Support the living expenses of an orphan child by Society of Friends of the Sassoon Hospitals (SOFOSH)

SOFOSH - Shreevatsa was established in the year 1973 to cater to the needs of family deprived and destitute children from new born to 6 years of age by offering them a better care and rehabilitation. Due care is taken for their shelter, food, medical, and psychological & emotional needs. The child care center is located inside the compound of the Sassoon Hospital in Pune city. Currently, there are 53 children sheltered at the child care center.

In the COVID Pandemic, visitors and donors were stopped to the institute. That has led to a steady decline in the donations received from the general public. These hurdles were overcome by allowing the visitors and donors for raising funds from the general public and optimizing the expenses.

Child Aarti passed her HSC exam in June 2022. She has taken up further education and will be appearing for her First Year Bachelor of Commerce exam in March 2023. Few other children too are showing good progress in the special education they are taking in Mandakini Development Center for Specially Abled Children.

Since the beginning, SOFOSH has taken thoughtful initiatives and aimed at problems to solve them on a wider scale and in a better way. SOFOSH was founded with the aim of supplementing the medical services provided by the hospitals through a range of humanitarian services for crisis-stricken patients and their families, and has also supported the hospital itself by providing much-needed facilities.

Shreevatsa was established in the year 1973 to cater to the needs of abandoned orphaned children from newborn to 6 years of age by offering them a loving home and hope. Due care is taken for their food, medical, and psychological needs. The child care center is located inside the compound of the Sassoon Hospital in Pune city. Currently, there are 49 children sheltered at the child care center.

Since March 2020, we have not allowed visitors to the institute. That has led to a steady decline in the donations received from the general public. During the strict lockdown, the childcare staff was residing at the institute, which incurred an additional cost. These hurdles were overcome by raising funds from the general public and optimizing the expenses.

Shreevatsa is the child care center run by SOFOSH, where care is taken of family-deprived children or abandoned babies found by the police or relinquished by birth givers for various social and personal reasons.

SOFOSH is a licensed and recognized specialized adoption agency with the aim of rehabilitating these children through adoption. Care and protection for children and adoption are the two major activities carried out here. In the last 6 months, we have successfully identified suitable families for 12 children, and the children have been rehabilitated through legal adoption.

Since the advent of the COVID crisis and the imposed lockdown, the world had come to a standstill. The adoption of the children was delayed since the foreign and domestic travel was restricted and the adoptive parents could not come to take the children in adoption. The number of children taken to family care from institutional care was reduced to a great extent. But when the rules for travelling relaxed, both, Indian and foreign adoptions gained impetus and the children could finally find their destined homes. The COVID treat subsided a bit in the last six months, except for the two months partial lockdown during the second wave. The staff at the childcare institute got vaccinated on a priority basis. The major events in the last six months were the Republic day celebration and the Sankranti festival in January 2021. The academic year ended in April 2021 and the school going children entered into another online schooling year. Approximately 50 children between the age group newborn to 6 years were looked after in the institute. The geographical outreach is Pune city and surrounding suburbs.

There is a steep decline in donations due to the shift of government and public focus from existing problems to the new issue of the COVID19 Pandemic. The hurdles encountered due to COVID were a decline in donations, delay in the legal procedures of children and delay in adoptions. Fundraising is a major aim for the next 6 months.

Stories from the ground:A child was with the Institute for almost 4 years. Since the child was found, efforts were made to trace the parents of the child. The legal procedure of making the child legally free for adoption got delayed due to the lockdown, The child had already turned 6 years old in the institute. Efforts were made to get the child legally free for adoption and a family ready to accept the child was found. Finally, the child was adopted into a family in April 2021

The children at the child care institute were taken care of with utmost precautions to avoid COVID19 infections. The outcome of the abundant precautions is that there is not a single case of COVID19 at the child care institute. In May 2020 the pandemic and lockdown was at its peak. The administrative staff was busy in keeping the food stocks and other utilities at its optimal level to avoid shortage of any food material or medicines. With the start of the rainy season the other infections too were on rise and hence all precautions were taken in the months of June and July 2020, In August 2020 there was again an rise in the number of active cases. Due precaution was taken by sensitizing the staff about the gravity of the situation . Independence day was celebrated with the children inside the institute. The most important festival of Maharashtra, Ganpati festival was celebrated following all the COVID preventive guidelines. By September 2020 the adoption process was routinized and regularized and placement of children from the institute in families started. October 2020, November 2020 came with the festivities of Dusshera and Diwali but again they were celebrated within the institute with due care. The children are now habitual with the online school but are eager to go to school soon. December was a enjoyable winter this year. Christmas and New year brought a lot of joy to the children.

Happiness prevails at Shreevatsa - the childcare center run by SOFOSH

The year started with some children being placed in adoptive families. The new year celebrations was marked by a lovely fun party arranged for the kids by the volunteers. Later there was the annual function of SOFOSH where children performed a dance. The senior founder members of SOFOSH were interviewed in which they elaborately explained the early days of SOFOSH since its inception upto the 55 glorious years. In the month of March, women's day was celebrated.SOFOSH being an all women organisation, few caretaking staff members were felicitated for there good work.

Children happily lighting up the diyas

Program Update

SOFOSH (Society of Friends of the Sassoon Hospitals) is a non-government charitable organization working in the field of patient welfare since the year 1964 in the premises of Sassoon General Hospitals, Pune. ‘Shreevatsa’- the child care centre run by SOFOSH is a home for family deprived and destitute children of age ranging from new born to 6 years. The children at Shreevatsa are looked after with love and care and we find a permanent home for them through adoption.
Services Rendered at Shreevatsa:
• Residential Care
• Paediatric Care
• Special therapies at various centre/ hospitals
• Physiotherapy
• Volunteers
• Rehabilitation through adoption in adoptive families
• Placing in foster care families.
• Corrective and lifesaving surgeries.
Shreevatsa provides a loving refuge for the most destitute children in our society. This is possible due to the support received from generous donors and well-wishers.

Story from the field

We have a very sensational story of a found child. Child Amar was found abandoned outside a railway station of a rural area. The child was only 6 months old when he was found and brought to Shreevatsa by the Police as per the order of the Child welfare committee. On doing all the preliminary medical tests and investigation it was found that the child his having a heart condition of severe nature. The child underwent an extensive treatment from a paediatric cardiologist. The child was keeping well with the treatment and extensive care. Inspite of his severe heart issue, child Amar was keeping well and had got adjusted with the situation. He could sustain with life normally. The doctor had advised a major surgery at an older age for child Amar. An adoptive family for the permanent rehabilitation of the child was being looked for. This was the best option which would ensure the wellness and care and protection for the child. Family care is always having unique benefits than institutional care. After a long waiting; a social minded overseas young couple was found to be interested in taking child Amar in adoption. A through assessment of the adoptive family was done and to ensure that they are having an emotional and financial capacity to take care of the child in future. Their motivation for adoption was established and only then the child was placed in adoption. All the care takers at the institute were happy to depart with the child for his bright future, but at the same time, they were sad that they were going to miss child Amar. The child was almost a year old when he was placed with the adoptive parents. We have received his post placement reports and we are happy to get a positive update on the same.

Program Update

SOFOSH (Society of Friends of the Sassoon Hospitals) is a non government charitable organization working in the field of patient welfare since the year 1964 in the premises of Sassoon General Hospitals, Pune. ‘Shreevatsa’- the child care centre run by SOFOSH is a home for family deprived and destitute children of age ranging from new born to 6 years. The children at Shreevatsa are looked after with love and care and we find a permanent home for them through adoption.All children at our child care centre are taken care of with lot of love and affection. They are provided with all facilities at the child care centre. Donation is utilised to fulfill the basic needs of the children like milk, clothes and medical treatment

Story from the field

Child Preeti was admitted to SOFOSH’s child care centre “Shreevatsa” on 07th September 2016. Her estimated date of birth is 20th December 2015. She is an abandoned child. We have tried to find her birth parents through news in the local newspaper but could not trace them. As her parents are not traced yet, she is free for adoption, Our efforts are being made to find a suitable family for adoption and permanent rehabilitation to her. She is very beautiful child. She can walk alone. She can run and climb. She recognizes objects, people. She points objects when it is named for her. She says few words. She follows few instructions. She is fully immunized for her age as per the scheduled. She is having a life threatening disease. She is given proper medication and she is responding very well to the treatment. Special care is given to her to keep her healthy. She is taught by the teachers employed in the institute as she cannot be sent to regular school. She is a happy child and is showing good progress. SOFOSH (Society of Friends of the Sassoon Hospitals) is a non government charitable organization working in the field of patient welfare since the year 1964 in the premises of Sassoon General Hospitals, Pune. ‘Shreevatsa’- the child care centre run by SOFOSH is a home for family deprived and destitute children of age ranging from new born to 6 years. The children at Shreevatsa are looked after with love and care and we find a permanent home for them through adoption.All children at our child care centre are taken care of with lot of love and affection. They are provided with all facilities at the child care centre. Donation is utilised to fulfill the basic needs of the children like milk, clothes and medical treatment