Asraya - an all Women's Voluntary Organization, the seed of which was sown by Santha Jose, has now grown into a huge multi-branched tree, capable of providing shelter and relief to thousands of cancer victims and their families. Through their various voluntary activities, Asraya touches all aspects of cancer care at a very basic level - the sort of tender care a mother is able to provide her sick child. Each of the 300 volunteers of this organization is 'Asraya Aunty' to the patients.

On every working day of the RCC, two or three volunteers offer warm rice gruel (kanjivellam) to the patients of the chemotherapy ward and their bystanders waiting in the OP. The motherly volunteers take time to talk to almost every suffering victim as they hand out glasses. As the warm gruel soothes their dry parched throats and strengthens them physically, our soothing words provide a balm to their broken spirits. When they realize that some of the Asraya volunteers who are talking to them have actually survived the ordeal of cancer, they are instilled with the hope that life after cancer can still be beautiful despite the pain and the fear of a recurrence.

Every day, two volunteers prepare health-mix porridge for the patients of the Palliative Ward. For patients unable to feed through the mouth, diluted health-mix is provided for nasal feeding. A kit of health-mix, milk powder and sugar is given to poor patients at the time of discharge from the hospital. We offer to watch over the patients while the bystander slips out for a quick meal or to purchase medicines. Ambulance services and other necessities are also arranged in case of death. Asraya helpers are a big comfort to those who are left with the sudden departure of their loved one. We try to mobilize palliative care to all terminally ill patients

An Asraya volunteer assists the nursing staff in the Lymphodema Clinic every day. Exercises to prevent edema are also demonstrated. Breathing techniques and massages are taught, arm measurements are recorded to check edema and follow-up appointments given. Leaflets (in Malayalam, Tamil and English) explaining care and precautions are handed out to the patients. Asraya volunteers are trained periodically in the aspects relating to Lymphodema by the RCC nursing staff.

Several patients have been raised out of despair and frustration through the involvement of our volunteers who are breast cancer survivors, and who take extra pains in counseling. This helps to form a support group for patients when they need it the most.

Chemotherapy injections range from hundreds to lakhs of rupees. For very poor patients all the expenses are subsidized, but still the expenses are far from affordable. Asraya credits thousands of rupees in the RCC account of poor patients for chemotherapy, surgery etc. Apart from this, around Rs.15,000 is distributed as petty cash on a daily basis in sums of Rs.300, Rs.500, etc to below-poverty-line patients in order to help with their expenses for medicines, food, and travel.

When a manual laborer realizes that his child is suffering from cancer, the whole family is in the clutches of fear, poverty, debt and sorrow. For months together the whole family is in hospital, thus foregoing their meagre daily wages. It is gratifying to see the children’s’ faces light up when we greet them outside the ward with books, games, clothes, sweets and snacks.

Home-made food packets are distributed to the mothers occasionally. Asraya members help them cope with the trying circumstances during the child’s treatment and recovery and most of all help with finance for their much-needed treatment.

Asraya has been a liaison between the hospital authorities and generous individuals and organisations in order to help the patients in many ways. Asraya has supplied many essential amenities to the hospital by identifying sponsors and also extended help in building the waiting shed and maintenance of toilet facilities. We have been able to supply chairs, wheel chairs, tape-recorders, television sets, refrigerators, sofa-beds, food, medicines, clothes, toys, trolleys, magazines and flowers for the hospital wards. We have also helped in obtaining essential equipment from abroad for the use of the hospital and patients. Medical Bridges, a voluntary organization in Texas, donated equipment worth Rs 40 lakhs to RCC. The transporting cost (around USD 3000) was funded by a well-wisher through Asraya .Many individuals have supported our work through monetary and other means.

The Asraya volunteers provide guidance on RCC hospital procedures to the patients and their families. Another valuable service is the information provided on low cost accommodation available near the hospital for outstation patients who cannot afford the charges in hotels and lodges. We give them support and information to help them understand and come to terms with their illness and give similar support to their family.

Asraya organizes Awareness Classes and Screening Camps throughout Trivandrum and its periphery with the help of doctors and the laboratory staff of RCC. These camps are of vital importance as many people in the coastal areas come in the high-risk cancer category because of their habits of chewing tobacco, smoking, drugs and intake of alcohol. During the camps, medical help for general illness is also made available. Medicines and vitamin supplements are given to all the patients, free of charge. Within the last year such camps have been conducted at Bethseda, Thumba, Paruthiyur, Kadakal, Puluvila, Velliathura,etc.

A CD on Cancer Prevention and Early Cancer Detection has been made by Asraya with the help of the doctors of the Regional Cancer Centre.

We are deeply involved in rebuilding the lives of persons who are dependents of the deceased cancer patients. Our volunteers tirelessly work to motivate them, and help them set up small business enterprises, tailoring units, grocery shops, and other such establishments.. Thereby, transforming dependent individuals to independent and self- reliant individuals.

Asraya provides support in the following ways:

• Sets up shops, provides funds for purchase of auto-rickshaws and sewing machines for cancer patients or their dependents
• Grants monthly stipends of Rs.400 to Rs.600 to around 300 students who are cancer patients or children of cancer patients
• Sponsors professional courses like Nursing, ITI, Polytechnic, Computer courses including Animation, B.Ed, Catering, Welding and Driving for cancer patients or children of cancer patients
• Conducts marriages for children of cancer victims
• Provides funds for maintenance of houses of cancer patients or their dependents.

Asraya organizes training programs for its volunteers with the help of faculty comprising of Oncology and Trauma Specialists, Medical Trainers, etc. This is essentially to train the volunteers in the area of counseling to deal with the patient’s anxieties and discomfort and to provide counseling and emotional support to cancer patients and their families.

Provides books, magazines and toys for children and their families during their stay in the hospital.

Since inception , Asraya has been sharing festivities with the RCC patients.

During the last Onam festival, 2500 cups of payasam was distributed with ready smiles in the hospital premises. In addition 600 bed-sheets were presented to the inpatients. Clothes, towels, umbrellas, utensils etc are gifted to the patients during different festivals.

At Christmas, Christmas Father and at Onam time, Mahabali, brings gifts and sweets to all the patients, bystanders and staff of RCC.