Month of July started with a workshop for the newly married couples. Five couples participated and went home with a very enthusiastic outlook on their future. In addition to introducing the newly weds to the social aspects of married life, the sessions also were directed towards the modes of contraception and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.

               Talks by Dr. Sharmishtha  Patil  & Dr. Harsha Shah

     Newly Married  Workshop   - Group Sessions.
 
Mehendi and Hair Style Competition for the adolescent girls at the Gram Seva Campus on July 4th & 5th created tremendous excitement as 83 girls participated. These competitions offer our girls an avenue to participate in their creative process and thereby develop confidence and self esteem.
 
Free Eye Camps: Our Ophthalmology department devoted 6 weeks (July 19th through August 30th) towards free eye care. A total of 253 patients benefited from these check ups. Twenty patients were successfully operated for cataracts with lens implants and 120 were fitted with prescription glasses. 
 
Children’s Shelter Home: On July 31st we finally succeeded in inaugurating our Balavas (Children’s Shelter Home) with 22 children between the ages of 6 years & 10 years. Though it took us over 2 years working towards it, The Home has taken off beautifully as the children and their parents are ecstatic! These are the children of migrant workers who take their children with them to the salt pans, brick factories or sugarcane fields where ever they find work. These children are malnourished and totally illiterate. Our Vision is to nurture and educate All the needy children of these migr ant workers so they grow up to be self-empowered, self-sufficient adults in our communities. Starting with a small number as a pilot project, we need to expand the same to accommodate all these children.
 
 

                    Dr. Kantibhai Desai cutting the ribbon.

                Mrs. Rashmiben Desai welcoming the children.

Our Safe Motherhood Project & our work towards RCH (Reproductive & Child Health) are progressing very well. In the first week of August, we held a workshop for the field workers of GVHA (Gujarat Voluntary Health Association), our field workers and those of other NGOs (Non Government Organizations).
 
In the month of August, one hundred and four mothers delivered at Gram Seva Trust Hospital. This is highest number achieved by us and the number of unsafe home deliveries has drastically dropped. The credit goes totally to our dedicated Hospital Staff members and our Health & Education Team who have worked very hard to co-ordinate this project successfully.