Health Session on Cancer and Malaria

  

One of the major initiatives with which Udaan team wanted to kick off 2012 was to hold a health session for the women on cancer. However, we needed professionals and more than just lectures to convey our message.

With the efforts of our team member Apurva, two interns from M. S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore (one in top 20 best medical colleges in India), readily agreed to help us with this initiative.

With the help of Anagha and Bhavana, we decided to address issues of Malaria, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Since most of the women knew Kannada and were more comfortable with it, Anagha and Bhavana decided to present entire session in the form of small kannada skits.

Session was conducted on 31^st Jan at 5:00pm in BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus.  The skits were all set after night long practices. Monal helped in giving a voice over to the whole play along with the interns. Gnana, Aparajitha, Aditi, Madhulekha and Aporva along with Bhavana and Anagha enacted the skits. The skits highlighted important points like symptoms, preventions and cure of malaria; early detection, prevention and cure of cervical cancer; detection, cure and self breast examination in case of breast cancer. Skits were also followed by videos for better understanding. 

Prof. Saby John, Prof. Meenal Kowshik and Prof. Judith Braganca took some time from their busy schedules to attend this session. After overcoming the initial inhibition, women attended the session with a lot of enthusiasm. Presence of medical interns made it easier for the women to present their doubts and get them clarified. For most of them, this was the first medical session on these topics.

The Udaan team would specially like to thank Anagha and Bhavana to help us with this initiative and making it a huge success :D

And lastly Cheers to the Udaan team for bringing it all together!!!

SANGATH WORKSHOP

This quote by Dushyant reflects the spirit with which Udaan was founded by a bunch of dreamy-eyed BITSians who sought to make a difference. Apart from organizing regular teaching classes for cleaning staff of BITS-Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Udaan also organized a workshop with Sangath, a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving adolescent and child health. The session was enlightening not only for the cleaning staff but also for Udaan and Nirmaan members.

Udaan members got an insight into the workings of an NGO. We also got ideas about making our teaching sessions more fruitful and also optimizing our existing financial, time and human resources. For the housekeeping women, it was a moment of revelation of sorts. They got a new perspective on life and were inspired to make it better through various opportunities and schemes they were told about during the session. The volunteers’ tête-à-tête with the women taught them many things, right from maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings to educational and vocational opportunities available to them. It was not merely a workshop, but a lesson in equality, a lesson for a better life.

Meanwhile, Udaan will continue with its weekly sessions, with a hope to make a change in the lives of those who serve us everyday and I urge you to contribute in your own way,

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

PS: Sangath workshop was conducted in October 2011. It was aimed at educating members of udaan how to deal with people while educating them on social front. It was also attended by few members of Nirmaan. Overall, it was a great success. Kudos to the entire team that made it possible.