Author: abhi

by Hardeep Singh (hsingh6005@gmail.com)

On March 23^rd , Access Life America organized Bollywood Beats 2019 – a musical event to promote their efforts of providing support to children and their families, who are fighting against cancer.  One of the biggest challenge faced by patient families, is getting a hygienic accommodation in highly costly city of Mumbai, during the treatment. These families come to Mumbai for treatment, from remote parts of India and find it very expensive and strenuous to find a sterile place to stay. Access Life provides temporary accommodation at their six locations in Mumbai India, where these families are given home-like environment and facilitates other logistical challenges to improve the quality of life of these children by providing practical support services, educations resources and recreational programs.

Girish Nair and Ankeet Dave started Access Life (India) mission in 2014 and then Gopal Nair, Parvinder Singh and Rajesh Veliyath expanded Access Life America in 2015. The first center was at Chembur, with arrangement of 8 families to stay. Then second center was started in summers of 2016 at Thane, Mumbai and third center was started in winters of 2016 in Andheri. Today there are 6 centers spread across Mumbai suburbs and 5 transport vans to transport patients. 57 kids and caretakes stay at any given time in these 6 centers. Total of 430 patients have stayed at ALA centers till date. Yoga classes are conducted regularly along with daily meditation.

In year 2018, two new programs were initiated: 1^st a Nutrition Therapy for young adults in Tata Memorial Hospital and 2^nd is Hygiene kits distribution. 193 kits have been distributed in Wadia, Sion and SRCC Hospitals.

ALA’s youth chapter does volunteer work with local communities like Atlanta Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Meals by Grace and the Drake House. Youth chapter will be facilitating 2^nd Gold Ribbon Strides 5k Run/Walk even in Wills Park, Alpharetta on April 28^th, 2019.

Bollywood Beats 2019 was inaugurated by Pratt Vemana, Chief Product and Experience Officer, HomeDepot. The event was held at Mountain View High School, Lawrenceville GA.  Various local singers, musicians and dance groups participated and supported the event, which is their way to contribute towards the noble cause.

The cost to support the stay of 1 child and the family is $ 287 per month, which is cost towards to lodging, transportation, food and even tickets back to their home town. Nutritional Therapy costs $1400 per month and Hygiene Kits cost $1000 per month.

Access Life America (https://www.accesslifeamerica.org) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Access Life promotes the spirit of Pay It Forward. It is building a caring community by facilitating sharing resources.

On April 28, 2019, the Access Life America Youth Chapter once again outdid themselves. Hosting their second annual Gold Ribbon Strides 5k for charity, the youth chapter attracted over 250 participants. Members of the youth chapter volunteered at the registration tables, served out the complimentary snacks, and monitored the race track to ensure that their event ran smoothly. Additionally, they designed the T-shirt, logo, and flyer for the event. Of course, the event would not have been possible if not for the donations from sponsors that the youth chapter reached out to, including Paramount Software, 27th Investments, Patel Brothers, Primrose of Johns Creek, Resolution Technologies, Cancer Center of Middle Georgia and the music band Dhwani.

The weather was gorgeous on this beautiful spring day in Georgia, and after a light drizzle, the sun was out. The youth leaders kicked off the event promptly, and the 5K runners were off followed by the 5K walkers thirty minutes later. At various points along the track, youth volunteers were strategically positioned to encourage the participants, and ensure that everyone was thoroughly hydrated. After the walk, participants gladly took a picture in front of the event banner surrounded by a gorgeous natural vista. There was plenty of hot masala chai and coffee to energize the participants along with various healthy snacks that were a perfect footnote to this beautiful event.

With the funds raised from this year’s Gold Ribbon Strides event, Access Life America can proudly provide care to six children struggling from cancer, and their families for over six months. Started in Mumbai, India, Access Life works to provide a sterile, safe, and healthy environment for children (and their families) who come from rural areas for cancer treatment. Oftentimes, without Access Life’s services, these families do not have the resources to provide for safe shelter while they are receiving treatment, and instead end up living on the streets. On average, it is approximately $287 monthly to provide care for a single family.

Additionally, the Access Life America Youth Chapter, comprised of a select few youth leaders, also focuses on providing aid to the local Atlanta community. Youth members volunteer time at and raise funds for local charities, such as Meals by Grace, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Drake House. As a part of this other mission, a portion of this year’s event’s proceedings went to the Ronald McDonald charity. Overall, the well-planned event happened on a beautiful day without a hitch. The Youth Chapter is eager to work on their next project.

What is the purpose of life?

A seemingly simple question yet old and young ponder over its hidden complexities. From the skyscraper office-inhibitor to the school back-desk dreamer, at least once in a while, the thought dances over our minds. Yet, we push this idea aside and in a flash we begin our personal journey of life – get an education, pass exams, go to university, get a job and before we know it, we are back to square one. However, this time, we are probably lounging late one night in our newly furnished dining room, or swivelling in a leather chair as we admire the freshly bought mahogany table sprawled before us. All it takes is a simple preacher, an idle headline, a passing thought to snap us out of our delicately designed futures with busy lives to remember ‘Oh, how unfortunate’ as we see a 4 year old child dying of cancer. Not because treatment wasn’t available but because a home was not.

Access Life America (ALA) is a non-profit organisation, which regardless of its individual volunteers’ purposes of life, works as one unit to combat this issue. Like battleworn warriors, they charge into the center of the fight, picking up children and families warring against cancer, and bringing them to a safe (and hygienic) haven. Working with AccessLife Foundation (an organisation based in India), they lock horns to improve the quality of life of children, who otherwise would not have the chance to live. Supporting parents and families, providing a home-like environment, recreational activities, educational resources – anything and everything they can do to make a change and help these children.

The shift is truly remarkable.

ALA offers a life revolutionising tour – one that I was very lucky to attend. Due to the current pandemic, I met the staff virtually who then took me through a tour of the accommodation to the playing area, sleeping quarters and even the kitchens. Yet, sitting behind my screen as I smile glossy-eyed, listening to the sweet singing of a boy whose life is changing with cancer treatment and still manages to break into a wide grin with cheerful eyes as he thanks me profusely for talking to him, shifted my goal. Seeing these families laugh, seeing the children smile, seeing the homes that have been provided to them sends you ripples of joy which is almost heart-breaking. It is a once in a lifetime experience that no one can ever replicate. So when I turn to the heroes working to help these families, what can I offer? They have changed children and given the gift of life – a gift so precious that one can never know what it is like to have it taken away.

Yet warriors need armour and hospitals need medicine. ALA has a noble mission: To offer a home-like environment for families arriving for cancer treatment and to improve the quality of life of the children by providing practical support services and recreational programs. To aid this mission, we need funds so that these children can continue to be given the beautiful gift of life. Give a one-off donation or for $25 a month (£20), you can provide a family and be a part of this change. You can donate at: www.accesslifeamerica.org/donation

We all have time to waste on thinking about our paths and purposes but a child living in a rural village, is a minute away is contemplating death over spending all their parent’s savings to get a bus ticket to the hospital. And even if that child gets that ticket and reaches the hospital, then what? The family needs a home, food, water and without these fundamental items, everyone will perish. Take the chance to change lives or minute by minute, a child will die. Are you going to continue to waste your time?

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated ‘The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well’.

So scrap the purpose of life, let me ask you, if you died tomorrow, would you like to have saved a family, a child, a life, and lived well?

About the author:

Devangi Vyas is an avid blog writer, future medical student, a friend and a daughter. She enjoys working with different organizations that focus on giving back to the community and helping families in need. Recently she was part of AccessLife America’s Youth Leadership Program (Thrive for Success) where she spent six weeks learning about non profits, leadership skills, basics of fundraising and mechanics of global philanthropic initiatives. She is the founder of Newstead Soroptimist, a school-based branch of the UN recognized charity Soroptimist International, fundraising to execute unique projects aiding the community as well as women and girls across the globe.

By Devangi Vyas and Gayatri Dixit

As part of the Access Life America Leadership Course, we met with Corporate Leader Amit Kachru for a leadership enlightenment on the topic of trust. Kachru is the Vice President (Finance, IT) for Medtronic – a leading medical device miracle in Healthcare and effectively, one of the largest medical companies in the world. With operations in 150 countries, their products treat 70 major health conditions and aid over 75 million people every year. With 90,000+ employees, Medtronic pushes its mission, to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life, in order to take healthcare further.

Amit Kachru is a very experienced leadership professional. He has 23 years of work experience and his 15 years dedicated to the company has allowed him deep insight into the finances, marketing and key missions of Medtronic. Aside from being a strong worker, I had the pleasure of hearing Kachru divulge in some interesting ‘facts’. He was a lead actor in the Minnesota Fringe Festival Play, initially started a career as a hotel management trainee and was a global innovation fellow with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Professor Mohammad Yunus. Evidently, Kachru’s large range of leadership experience makes him a very diligent and adept individual. In contrast, after a long day of working hard, Kachru highlighted that his personal interests (including cricket, hindi movies and being a diversity champion) make ‘playing hard’ very enjoyable and are key to maintaining his clear-cut work-life balance.

Mr. Kachru believes that there are 2 pillars of trust that are crucial if you want people to trust you. 1, you need to be transparent with your work and with the information that you have. And 2, you need to be accountable for your responsibilities. Transparency is crucial because if your team members know that you will not lie to them about a certain situation then, they will be more willing to follow you because they know exactly what they are getting into. Accountability, your team members should know that even if you don’t meet a requirement, or fulfil a responsibility, then you won’t make excuses, and you will try to get it done. Now that’s getting your team to trust you and vice versa, but why? Why should you trust your team? Amit says that trusting your team is necessary if you want to get things done quickly. “In cricket, the two batsmen need to trust each other’s judgement on whether to run or not to run. When the batsmen hits the shot, if the ball goes behind him, it’s the batsman at the non-striker’s end who needs to take a call on whether to run or not. If the batter takes a look back and takes a call, he is losing approximately half a second.” He explained.

Q&A Session:

What should you do when a more experienced and close person disagrees with what you are planning on doing but your instinct says you’re doing it right? Who should you trust?
Trust your instinct. If your instinct is telling you that you are doing the right thing then you should follow it otherwise you will always regret it.

As a leader, is there a line between being just transparent enough or being too transparent?
In my belief, I aim to be transparent in front of everybody so I don’t hide anything. At times, on a specific occasion, if I cannot be transparent or say something for a reason, I will tell you. I will say ‘I cannot tell you right now, just trust me, I’m not intentionally trying to hide anything’ and people respect that. There isn’t a line as you cannot be too transparent – you just have to be honest on every occasion.