Monthly Archives: September 2011

Vision Ventilator

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Value of life is often undermined as we are overwhelmed by the routine of everyday activities. We often take life for granted, just carrying out mundane roles day after day. But if we took a moment to reflect on the meaning, purpose and value of life, we begin an insightful journey to the true essence of life itself. There is no doubt that few days to a dying person are more valuable and memorable than the same few days to a robust youth. He tries to live every moment to the fullest, understanding that his end is near.  But not everyone has to have a sad ending. Miracles that rewrite destiny do happen. What if you want to be one such miracle; invested with the power to change lives of many who live to see their dreams accomplished? What if your investment made all the difference between life and death?

You can be all of this by investing with SIFI’s first fund raising campaign - VisionVentilator. Through this campaign, SIFI seeks to raise INR 2.5 Lakhs to purchase and donate a ventilator to the Government hospital in Chengelpet district (Tamil Nadu).


What is a ventilator?

A ventilator is a medical instrument that supports the life of a patient, typically infants by providing sufficient oxygen for proper functioning of lungs. Generally used on seriously ill patients, it reduces the risk of death to a great extent.

Why donate money for a ventilator?

Most government hospitals lack necessary funds to buy a ventilator and resort to renting old, dilapidated ones. The daily rent charges vary from Rs 750/- to Rs 1,500/-. Due to its high cost, many patients are denied their right to imperative healthcare and right to life. These ventilators are used in the Neo-natal ICUs, and without them, the mothers have to use manual bagging machines, which means that if they are not very careful, the pressure exerted may be a little more or less that may prove to be fatal to the newborn.

We believe that funding a ventilator will save many lives and will make sustainable impact. Come, join us to breathe lives into people! Please contact us for any further details. You can transfer funds electronically, mail a cheque or donate in cash.

On why we do, what we do, the way we do….

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I have never known how it feels to go to bed hungry. I have always gone to the best doctors at the slightest trace of common cold. Having been showered with quality education, well-informed friends & well-off parents, I was better equipped to harness the available resources. I am sure it is applicable for most of us reading this blog.

I have always attended Independence Day celebrations since I was a kid. I love the tricolour going up and saluting it. But, I willfully accept that our country needs to get better, at least now. Our country still has large sections of people who are left out of the system. In Tamizh, it is described beautifully by the word ‘Odukkapattavargal’.

In the last year, I have visited Adi-Dravida-Welfare villages which lie largely untouched, villages, where communities are still played against each other. I regularly witness Dalit communities being sidelined not by politicians or the government but by common people, hospitals over-crowded with patients, who have illnesses which need better treatment, children not having a good atmosphere neither to revise their lessons nor to play football with their friends. I remember how emotional I became during a presentation in Bangalore, where I was told about Maha-Dalits in Bihar. They live on dead bodies &  Dalits shy away from them.

Although, SIFI’s inspiration is largely sentimental, we understand that being efficient & doing ‘good’ need to go hand-in-hand. Our vision is to create impact that is long-lasting & self-sustaining.

I believe temporary-change is worse than no-change. Usually, in villages, children drop-out in 10th standard. By getting them to 11th or 12th, where she/he drops-out again, is a worse-of scenario. An extra year has just resulted in opportunity cost for her rather than creating any significant change in her life. In corporate lingo, ‘strive to take things to its logical conclusion’ or ‘complete the cycle’. Long-lasting impact means, to be there until measurable & permanent changes are created.

Self-sustaining systems ensure long-lasting results. With a regular initial investment from SIFI, if these organizations can slowly bring down their dependency on external funding, they would be called self-sustaining. If you are accountable to your own growth & performance, it leads to better results.

Thus, we strongly believe in quantifying results & focusing on metrics. Organizations tracking their output tend to perform better than others who do not, given similar cash-flows & sector of operation. Not only will we help to pick an organization over another, but SIFI also aims to shape Indian social philanthropy scene where funding is not data-driven.

To summarize, SIFI has a passion to create social impact. All else is done for that.

It has been a very serious read so far, so let me provide you a final summary. We carry the essence of a Shankar movie, which is very good at heart, but we are also a Francis Ford Coppola movie with attention to minute detailing, giving the desired effect on people.