House Construction:

House Construction: expenses amounting to between Rs 10,000 and Rs30,000 was given to 3 persons.

Asraya members with Omana, who lost her husband to cancer recently. Omana is the only support for her family consisting of father and an invalid, blind mother and her daughter’s 2 children who are also blind. The father of these children is now in a de-addiction center. Asraya was able to give medical aid to Omana’s husband when he was at RCC. We also gave her financial assistance for finishing her house construction and other expenses.

Shri Sahadevan .P, Vythila. We are very happy we were able to put a ‘roof over their heads’

Wedding Bells

Daughter of Cancer Victim married and happy- made possible through financial assistance from Asraya.

Daughter of Ayyappan Achari , Balramapuram and her husband .Rs 25000 was given for the wedding

Sneha Sanghamam

Sneha Sanghamam was held in May 2011.
The students are given classes in Career Guidance
Monthly stipends of Rs 400 to Rs 600 for 300 children
The various courses for which financial support was given:
B.Sc Nursing ---3
General Nursing ---4
ANH ---1 Nursing Assistant ---1
DPharm ---1 B.Ed ---1Technical Courses ---8
An amount of Rs 25,000 each was given as marriage expense for 3 couples

The Chief Guests were Dr.K.Ramdas, Superintendent RCC, and The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Mr Christy Fernandez IAS.

Special Guest ; Eminent Play back singer Mr.M.G.Sreekumar .

Asraya President Smt Santha Jose welcomed the guests. Honourable guests interacted with the patients of RCC. The children were overjoyed to sing along with the noted play-back singer Mr.M.G.Sreekumar. Interacting with this great singer gave these patients a short respite from their pain.

Santa Claus is coming to RCC!

Asraya’s own Santa Claus is coming to RCC to bring cheer to all .Asraya volunteers join hands with school childen to take Christmas carols and gifts to every patient’s bedside.”No child without a Smile”- that is the motto of Christmas at Asraya.

ONAM

Onam was celebrated with the patients on 8th Sept 2010 at 3.30pm. Payasam was distributed in the hospital premises. Bed sheets for the inpatients and gifts for children were also distributed. Managing Director of SBT was the Chief Guest. St Mary’s School, Pattom presented an excellent entertainment programme for the children in the wards. Play back singer Mr Jayachandran interacted with the children.

Representatives of "NEST" distributed Onam gifts to child patients. During Onam celebration on 8th October 2010 Asraya volunteers were ready with bed sheets and towels for distribution to patients.

Asraya along with the doctors of The RCC Community Oncology organize many Cancer Awareness and Screening Camps. Many of our donors, esp. Mr Ninan have deposited endowment funds, the proceeds of which are specifically used for Early Detection. 70 - 100 persons attend the camps on an average Free Vitamins and common drugs are distributed.

Within the last year such camps have been conducted in Bethseda, Thumba, Paruthiyur, Kadakal, Puluvila, Velliathura,etc.

Asraya with the help of the Doctors released CDs depicting the harmful effects of alcohol and drug abuse. Asraya shares this Information, with the general public during the camps. Methods of Early Detection for Cancer is also taught by conducting classes or through these CDs. Asraya thanks the doctors concerned for helping us to conduct the camps and also for recording the CDs .These CDs can reach a far greater audience in the rural areas than it is possible otherwise. Anybody interested in obtaining these CDs please contact us. It is free of cost of course.

Asraya is a non-profit organization that provides free support services to the poor who are affected by cancer: people with cancer, care givers, children, loved ones, and the bereaved. Programs-including counseling and support groups, education, financial assistance and practical help-are provided by Asraya and are completely free of charge. Founded in 1996, Asraya provided individual help to more than 10,000 people last year. We keep our administrative expenses very low so that the donations we receive can be used as they were intended-to help cancer patients with the financial challenges that often accompany a cancer diagnosis.

We dedicate this website to all our valuable donors, to our self-less volunteers, to the family members of the volunteers, to the staff of RCC and most of all to the many patients who are courageously bearing the effects of Cancer. Asraya is a tool in the hands of God. We pray that we may be effective instruments to serve this ailing humanity

In 2011, Asraya enters its 15th year meeting the ever-increasing needs of people facing what is often the biggest crisis of their lives: a diagnosis of cancer. Over the past year, a record number of people came to us for help covering the costs of getting treatment...getting reliable information...coping with the stress cancer can bring. In fact, demand for services, provided by our volunteers of 300 women, rose steeply during 2010, when we helped more than 10,000 individuals and their families affected by cancer.

WHY WE ARE HERE

The best part of volunteering is listening and talking to the patients when they want to talk. Every time we leave here, we talk about how good it feels to help, It is so nice to see the positive response from patients. It is very important for current patients to see some of the Asraya volunteers who are over-coming challenges, and hear their story.

We know we make an impact on the patients and their families. Patients often tell us “We like seeing you”. We are also impacted by our patients and their families. We are inspired when we see a patient get better. We like to watch the patient’s progress, and we get attached to them. When patients don’t show up, we worry about them.

Many patients have made our time of volunteering worthwhile. We try to make the patients feel good or laugh while they are here. It is nice to know we are helping them. This isn’t a fun place to be, but the people here make it better and we are happy to help.

A BIG THANK YOU

Asraya met the increased demand thanks to our many institutional and individual donors who, in years of economic turmoil across the globe, stood by us and strengthened their commitment to our mission. Dedicated individuals from across the country wrote cheques and organised fund-raisers and chose Asraya as their beneficiary. These are only a few of the highlights of the past year.

On behalf of the members of Asraya and the patients, we extend our deepest gratitude to you for your continuing support.Asraya thanks all our donors. It is the drops of water which collect to make the ocean. We thank all who have helped us with donations of cash, clothes, medicines, time or prayers.

Thank you to all of the individuals and families that have sent in donations in honor of a special person fighting cancer or in memory of a loved one or friend. A special thank you goes out to the wonderful doctors and staff at Regional Cancer Centre for supporting Asraya in a number of ways throughout the year. T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U!!!

FROM THE CANCER WARD
By an Asraya Volunteer.

On a Friday morning I went to the RCC Hosp with a zeal to be of as much help as I could and also with a bit of trepidation as to the stories I would have to hear. I said a quick prayer to God Almighty that he would give me money in my hands and words of comfort on my lips to assist the many distressed people I would be meeting that day .In front of the Asraya room on the 6th floor was a queue waiting anxiously; a few persons for small amounts of money to buy their medicines for that day; others were waiting with letters of application for larger monetary help as their bills were larger ; some were waiting with filled in forms for educational help for their children ; yet others were waiting for a few clothes that they needed for themselves or their family.

Three of us volunteers tried as best we could to soothe the anxieties of the patients or their care givers. We hoped that Heaven could open and give us loads of money to satisfy the needs of all the people facing us that day. But the money we had for the day was like having to feed the’ Five Thousand with just five lobes of bread and some fish’. When we reached to the bottom of our pot of gold and there was just Rs 100 remaining in our kitty, two patients who were at the end of the queue were waiting for their quota of help. We were on the verge of sending them away with sorrow in our hearts at our utter helplessness and they with immense disappointment and anxiety in their hearts. At whose door could they knock next?
They had sold all their possessions and borrowed from their friends and neighbors.

Who would provide the money for the medication / Who would help pay the bills as they were to be discharged/ who would give them money for their journey home/ who would give them money to take their dead relative back to their home for the last-rites?

Yes! These are problems God-willing none of us may have to face personally. But these poor patients whom Asraya helps are faced with this dilemma daily as they enter the doors of the Cancer Hospital. Just then two volunteers walked into the room to obtain receipts for the donations they wanted to give Asraya. We were over-joyed! We would be able to stretch our meagre resources a little further .The dejected patients whom we had turned away empty handed returned with relief. As we gave them monetary help we asked them to pray that God would give Asraya enough money to help all the people who depend upon us. I am sure Lord Krishna,Or Allah, Or Lord Jesus will lend a ear to their prayers.