June 17, 2008

St. Stephen’s Community Outreach Center
New Delhi slums

Dear Friends,

Dr Amod Kumar (far right) talking with Dr. Les Morgan, a PC(USA) mission worker in Bangladesh since 1989.

Towards the end of our PC(USA) health team trip in India, we thought we had seen all that we were going to see. We visited St. Stephen’s hospital in the heart of downtown Delhi, and we were all very impressed by the amazing staff. The hospital Director Dr. Sudhir Joseph informed us of the hospital’s outreach program when Dr. Les Morgan inquired about what the hospital is doing in the community. This was not a planned visit, but it turned out to be one of the highlights.

Kids by a polluted body of water with garbage. One finds such sights all around the Delhi slums.

We wove our way through the congested streets and finally arrived in one of the biggest slums in Delhi. After a short walk down crowded streets, we were greeted by Dr. Amod Kumar, head of the Department of Community Health for St. Stephen’s Hospital. The Community Outreach center ministers to about 90,000 people within the slum area. The need seems overwhelming, with the sheer quantity of pressing needs and the number of people living so closely together. Most of the slums are occupied by people who have migrated from the rural farming communities to the big cities to make a better life for themselves. They anticipate finding jobs in the big city, but often find themselves homeless and jobless.

Elected community leader within the slum area.

After our meeting with Dr. Kumar we were given a tour of the facilities. During the tour, Dr. Kumar explained all the activities that the center is engaged in. They have a child wellness and immunization clinic on the first floor, which was full of moms and their babies. We just happened to be there during their big immunization and follow-up day.

A multitude of children are at risk due to lack of education, so they have developed a children-teaching-children approach. Actually, older children in their mid- to late teens teach the younger kids. This teaching style performs a couple of important functions: it addresses the need to educate the youth and also empowers the young adults who serve as teachers and gives them a sense of purpose in the chaos that surrounds their life.

Children teaching children at the outreach center.

The Community Outreach Center also saw the need for a safer community and responded by putting on monthly self-defense classes with the collaboration of the Delhi police. These classes are primarily for the young women. The Community Outreach Center also helps empower the people it is serving to elect community leaders to represent them so that they have a collective voice.

Mother and child at the outreach center to receive immunizations.

In 1996, the Center also began income-generating projects. Currently, they have 16 community women overseeing these projects, such as making spices (masala) to sell at the St. Stephen’s hospital store on campus. They also have several talented women who work in the beauty parlor, cosmetic shop, and tailors. All the money generated goes back into keeping the center running.

We were all truly impressed with the work that the St. Stephen’s Community Outreach Center is doing. It really shows what can be done when people work together for the betterment of the community. The slums will not go away, but at least there is help for those in need.

Blessings,

Brett Faucett

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 92