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Joy to the World

Wednesday December 17, 2008

By Poulomi Ghosh
Source: Kolkata Mirror

Rupa Bera, Shakila Khatun and Jhuma Maitra. They are some of the lot who could not see the assembled crowd at Kalamandir on December 15. But the crowd did not miss any opportunity to cheer for these little talents in a pre-Christmas programme ‘Christmas in Calcutta’, organised by all the staff, students and children of Mercy Hospital. This year the programme entered its third year.

“We are like a big family with a number of schools for blinds, orphans and training institutes for nurses. We treat lakhs of thalassemia patients every year. This is an event to get them altogether and enjoy the spirit of the Lord,” said Sanjay Prasad, CEO (chief executive officer) of Mercy Hospital.

While the nursing staff rocked the floor with their dance, the blind children left everyone spell bound with their concert. “Christmas brings in a feeling of joy and we have tried to capture this feeling in different ways,” said the host of the show, before a group of children entered the stage with the tune of Chak de India and spread euphoria to the hearts of the audience.

Aradhna, the US based band of this hospital carried forward the ‘nice feel’ of the event through their Christ-centred bhajans. Four young musicians Peter, Daniel, Fiona and Chris founded the band in 2000 and traveled across the world to spread this genre of music. “But we are surprised to see the talent of these young children who cannot even see. We often feel that we are bringing blessings through our devotional music, but after seeing these children I feel that I am blessed,” said Peter.

My Two Wet Feet

Monday November 3, 2008 By Cameron Crawford
Special to ASSIST News Service

WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) -- Ever since my teenage years, I’ve been literally dreaming of going overseas. Over the past several years, I’ve taken a keen interest in India. From reading books such as In Light of India, by Octavio Paz, to watching Mira Nair’s Academy Award nominated Indian Film, Salaam Bombay!, to listening to various types of Indian music, my fascination with India was constantly being piqued. All of these experiences coupled with my passion for cross-cultural relations really contributed to the writing on the wall: It was time to get my feet wet!

Mother waits with her son to receive treatment for his skin rash at a Mercy Clinic in Thakur Pukur

Fortunately, this year an incredible opportunity presented itself to me to travel to India. In March of this year, I set out for Kolkata (Calcutta) with a team of ten volunteers from Washington, DC. We visited Mercy Hospita) in downtown Kolkata. We lent our support to the hospital in a number of ways, and I’d like share a few of these with you.

Our team assisted the hospital by measuring the dimensions of the facility, both inside and out. The measurements that we took will be used by an architect to help create fire escape plans.

Expectant mother and her daughter wait to receive a routine medical check up at the Mercy Clinic in Thakur Pukur

At times the team discussed and reflected on the work we were doing (i.e. would be better if we were “on the streets” or “among the poor”?), doing the type of Mother Teresa-like work that has made Kolkata (Calcutta) so famous. We simply made ourselves available. This was the job that needed to be done and we fully dedicated ourselves to it. This type of work will help this top-notch hospital that’s been around for over thirty years continue to maintain its commitment to serving the underprivileged of Kolkata.

We also had the incredible opportunity to visit several of Mercy Hospital’s free clinics. These clinics are supported by the nurses and doctors of Mercy Hospital, both regular staff and paid consultants. The goal of these facilities is to reach out to urban and rural communities by providing free medical care and attention, on a weekly basis, to those who otherwise would not be able to afford it. These clinics also provide practical job training as well as useful course participation and credit for dozens of students at the Calcutta Mercy School of Nursing.

What really became evident to me in the extra two weeks that I spent in India, after my team’s departure was that this sort of work can be done by anyone. A person with a willing attitude and a heart of compassion can embark on a potentially life changing journey. However, getting there doesn’t come without risk. For me, approaching the organization that I work for to ask for support for my trip could have been risky. Little did I know that they were more than willing and even eager to support me on a personal and professional basis.

Professional development is a core value of my organization. In that same spirit I was not only encouraged in this endeavor, but was graciously allowed a three week leave of absence to chase this dream. If you’re willing to step out and take a risk, then you may be pleasantly surprised, just as I was, at the rewards that come with such a decision.

As the Peace Corps so eloquently put it, “Life is Calling. How far will you go?”

Cameron Crawford earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Oklahoma, and has lived and worked in the Washington, DC area for the past five and a half years. His solid professional background includes two Capitol Hill internships, public affairs work, international development work and recruitment. Cameron is currently a Volunteer Journalist at the American Red Cross headquarters. His talents lie in public outreach, event planning, recruitment and writing. Cameron enjoys traveling, reading and writing. He can be reached at ccrawford@gmail.com