising assistance from all of you.  Please spread the word to all your friends and relatives and help us make this dream come true, so that we can get some satisfaction in doing our bit to the society.  Please contact Sudha or Narasimhachar on 9008763078 or 9880597173 without delay.  Celebrate occasions in your family by donating for this noble cause.  

A drop in the ocean

 Lekhana is undergoing treatment for brain tumour at Shankara Cancer Foundation.  She is a charming twelve-year-old girl, who has a long life ahead and the doctors at the Foundation are doing their best to treat her.  But since her parents are very poor and are unable to bear the expenses of the treatment, the hospital is depending upon the donations from the kind-hearted.  SAHYOG did its bit by contributing Rs.15000/- towards the treatment of Lekhana and wishes her speedy recovery and long and healthy life.  

Small little deeds

Gururaj is a very bright and talented youngster.  He is the second son of Nagendra and Suma, who were earning their livelihood by running a small tailoring shop.  This couple learnt tailoring on their own, by opening up the stitches of ready made garments!  But they dreamed big.  They wanted their sons to pursue their dreams and struggled to educate them in the best institutions.  The sons too understand their parents' condition and study very well, besides being achievers in many extra-curricular activities.  Gururaj is a well-trained Bharathanatyam dancer and has earned many laurels.  He even performed in the recently completed Dasara celebrations at Mysore.  He is pursuing second year B.E.at Dayanandasagar College.  Sudheendra, the elder son was also a very dedicated achiever and was to complete his B.Tech. last July.  He had a plum job offer from a popular IT company.  So, he had asked his parents to stop struggling and start relaxing since August, 2013, as he would take care of them.  But destiny played a cruel joke on this family.  Sudheendra lost his life in a gruesome road accident in June, 2013.  The family is devastated and Sudheendra approached us for assistance to pay up Gururaj's tuition fees for this semester.  SAHYOG pitched in Rs.15000/- and shared his burden.  SAHYOG wishes Gururaj a very long, successful and happy life!