FIMRC

Since 2004, FIMRC has supported the health needs of the children in Kodaikanal, an impoverished town in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Despite the global attention Kodaikanal receives for its beauty, the health system there has failed to show significant progress, and a number of social, political and economic factors have inhibited the community’s development.

In recent years, globalization has rapidly changed the face of this community. Ever-increasing numbers of international corporations, factories, and businesses have found a home in Kodaikanal; this economic growth has come at the expense of the local population, who often find themselves without jobs to support their families. Most men and women now work in the fields and on the dangerous roads of Kodaikanal as day laborers, performing jobs that require intense physical labor with little reward. The average day laborer makes around 60 rupees a day, which is less than $1.50 in US Dollars to support an entire family. Most children in these families eat only white rice, and in many cases, even that is not available. Since parents must work during the day to support their families, young children are often left in the care of grandparents or older siblings.

In collaboration with the Betsy Elizabeth Trust, FIMRC creates better health services and educational opportunities by opening crèches within the community. A crèche is a combination school, day care center, and health center for children between 2 and 5 years old which provides basic shelter, food, education and care. FIMRC currently supports the Grace Kids Centre, Peach Tree Crèche, Little Lilies Crèche, and Helping Hearts Crèche. When the community’s children enroll in the crèches, the family’s older children are able to return to school instead of caring for their younger siblings and grandparents are relieved of the task of caring for mobile toddlers.

Project Kodaikanal provides comprehensive physical exams for every child in the crèches on a semi-annual basis. FIMRC provides funding to the Van Allen Hospital to cover primary care for all crèche children.

The principal goals for our work in Kodaikanal include the following:

1. most crucially, to deliver acute prophylactic healthcare to children who belong to the crèches within this poverty-stricken community;
2. promote continuous care by providing biannual well-child visits for all crèche children, monitoring key indicators of collective health;
3. effect a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children within the crèches;
4. curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections; and
5. promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives.

Progress in the crèches accelerates daily. FIMRC most recently began funding medical care for the children of a fourth crèche called Helping Hearts, which allows for 15 additional children to receive life-sustaining medical attention. Recent additions to the crèches include introducing nutritious foods into the children’s diets in the form of eggs, chickpeas, and other nutrient-dense foods, as well as initiating a daily tooth-brushing initiative for every child served by FIMRC’s Project Kodaikanal.

FIMRC is delighted to announce that the Global Health Volunteer Program will be open in Kodaikanal, India starting August 1, 2009. Participants will spend part of each day assisting medical staff at the Van Allen Hospital and will travel with FIMRC staff to nearby crèches to help carry out FIMRC’s nutrition initiatives and health education programs. All interested individuals, including undergraduate students, medical students, and medical or non-medical professionals, are welcome to join our program. Trips will run year-round for any length of time, though we suggest a mission trip of two to four weeks.

Exact volunteering tasks will vary depending on the number of volunteers in each group, the length of the volunteer trip, and the current needs of the community and hospital. Regardless of the exact itinerary, each FIMRC volunteer mission is culturally and socially enlightening, and aims to expand participants’ understanding of global health.

Each volunteer is given the opportunity to gain basic medical experience, including shadowing the doctor in the examination rooms, administering medications, and taking vital statistics of patients. It is important to note, however, that a visit to a FIMRC clinic may not revolve around clinical or medically focused experiences, as our project’s reach extends beyond the hospital grounds into the community. While giving an injection, for example, may be an inspiring experience for a volunteer interested in a career in medicine, FIMRC maintains the policy that medical care must be delivered by qualified, trained professionals for the benefit of our patients. Those volunteers with medical background or expertise will likely have the opportunity to work in a medical capacity alongside our clinic staff. Student volunteers are asked to enhance our projects by participating in and conducting health education seminars, construction related projects, and other activities that promote the FIMRC mission, in addition to their time in the clinic. FIMRC asks that all volunteers be flexible and willing to assist FIMRC staff where needed.

Map of India

All volunteers are responsible for flying into the Coimbatore airport; FIMRC recommends first booking a flight to the Mumbai airport, then booking a separate flight from Mumbai to Coimbatore. In the event of a layover in Mumbai, FIMRC can arrange for a night’s stay in a hotel near to the Mumbai airport. FIMRC staff will meet volunteers at the Coimbatore airport along with a driver to transport them to Kodaikanal (approximately a 4-hour drive). Volunteers will be housed in the FIMRC guest house in Kodaikanal. All transportation between the guest house and volunteering sites will be provided by reputable hired drivers. At the end of the volunteer mission, FIMRC will transport volunteers to the Coimbatore airport for departure.

The following are costs payable to FIMRC for a volunteer mission with Project Kodaikanal:

• Program donation: $649 for a two-week stay, $275 for each additional week
• Housing/Transport: $350 per week (in-country transportation covers round-trip transport from Coimbatore airport to project site, approximately 4-5 hours each way by car; local transport also included)
• Note: Meals are not included in the above rates but are not expected to exceed $8 per day.

The following are additional estimated costs:

• Airfare: $1200 to $1800, depending on travel dates & season
• Spending money: $150 (minimum recommended amount for in country for miscellaneous daily expenses during your trip)

The following staff members have been central to the success of Project Kodaikanal. To contact a team member with further questions please email info@fimrc.org.

Zainab Ghadiyali
Field Operations Manager
Zainab acts as the central on-site coordinator for Project Kodaikanal and is responsible for managing the logistics of FIMRC’s work in India. Zainab works closely with hospital staff to coordinate volunteering activities and maximize FIMRC’s impact in the community.

Stacy Wallick
VP of Project Development
Member, Board of Directors
Stacy has been central to the establishment of Project Kodaikanal, including conducting initial site visits and coordinating the development of FIMRC’s work in India.

Sara Schoenleber
VP of Volunteer Programs, Global Health Volunteer Program
Sara is presently the main coordinator for the Global Health Volunteer Program, handling all stateside logistical issues. Sara is responsible for the coordination of volunteers prior to departure and management of volunteers worldwide.