Current Activities
B. Barooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati, Assam from 2020
SESTAA is providing financial support to children in need for treatment at the B. Barooah Cancer Institute. The funds cover gaps in support, such as:
- initial investigations of needy patients to establish diagnoses who would be otherwise ineligible under other schemes until malignancy is proved;
- initial treatment of poor patients who do not have documents needed for Ayushman Bharat, Atal Amrit Abhiyan or HT Parekh fund, till documents are ready;
- treatment of needy patients not eligible for other schemes;
- emergency life-saving medicines for needy patients.
Disability Centre in Goalpara, Assam (India) from 2015
In November 2014, SESTAA established an early intervention centre for children with developmental disabilities in Goalpara in collaboration with two local community organisations, Shishu Sarothi (based in Guwahati) and Shishu Vikas Kendra (based in Goalpara). The centre provides therapeutic intervention to the children and educates parents and carers on their management and care. Shishu Vikas Kendra has provided the land and building for the project, Shishu Sarothi is providing the technical expertise and SESTAA has provided financial assistance and specialist help for the project. This is an ongoing project with the objective of developing the centre into a well-equipped disability care centre for the rural areas of lower Assam, India.
The outreach camps run by Shishu Sarothi in Goalpara continue to provide early intervention services to children with disabilities (0 to 14 years) and capacity building of parents. SESTAA provides funds for the engagement of a project coordinator, field workers, physiotherapist, special educator and speech therapist. The staff hold regular outreach camps to identify, assess and provide therapy to children with developmental disabilities. The main activities undertaken are:
- Early intervention services (physiotherapy, speech therapy and counselling) to children with disabilities
- Survey in inaccessible areas for identification of high risk children and referring them for early intervention services at the centre
- Capacity building of parents and training to parents for home based management,
- Facilitating home visits by the therapists
- Creating awareness and sensitization in the community.
Past Activities
Ebola Crisis Relief in 2014
To help the disadvantaged in Africa, to mitigate the scours of Ebola and to assist towards preventing a health crisis that was threatening to ravage the world, SESTAA in December 2014 contributed a minor sum as a once-off donation to the Ebola Appeal of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), Australia.