Hands small and big , efforts tiny and large and donations little and huge have made a resolve a reality , an idea an embodiment that grew in size & stature in the last 25 years . The Vasantha Memorial trust was incorporated on 4th Dec 1993 on the birth anniversary of Mrs. Vasantha in Trichy and moved on with chapters in Coimbatore , Mumbai & Chennai. Today it operates with its primary nodes in Chennai & Mumbai and has activities at several places.
In the last quarter century we from the trust have worked on 3 major platforms – Treatment , Awareness and Detection . We have met with quite a success in all these sectors. Apart from sponsoring treatment for 2360 patients, we have established a charitable hospital in Chennai that provides good quality treatment virtually free.
Our awareness have crossed geographic boundaries and percolated deep into the community. Our 2 flagship programs , Cancer free tomorrow and Pudhivasantham have met with phenomenal success. Millions of school children have been educated who in turn are motivated now to bring about a cancer free tomorrow. Nearly 150 women are taught breast cancer basics every day and in last 3 years more than 1 lakh women have been reached
Cancer screening has received a good response at Mumbai .Herein Pap Smear Camps & oral cancer screening are held once a week. Thousands have been screened and those affected given further assistance. In Chennai however the response has been poor, only free mammograms have found 1000plus takers.
Outside the 3 primary sectors we from the trust are trying to take up every aspect of cancer care. Amongst these is the cancer victor rehabilitation which has found a quite a number of takers in Mumbai.
Cancer is a disease where the community has to get involved to combat it. We from the trust have done our little bit in getting people of all walks involved. People honoured our invitation and came in hordes. They came as care providers , volunteers, as donors and as also participants in our patient / victor interaction with members of the community. Be it Rose day or victors Day we have seen huge participation of people from all sections of the society.
It is this involvement that keeps us alive, makes our dreams real and stokes the fire inside us to do more. Let this come in heaps and together let us conquer cancer .
Dr. Ramanathan Jayaraman
Wishes From Our Well Wishers
It was not easy to accept the sudden death of our mother when she was only 50. My brother's vision to start a trust in her memory was the only gateway to pay homage to this great soul. In 1999 we opened the help desk at KEM hospital . Handing over the first cheque of sponsorship to the patient brought in bunch of feelings. Will I , can I and a million more ! 17 years down the lane , I feel that we have been able to find niche for ourselves in this big city and have made some difference to many .
We began with awareness program in residential societies and moved to on to companies. Anti tobacco campaign in schools was an instant success and so was our cancer free tomorrow campaign in later years. Awareness talks led to screening camps which led to meeting more people and getting more volunteers too. ..
The first fund raising event at the Shanmukhananda hall was a big eye opener for me. Nothing comes easily and I learnt it the hard way! Going house to house selling tickets of Rs.50/- and Rs.100/- met with little success and frustration set in. Thankfully closer to the date, sponsorships came in and there was sudden uptake of tickets . This event was a very emotional one for me as the trust got the first BIG Donor Mr. GK Ramamurthy whose blessings continue for the trust. This concert also brought in new volunteers in to our fold and they in turn got in more With the opening of the Help desk at Tata Memorial Hospital we couldn't manage with volunteers alone and we started employing people also. More staff came in with the opening of our centre at Vikhroli. Volunteers & staff together manage all our patient related programs be it Rose day, Harbour cruise, Women's day, picnics or the most important event Cancer Victors Day .
From the days of working from home to now having our centre which is always abuzz with activities, receiving donors, carrying out rehabilitation & counseling activities, organizing support group meets, conducting regular opds; has been a big long struggle but every bit of it is worth as gold.
At the 25th year, in this big city the Vasantha Memorial trust has gathered donors, well wishers, good Samaritans, volunteers and many more. One big family has raised hope for Cancer .It is glorious as it can be !
It was not easy to accept the sudden death of our mother when she was only 50. My brother's vision to start a trust in her memory was the only gateway to pay homage to this great soul. In 1999 we opened the help desk at KEM hospital . Handing over the first cheque of sponsorship to the patient brought in bunch of feelings. Will I , can I and a million more ! 17 years down the lane , I feel that we have been able to find niche for ourselves in this big city and have made some difference to many .
We began with awareness program in residential societies and moved to on to companies. Anti tobacco campaign in schools was an instant success and so was our cancer free tomorrow campaign in later years. Awareness talks led to screening camps which led to meeting more people and getting more volunteers too. ..
The first fund raising event at the Shanmukhananda hall was a big eye opener for me. Nothing comes easily and I learnt it the hard way! Going house to house selling tickets of Rs.50/- and Rs.100/- met with little success and frustration set in. Thankfully closer to the date, sponsorships came in and there was sudden uptake of tickets . This event was a very emotional one for me as the trust got the first BIG Donor Mr. GK Ramamurthy whose blessings continue for the trust. This concert also brought in new volunteers in to our fold and they in turn got in more With the opening of the Help desk at Tata Memorial Hospital we couldn't manage with volunteers alone and we started employing people also. More staff came in with the opening of our centre at Vikhroli. Volunteers & staff together manage all our patient related programs be it Rose day, Harbour cruise, Women's day, picnics or the most important event Cancer Victors Day .
From the days of working from home to now having our centre which is always abuzz with activities, receiving donors, carrying out rehabilitation & counseling activities, organizing support group meets, conducting regular opds; has been a big long struggle but every bit of it is worth as gold.
At the 25th year, in this big city the Vasantha Memorial trust has gathered donors, well wishers, good Samaritans, volunteers and many more. One big family has raised hope for Cancer .It is glorious as it can be !
When I was first invited to be associated with the Vasantha Memorial Trust, not really being literate enough in the field of work that the Trust was involved in and not fully aware of the Trust and its objects, I still agreed to be part of it, as my inner voice and gut told me that this was indeed going to be my opportunity to serve Society, in my own small way, through the medium of the Trust. Now close to 15 years down the line, looking back, I can only say that I cherish every bit of this association, considering the yeomen work that the Trust has done and continues to do in treating, detecting and preventing Cancer.
Over the years, as all of us know and realize, Cancer has been one of those diseases that causes a fair amount of mortality and in India especially, literally everyday lives are lost to this fatal disease more due to lack of awarenessand early detection. And that is where Vasantha Memorial Trust is different in its work, its USP being that of focus on prevention and creation of awareness about Cancer and how it is treatable with early diagnosis.
When I was first invited to be associated with the Vasantha Memorial Trust, not really being literate enough in the field of work that the Trust was involved in and not fully aware of the Trust and its objects, I still agreed to be part of it, as my inner voice and gut told me that this was indeed going to be my opportunity to serve Society, in my own small way, through the medium of the Trust. Now close to 15 years down the line, looking back, I can only say that I cherish every bit of this association, considering the yeomen work that the Trust has done and continues to do in treating, detecting and preventing Cancer.
Over the years, as all of us know and realize, Cancer has been one of those diseases that causes a fair amount of mortality and in India especially, literally everyday lives are lost to this fatal disease more due to lack of awarenessand early detection. And that is where Vasantha Memorial Trust is different in its work, its USP being that of focus on prevention and creation of awareness about Cancer and how it is treatable with early diagnosis.
Hearty congratulations to Dr. Ramanathan and Mrs. Jayalakshmi on the successful completion o f 25 years of yeoman service championing the cause of cancer. It is hard to believe that from humble beginnings the trust has grown phenomenally supporting over 2000 plus patients affected by cancer till date. It was way back in 2001 that Jayalakshmi came to GKR Charities office in Mumbai with an appeal for support.. Her assurance that every rupee given to the trust will be spent on patient care made me intuitively want to support them.
It was after the first fundraising programme in 2001 that I met Dr. Ramanathan. His passion for the noble cause of cancer care and cure was evident in his appearance and approach. He came across as a simple and humble man with a clear vision for Vasantha Memorial Trust. Having lost his mother to cancer he dreamt of Vasantha Memorial Trust as to be a platform where cancer victims who couldn't afford the high costs would be taken care. This empathy struck a chord in my heart and I knew that this was the man I could blindly support.
GKR Charities feels privileged to have been of support to Vasantha Memorial Trust in its unrelenting and selfless efforts towards reaching cancer awareness and cure to thousands of less privileged in the society .I wish Dr.Ramanathan, his beloved sister Mrs. Jayalakshmi and the kind hearted volunteers good health, peace of mind and God's blessings!
Hearty congratulations to Dr. Ramanathan and Mrs. Jayalakshmi on the successful completion o f 25 years of yeoman service championing the cause of cancer. It is hard to believe that from humble beginnings the trust has grown phenomenally supporting over 2000 plus patients affected by cancer till date. It was way back in 2001 that Jayalakshmi came to GKR Charities office in Mumbai with an appeal for support.. Her assurance that every rupee given to the trust will be spent on patient care made me intuitively want to support them.
It was after the first fundraising programme in 2001 that I met Dr. Ramanathan. His passion for the noble cause of cancer care and cure was evident in his appearance and approach. He came across as a simple and humble man with a clear vision for Vasantha Memorial Trust. Having lost his mother to cancer he dreamt of Vasantha Memorial Trust as to be a platform where cancer victims who couldn't afford the high costs would be taken care. This empathy struck a chord in my heart and I knew that this was the man I could blindly support.
GKR Charities feels privileged to have been of support to Vasantha Memorial Trust in its unrelenting and selfless efforts towards reaching cancer awareness and cure to thousands of less privileged in the society .I wish Dr.Ramanathan, his beloved sister Mrs. Jayalakshmi and the kind hearted volunteers good health, peace of mind and God's blessings!
The Tamil word " vasantham” means freshness, air filled with fragrance, radiance, colorful flowers - in short LIFE & Hope! The Raga Vasantha is a refreshing raga filled with Melody and happiness & rejuvenates our minds. I am happy the trust bearing this name has brought these meanings in the life of cancer affected.
It was in 2000 that I was introduced to this trust when I was invited to perform .It is indeed my good fortune and blessing to have presented my concerts on a few occasions and also releasing a Special CD for this organization . In a country where resources are scarce and the disease is rampant & awareness is poor , this trust has really played a significant role.
I wish VMT, Dr. Ramanathan in particular, on the 25th anniversary to continue their good services to Humanity for many more years to come!
The Tamil word " vasantham” means freshness, air filled with fragrance, radiance, colorful flowers - in short LIFE & Hope! The Raga Vasantha is a refreshing raga filled with Melody and happiness & rejuvenates our minds. I am happy the trust bearing this name has brought these meanings in the life of cancer affected.
It was in 2000 that I was introduced to this trust when I was invited to perform .It is indeed my good fortune and blessing to have presented my concerts on a few occasions and also releasing a Special CD for this organization . In a country where resources are scarce and the disease is rampant & awareness is poor , this trust has really played a significant role.
I wish VMT, Dr. Ramanathan in particular, on the 25th anniversary to continue their good services to Humanity for many more years to come!
I am extremely delighted that the Vasantha Memorial Trust is celebrating its 25t h Anniversary . Congratulations to the trustees and the entire team for the yeoman service done for cancer patients. It is an honour to be associated with the Trust. The selfless effort, dedication and hardwork has made this journey of Vasantha memorial trust a successful one.
May god give you the strength to successfully continue this service to society for many more years to come. Best wishes.
I am extremely delighted that the Vasantha Memorial Trust is celebrating its 25t h Anniversary . Congratulations to the trustees and the entire team for the yeoman service done for cancer patients. It is an honour to be associated with the Trust. The selfless effort, dedication and hardwork has made this journey of Vasantha memorial trust a successful one.
May god give you the strength to successfully continue this service to society for many more years to come. Best wishes.
On behalf of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., we would like to sincerely congratulate the dedicated Team of Vasantha Memorial Trust on successfully completing 25 years of selfless service to the needy and poor cancer survivors of all age groups, across India.
The Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. & Vasantha Memorial Trust association for 6 years witnessed tremendous dedication, cooperation and support by the Trust in terms of complete cancer treatment as well as creating awareness from the generous funds donated by Godrejites, who represented the Trust at the Tata Mumbai Marathon, for 5 years.
We at Godrej, would like to compliment the Trust for becoming HOPE & then Reality, for many deprived and less fortunate people thereby bringing smiles on their faces. Our Best wishes for continuing the good work for many years to come & Godrej will always be there to support in the best possible way.
The eagerness and willingness – “TO GIVE” to the needy which has now become a Habit for Godrejites will go a long way in making each one of us more matured, understanding and compassionate, for which we sincerely thank Vasantha Memorial Trust for giving us this noble opportunity.
On behalf of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., we would like to sincerely congratulate the dedicated Team of Vasantha Memorial Trust on successfully completing 25 years of selfless service to the needy and poor cancer survivors of all age groups, across India.
The Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. & Vasantha Memorial Trust association for 6 years witnessed tremendous dedication, cooperation and support by the Trust in terms of complete cancer treatment as well as creating awareness from the generous funds donated by Godrejites, who represented the Trust at the Tata Mumbai Marathon, for 5 years.
We at Godrej, would like to compliment the Trust for becoming HOPE & then Reality, for many deprived and less fortunate people thereby bringing smiles on their faces. Our Best wishes for continuing the good work for many years to come & Godrej will always be there to support in the best possible way.
The eagerness and willingness – “TO GIVE” to the needy which has now become a Habit for Godrejites will go a long way in making each one of us more matured, understanding and compassionate, for which we sincerely thank Vasantha Memorial Trust for giving us this noble opportunity.
I joined the trust in May 2000 and the very next week I taken for the rally to mark the world No tobacco day. Jumble sale interested me and I started to enjoy participating in it. Tremendous pressure came on me when the Chennai hospital came up. Soon I became the manager of this . Then on it was looking back & with the trust I have grown in every aspect of the term. I look forward to the growth of the trust and be a part of the success beyond 25.
I joined the trust in May 2000 and the very next week I taken for the rally to mark the world No tobacco day. Jumble sale interested me and I started to enjoy participating in it. Tremendous pressure came on me when the Chennai hospital came up. Soon I became the manager of this . Then on it was looking back & with the trust I have grown in every aspect of the term. I look forward to the growth of the trust and be a part of the success beyond 25.
I have been working with the trust for the past fifteen years.I took part in almost all the activities, awareness talks, functions, jumble sale, victors day etc. VMT has given me the opportunity to meet different people and tackle varied situations. The trust helped me in carving many aspects of my personality. Whenever I am identified as a volunteer of VMT, I feel proud and wholeheartedly thank the trust as it has made a part of my life more meaningful. Meenakshi Selvaraj, Volunteer.
I have been working with the trust for the past fifteen years.I took part in almost all the activities, awareness talks, functions, jumble sale, victors day etc. VMT has given me the opportunity to meet different people and tackle varied situations. The trust helped me in carving many aspects of my personality. Whenever I am identified as a volunteer of VMT, I feel proud and wholeheartedly thank the trust as it has made a part of my life more meaningful. Meenakshi Selvaraj, Volunteer.
I came to know about the Trust when I attended a fund raising concer t at Chembur in November 2010. Having taken VRS from public sector, I was looking at ways to keep myself occupied. Very soon, I joined the Trust as a volunteer when the Trust inaugurated the new centre at Kannamwar Nagar, Vikroli. It was a new experience for me and remains a great learning experience till date.
Each day at the Trust is different, depending on the impending event. One day we could be assisting the gynaec for a screening test, or conducting a cancer awareness talk at a school or ladies group and the next day, we could be cutting cloth for stitching bags or making paper bags or painting diyas or feeding data in our system and preparing reports. It has been fun to work together all the while.
The guiding feature in all our various activities is the passion with which Mrs. Jaya runs the Trust, a passion which is contagious; the volunteers, staff, and our patrons are one big family and, added with the beneficiary-patients and victors, the family gets bigger every day.
The Trust is part of life and it is a joy and pride to be associated with VMT.
I came to know about the Trust when I attended a fund raising concer t at Chembur in November 2010. Having taken VRS from public sector, I was looking at ways to keep myself occupied. Very soon, I joined the Trust as a volunteer when the Trust inaugurated the new centre at Kannamwar Nagar, Vikroli. It was a new experience for me and remains a great learning experience till date.
Each day at the Trust is different, depending on the impending event. One day we could be assisting the gynaec for a screening test, or conducting a cancer awareness talk at a school or ladies group and the next day, we could be cutting cloth for stitching bags or making paper bags or painting diyas or feeding data in our system and preparing reports. It has been fun to work together all the while.
The guiding feature in all our various activities is the passion with which Mrs. Jaya runs the Trust, a passion which is contagious; the volunteers, staff, and our patrons are one big family and, added with the beneficiary-patients and victors, the family gets bigger every day.
The Trust is part of life and it is a joy and pride to be associated with VMT.
I had fair knowledge about Vasantha Memorial Trust since long as I used to receive the cancer chronicle at home. However my first experience w a s w h e n I h a d a n opportunity to organise a screening camp for a NGO with whom I was associated with in 2003. That is the first time I met Mrs Jayalakshmi, also called fondly Jaya, the Mumbai trustee. As they say the first impression is the best, I was impressed by her simplicity and down to earth attitude. The camp was a great success as we could detect an early symptom of cervix cancer in one of the volunteers of the NGO.
My first project with the trust was in organising an awareness lecture at Bangalore, since then there was no looking back. I took active part in organising World Cancer day poster competitions at Chembur besides playing a key part in organising Cancer Victors day in Februarys and also a regular participant in the Mumbai marathon. Setting up help desks at Tata and Kem hospital and going there every week and giving the personal hygiene talk to the patients in the wards has been truly rewarding experience for me.
On the 25th Anniversary, I as a volunteer associated with the trust for more than 15 years, wish the trust stupendous success for the future.
I had fair knowledge about Vasantha Memorial Trust since long as I used to receive the cancer chronicle at home. However my first experience w a s w h e n I h a d a n opportunity to organise a screening camp for a NGO with whom I was associated with in 2003. That is the first time I met Mrs Jayalakshmi, also called fondly Jaya, the Mumbai trustee. As they say the first impression is the best, I was impressed by her simplicity and down to earth attitude. The camp was a great success as we could detect an early symptom of cervix cancer in one of the volunteers of the NGO.
My first project with the trust was in organising an awareness lecture at Bangalore, since then there was no looking back. I took active part in organising World Cancer day poster competitions at Chembur besides playing a key part in organising Cancer Victors day in Februarys and also a regular participant in the Mumbai marathon. Setting up help desks at Tata and Kem hospital and going there every week and giving the personal hygiene talk to the patients in the wards has been truly rewarding experience for me.
On the 25th Anniversary, I as a volunteer associated with the trust for more than 15 years, wish the trust stupendous success for the future.