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St. Jude India

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St. Jude India ChildCare Centres
FoundedApril 2006
FounderShyama Kaviratne & Nihal Kaviratne
TypeSection 8 Company under MCA, Govt of India
FocusFree accommodation and holistic support for under-privileged children suffering from cancer
Location
Websitewww.stjudechild.org

St. Jude India ChildCare Centres (also known as St. Judes) is a not-for-profit organization in India. St Jude India provides free-of-charge shelter and holistic care to children who are undergoing cancer treatment along with their families at Tata Memorial Hospital and other treating hospitals. It is a Section 8 non-profit company supported by individuals, corporate houses, and Charity Trusts. Founded in 2006 by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne, St. Judes has 38 centers located in Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, Jaipur, Vellore, Chennai, Varanasi, and Hyderabad. The holistic care includes an infection-free environment conducive to the child's recovery, educational and recreational services for the children and their parents, and counseling services throughout the duration of their treatment. Those children who come back for maintenance and follow-up can once again stay at one of the centers.

About St. Judes

Parents bring their cancer-affected children from distant villages and towns in India all the way to large cities where they can get medical treatment at minimum or zero cost. During the treatment, there are intermittent periods of rest when the child recuperating from chemotherapy treatment must be protected against opportunistic secondary infections resulting from unhygienic conditions and poor-quality food. The unavailability of hygienic shelter and nutritious food often forces the parents to abandon their child's treatment. By providing the child and the parents with infection-free accommodation and the necessary nutritional support, St. Judes makes a crucial intervention leading to the child's recovery and a noticeable increase in the survival rates of child patients with cancer.

In addition, St. Judes also addresses the families' educational, recreational, and emotional needs under its care by organizing customized educational programs, celebrations of cultural events, and outings. Transport facilities too are extended to patients for hospital visits. Regular counseling and alternative therapy sessions are held to help the families cope with the stress and trauma they undergo during the treatment.

Established Centers Founded and funded by Mr. and Mrs. Kaviratne, the first center for St. Judes was established on the first story of Mhaskar Hospital in Parel, Mumbai. This prototype center had eight individual family units, each accommodating a child patient and its parents. This prototype has now been replicated across the county. In Parel, three centers are located close to Tata Memorial Hospital, where most children receive medical treatment. A campus at Cotton Green has also been established in partnership with Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) and Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), accommodating 165 families close to Tata Memorial Hospital. Four more centers have been established in Kharghar, on the campus of the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC); the R&D section of the Tata Memorial Hospital, with a particular center only for patients recuperating from Bone Marrow Transplants.

The total number of family units across India is 475, set up in 38 centers.

Donations to St. Judes are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Founders

Nihal Kaviratne is currently the Director of DBS Group & Bank, StarHub, SATS, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, GSK Pharma India, and Chairman of TVS Indonesia and Akzo Nobel India Limited. To add to this, he is a member of the Governing Board of Bombay Mothers & Children Welfare Society. A founding member of the Board of Governors of President University in Indonesia and one of "25 leaders at the forefront of change" chosen by Business Week in 2002 for the Stars of Asia Awards, he has been associated with Unilever for forty years. Nihal has vast experience in the fields of CSR and good corporate governance. Nihal was cited in the Queen's 2004 New Year Honours List in the United Kingdom. He was appointed a CBE for services to UK business interests. He was Chairman of Unilever Indonesia until he moved to play a more regional role in the Unilever Asia Business Group based in Singapore as Senior Vice President - Development & Environmental Affairs. He later assumed the position of Chairman Asia for Unilever's Home and Oral Care sector.

Shyama Kaviratne has been associated from childhood with the fields of social work and charity. Having completed her studies in management, her 20-year experience working with a nationalized bank provides her with the ability to deal with a vast section of society and about project finance.

International Support

SJICC UK is a registered charity in the UK (No. 1120539) with the objective to relieve sickness, preserve and protect good health and relieve poverty, relating but not limited to children under the age of 15 suffering from chronic disease in India.

SJICC USA aims to provide a tax-effective way for residents and taxpayers of the US to make donations that enable the organization to fund grant applications submitted by charities in India that meet its objectives.

Awards and honours

St. Judes is a Give India Tier 1 Organisation rated at VO 1B by CRISIL.

St. Judes has received GuideStar India Platinum certification for legal & financial compliances and sharing these transparently in the public domain. Also, Platinum Winner 2018 by the GuideStar India NGO Transparency Awards. The organization is also accredited by Credibility Alliance under Desirable Norms.

St. Judes has entered into a Partnership with UTI Mutual Fund, introducing a facility called "CanServe" for investments under UTI Balanced Fund, UTI Spread Fund, and UTI Master share Unit Scheme. "CanServe" will enable investors to contribute their dividend payouts if they are under the dividend payout option or specified amounts as desired, if they are under the growth option, towards St. Judes as a donation for needy and underprivileged children who are being treated for cancer and their families, during the period of the child's treatment.

St. Judes has been honored with the following awards:

  • Great Place To Work Certified
  • CRISIL Voluntary Organization VO 1A
  • GiveIndia Give Assured 5 Stars
  • Credibility Alliance Certificate Of Accreditation
  • GuideStar India Champion Level - Platinum certification 2019
  • Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati Award Of Appreciation
  • World CSR Congress 2017: Certificate of Merit
  • AmeriCares 5th Spirit of Humanity Awards, 2014
  • Vocational Service Award for Outstanding Service to Humanity, 2014
  • Can India Conclave Certificate for Excellence, 2013
  • Qimpro Gold Standard Healthcare Award, 2012
  • Marico Innovation for India Awards 2012 In The Social Category, 2012
  • Finalists in the Special Category of Vodafone Mobile for Good Awards 2014

Notes

ToI City Lights 23 March:

Radio ONE, Feb 2018

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