By Prema Sagar
Founding Trustee, Genesis Foundation
We mostly go through life disconnected from those less-privileged, but every once in a while something happens to make us stop and pay attention. My moment happened through a personal loss early in life, and it made me refocus and realize the importance of connecting with the world around us and working to make it better. Genesis Foundation (GF) was born out of this realization. Working for children has always been close to my heart – especially the underprivileged ones suffering from critical diseases. My object is to give these children the financial support for timely medical intervention to save their lives. Children supported by the Foundation include those with life-threatening ailments like cancer, cardiac disorders, post-organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities. We focus on children coming from orphanages or families with an income below Rs 7,000 per month, since these parents cannot afford the treatment. We partner with hospitals, orphanages, organizations and like-minded people to ensure these children get everything they need. I have always been deeply inspired by Mother Teresa and her selfless work, and hence some of our initial interventions involved children being supported by the Missionaries of Charity. One such child – Mary – had a degenerative disease, which left her face severely deformed. She underwent several corrective surgeries before she could eat and breathe properly. Mary got better, went on to join a family in the US, got married and is a doting mother of two kids. Similarly, we raised funds and treated Haripal, who had fractured several bones when his inebriated father threw him into a well. Coincidentally, he was later adopted by an American family. Several more children still need our support and we decided to look for innovative ways to raise funds. Besides contributing funds, we wanted people to join us on our journey to save lives. We created fundraising events in the areas of music, cooking, art, theatre, and others. Our CEOs Cook for GF Kids event allowed CEOs to show off their culinary skills. The CEOs thoroughly enjoyed the experience and we have organized 11 such events. The CEOs Sing for GF Kids is another favorite, with CEO events taking on a life of their own thereafter. The idea for the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival was born out of my fondness for music and the desire to curate interesting musical performances. The third edition of the festival is all set to happen this Easter weekend. Besides Kasauli, we also have a Jadavgarh version of the event. We recently partnered with FremantleMedia and CNBC TV18 for a unique initiative titled ‘CEO’s Got Talent’. The event gave CEOs from across the country a platform to showcase their talents at a national level. Our attempts are modest, but even if we help one child to live – and live to his or her potential – it makes a difference. In the last decade, we have managed to positively impact over 500 children. Besides events, sustained programmes like the Power of 100 – where corporate employees contribute Rs 100 per month from their salaries – helps build a larger corpus for the Foundation’s efforts. We have managed to build a dynamic community of donors, healthcare organizations, artists and caregivers committed to children’s health. I really want people to realize that there’s need to wait for tragedy to come to you before you start giving back to society. You can start right now.
Feedback: prema.sagar@bm.com
