Project ‘Life’ has had many milestones in its memorable journey of eventful 30 years and it looks forward to many more such milestones in the years to come. The Rajkot Voluntary Blood Bank (fondly known as RVBB), that was established in 1981 and over the years, has had the privilege of serving over three hundred thousand needy patients. As part of the Green Field Project, which is in fact a earnest endeavor to conserve and protect the environment, we have distributed over two hundred thousand trees of 6 to 8 feet to individuals, NGOs, schools and Government organizations.
Since Saurashtra Region has a high incidence of Thalassaemia, to work on this front, the Indian Medical Scientific Research Foundation (IMSRF) that was established in 1991, has done a commendable job of screening over 600 thousand individuals and has provided effective counseling especially in positive cases through its Thalassaemia Control and Prevetion Program (TCPP).
When it comes to responding to natural calamities, Project ‘Life’ is second to none. Since 1997, Project ‘Life’ has been providing two thousand metric tonnes of emergency aid material to over six hundred NGOs from all over the country.
Education is the key to any development as it empowers the people to take their destiny in their own hands. Let me add a few lines from Gandhiji’s life. Gandhiji’s personal life style was the most sustainable one. He identified himself with the poorest in the country who were irresistibly drawn towards him. His strength came from the fact that he preached what he practiced. He experimented first on himself and then shared his experience with others. Gandhiji’s choice was clear: He was for the poorest of the poor - The Daridranarayana. In fact, his advice to everyone was that, before embarking on any project or programme, he or she must use a simple talisman: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man you may have seen and ask yourself if the step, you contemplate to take, is going to be of any use to him.
Poor children from the government primary schools, too, had their dreams but the infrastructure facilities were sadly lacking, therefore Project ‘Life’ took it upon itself to rebuild the schools that were badly affected by the devastating Gujarat earthquake of 2001. Out of the planned 71 rural government primary schools, so far Project ‘Life’ has completed the construction of 48 schools of which 37 have been dedicated to the people and handed over to the Government. This infrastructure will benefit children for many decades to come.
Knowing, fully well that these children could do much better, if they were given educational support, Project ‘Life’ has provided educational assistance through various scholarships and supplied educational kits to over 5000 students.
On the health front, too, Project ‘Life’ has taken initiatives and has helped hundreds and thousands of people to regain their health not only through curative but also through preventive measures. The five Primary Health Centers, build by Project ‘Life’, have served the rural poor in the remotest parts of Gujarat and have been instrumental in providing the much-needed health care to over 150 thousand outdoor patients every year. The construction of the Primary Health Centre, being of highest quality, the building would be strong and sturdy and can serve many generations of people to spread health and happiness all around.
We, human beings, are blessed with the wonderful combination of mind, body, senses and soul that immensely enrich our life. Therefore, in our own little ways, we have contributed to the society to enrich life through our holistic health department which conducts activities such as ‘Science of Living and Community Outreach Program’, ‘Universal Healing and Gentle Wind Program’
The journey so far has been a momentous one and we call upon each one of you to join us in our endeavours and enrich the lives of millions so that in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, we could wipe out every tear from every eye.
My friends, please remember that your contribution, however small, has the ability to transform lives and open up avenues for the young and ignited minds to help them climb the ladder of success so that they can constructively contribute, not only to their development, but also to that of the society, at large.
Your participation in our other programs such as the Green Field project that lays emphasis on environmental protection and conservation will make the mother earth happy and provide better harmony between humans and the nature. Any assistance, of any kind, to Project ‘Life’ will not only gladden the hearts of the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society, but also boost up their morale to work collectively for their own development and that of the society, as a whole.
Last but not the least, I’d like to call upon each and every healthy member of our society, who is eligible to donate blood, to come forward and donate blood and save precious lives. I am glad to inform you that unlike in the past, where one unit of blood could save just one human life, today’s technology has enabled us to separate the blood components and save up to 3 lives. Our aim has always been to provide safe and quality blood that shall remain our so till the end of time.
Since blood is not produced in factories I am sure you’d appreciate our concern regarding voluntary blood donations. Only the generosity and willingness of the people like you can enable us to reach out to millions of needy patients who depend on you for saving their lives.
As you might be well aware, the Saurashtra region has one of the highest incidences of Thalassaemia and we, at Project ‘Life’, through our Trust, Indian Medical Scientific Research Foundation has left no stone unturned to bring about the much needed awareness in this field.
The pain that Thalassaemia disorder brings along, the emotional havoc in the family has to go through and the painful injections that the child has to receive from time to time, makes me wonder why the young boys and girls of marriageable age fail to even contemplate undergoing this simple Thalassaemia test to avoid the birth of a Thalassaemia Major child.
I believe, that not only IMSRF but every responsible citizen of the country and the world has a duty to ensure that the younger generation acts responsibly to ensure that the Thalassaemia Minor should not marry another Thalassaemia Minor so as to prevent the birth of a Thalassaemia Major child.
In this era, where technology and knowledge are equated to power, a modern blood bank is the need of the hour. Therefore a five-storied building with a utility area of 22,000 sq. ft is being constructed in the heart of the city of Rajkot. Besides our desire to start various courses in transfusion medicine, our team is also geared up to start the peripheral Stem cells separation Unit and Cord Blood Banking, to serve those who are in need.
The team at the Green Field Project has already set its best foot ahead by making efforts to procure the necessary land to further develop this project in a magnificent way. Steps have been initiated to develop an ‘Ayur Kendra’ and propagate the use of the medicinal plants for bringing health to the door-steps of the people in need.
Finally, I would like to thank each one of you for making Project ‘Life’ a global entity and a force to reckon with, in the fields of Blood Banking, Education, Health, Environment and NGO networking. Thank you for all that you have been to us. We would not have been where we are today, had it not been for kind support and cooperation. We look forward to your continued association and will be in touch with you from time to time for a fruitful and meaningful association.
Yours in Project 'Life'
Mr. Shashikant Koticha
Managing Trustee
Saurashtra Medical Educational and Charitable Trust
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