Echoing the sentiments of Naikwadi, another Dr Namrata Shikhare, DMT volunteer, said, "The response in the present centre was good and so we decided to start two more centres of these children."
Even as the state's education department is devising ways to stop students from dropping out from schools, here is an organisation – Dhanwantari Medical Trust (DMT) filling that gap for those children who are away from their school due to cancer treatment.
Last year, DMT started a project 'I Like School' in two of its centre in Dadar and Parel that gives basic education to the cancer effected children, who come from outside Maharashtra. The basic education is provided in Maths, English, Drawing, and Art. However, looking at growing number of children coming for the treatment in Mumbai has now forced the trust to start two new centres in the city.
Dr Amol Naikwadi, from DMT, said, "Every year the number of children coming for cancer treatment in city is growing rapidly. In two of our centres we have been already giving basic education to around 60 students. Hence we thought we should expand now and start two more such centres where more children can be accommodated for education. The purpose behind starting these centres is that these children when coming from their state to our city miss their education. Then when there is gap in studies they find it difficult to study when back in school or sometimes they could be living the school. Hence to curb the drop out rate we fill that gap by continuing their studies here in our centres."
Echoing the sentiments of Naikwadi, another Dr Namrata Shikhare, DMT volunteer, said, "The response in the present centre was good and so we decided to start two more centres of these children."
DMT has team of teachers that give basic education to these children. The teachers also keep a record of the progress of these children and give them progress card while they are going back to their state after their treatment is completed. Sometimes some children come back again for the treatment and they come with that progress card that helps them to continue their education in our centre. To support these projects DMT does the collection of old newspapers and scrap papers from the corporate offices and individuals home to raise fund for their various activities.
DMT has been working for cancer affected children since 2005. They have been conducting several activities for these children during their long stay in Mumbai. DMT also has a project 'Crafting Smile' program to make a child's prolonged stay in Mumbai an interesting and bearable one. The children are taken for entertainment programs like trip to Jijamata Udyaan, Taraporevala Aquarium,The Nehru Planetarium, a Mumbai Darshan through open deck bus. They also attend New year and Diwali parties. DMT also provides monthly food grains packets, anti-septic kit, counselling to the parents.
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