St Jude’s India ChildCare Centres transforms Mumbai Port Trust buildings into Centres of Hope
India CSR News Network
MUMBAI: St. Jude India ChildCare Centres announced the opening of their new facility at Cotton Green, inaugurated by Hon. Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari. An initiative by the Mumbai Port Trust, and implemented by St. Jude’s, the 1.2 acre campus is equipped with provisions and facilities that will be a glimmer of hope for families seeking medical care for their young cancer patients.
In 2015, Mumbai Port Trust, in an agreement with Tata Memorial Centre, provided three disused buildings at Cotton Green for housing young patients, who otherwise need to find alternate means of accommodation that may not be safe or economical. St. Jude India ChildCare Centres, a not-for-profit organization established in Mumbai in 2006 and India’s only home away from home for cancer-afflicted children, was invited as the implementing partner.
The property was then transformed into a safe, clean, cheerful haven for children receiving cancer treatment and their parents, all within a year. The three buildings house 14 centres and can accommodate 165 families. At the behest of Tata Memorial Centre, there is a floor for doctors to reside as well.
The new facility will be a boon for families that travel far and wide from villages and small towns across India,seeking life-saving cancer treatment for their children. These families usually face the problem of finding safe, secure and low-cost accommodation. As a result, the children, who are usually between 6 months and 15 years,succumb to infections. Alternatively, parents often abandon treatment. To help such families St. Jude India Childcare Centres provides a cost-free support, including a positive environment to stay, transport facility to and fro hospitals, clean water, nutrition, educational and recreational activities as well as psycho-social support.
Commenting on the development, Usha Banerji, CEO, St. Jude’s Childcare Centre said, “It is a momentous occasion for us as we add value and hope to the lives of young cancer patients and their families. We are overwhelmed to be a part of this initiative by Mumbai Port Trust, that has generously offered three disused buildings that we have now transformed into homes for those seeking cancer treatment at St. Jude’s. We are confident that with this new facility and its provisions, we will be able to make a positive and powerful impact on the lives of these children and their families.”
Hindi cinema veteran, Nana Patekar, also graced the event to show his support for the initiative. Nana and Mr. Gadkari were taken on a tour around the new campus. They also met the children at the facility, who recited a song that they had specially prepared for all attendees.
Generous support from individuals, trusts and corporate houses made this vision a reality. With this CSR initiative by the Mumbai Port Trust, St Jude’s is now able to take care of 40% of the need for accommodation of children currently under treatment in Mumbai.
