Sanchit Halder chronicles the story of Shakeel Shaikh, the founder of The Lifeline Foundation.
Humble Beginnings
In the early 90s I was a Social
work student, doing my post-graduation. During my student years, I was
surrounded by the suffering of the people who were vulnerable to many issues,
the voiceless children, women and elderly people in distress and without
empowerment. I worked with various communities on issues related to the challenges
they faced on a day to day basis. At that time, I decided that I had to
establish an organisation to work with the people. After my post-graduation, I
joined a civil society organisation called ‘Positive People,’ that worked in
the area of HIV/AIDS in Goa.
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| Shakeel Shaikh |
During this sojourn, I came to
know that there are a lot of places where the health services have not reached
and identified Chimbel, a Slum area around Panaji as our first target.
Voluntarily, my wife and few concerned friends started to dedicate our weekends
to provide healthcare services to the community between 1996 and 1998,
specifically for women and children and the elderly.
We felt the need to be organised
and legally registered our organisation so that it would have some status and
reputation that would enhance our accountability. I have always remained a
mentor at Lifeline Foundation. A lot of consultations and deliberations took
place before establishing and developing the organisation. I wanted to
encourage and inspire those who felt that life had nothing left to offer. In my
endeavour towards helping such people realise their dreams, the organisation
with its humble beginnings began giving health related services to the people
living in Indiranagar, Chimbel. After the registration of the organisation in
1998 we started imparting various programs in the community on reproductive rights.
The situation was dire at the time.
At the inception stage of Lifeline Foundation, we conducted a baseline survey that
revealed that a lot needed to be done and the health condition prevailing in the
community was pathetic. People were ignorant and had neither knowledge nor awareness.
In 2000, we received our first funds from the Goa government to implement our
activities in Indiranagar, in the Chimbel Slum Community as it was designated.
Goals And Stories
Lifeline Foundation is currently
involved in implementing HIV/AIDS intervention programs among migrant and sex
workers in Tiswadi, Bicholim, and Sattari Taluka in Goa. Apart from the above,
we also empower the slum community with information that can lead to their
empowerment, with a specific focus on women’s empowerment, reproductive and child
health, vocational training, formation of self-help groups, prevention of STIs
and HIV/AIDS, remedial classes, health and hygiene and TB control and other treatment
programs.
There are many stories that we
have seen unfold before us over time. Few have been very disturbing as we still
live in a conservative society. In one incident, one of our beneficiaries who
was HIV infected and was a sex worker, faced a double stigma which is still prevalent
in our society. She was ignorant about her situation and was diagnosed with HIV
and other STIs. We had to build rapport with her by providing all our services
under our intervention program. Over time, we found a change in her health
seeking behaviour. She began to visit our office regularly and take our
services, and signed up for a follow-up for ART at the Government hospital
where she was registered. After couple of years, her health deteriorated and
she died.
She was alone and had no relative
to claim her body. Only a few co-workers showed enough concern to come forward.
A name-sake brother who was fully drunk, came to see her after her death. Since
Lifeline was the organisation who was looking after her health status, it was
permitted to take the body from the morgue. I believe that a person needs to
die with dignity and peace and the final rites need to be performed as per one’s
religion. We performed her last rites. I never had any inhibitions and took the
initiative to take the custody of the body, and only one of my female colleagues
came with me in the morgue to take the body. No one else was ready to even
touch the body, and did not even stick around.
Our program managers arranged for
the other official formalities and arranged for the funeral pyre at a Hindu
crematorium. About three or four people
who knew the beneficiary came with a few articles to perform a ritual at the
hospital and the doctors were kind enough to allow them to do it with a warning
not to unpack the body in full, but to open a small portion to expose the
forehead. I personally lifted the body with the help of my colleague and
allowed her close ones to perform their rituals. Finally, the body was taken to
the crematorium to say goodbye.
This incident motivated me to
claim all the unknown bodies at the government hospital. We agreed with the
authorities that they could hand the unclaimed bodies to us. This made the
hospital authorities follow up with the concerned police and municipality
officials and in the next few days and all the remaining bodies were disposed
with dignity - and these bodies included that of a girl child. That was a profound
moment. If it wasn’t for us, more unclaimed bodies would have been there lying
in the morgue.
Looking ahead
I feel a sense of satisfaction when
I see our work yield positive changes in society. Lifeline Foundation is a
well-developed and established organisation with experienced and trained staff,
committed to the cause, have dedication, excellent team work, and consistency.
Lack of funding is a major constraint but we do try to do our best to make it
work. There are limitations, but we are ready to face the challenges to expand
in the future in other areas of work.
Did I ever want to quit? Never! But
the question always arises as to what we will do if the funding stops. The sustainability
of the program becomes an issue if someone is not around as commitment and
dedication are of utmost important in providing service. Is Lifeline foundation
my legacy? Absolutely not. But, it is a foundation built on a powerful strategy
with a goal to provide health care and education. It is an initiative of few
committed professional individual includes my late wife and a close friend.
