Smokeless Stove Project:  2004, sponsored by the IHF, International Humanitarian Foundation, a non-profit started by Dartmouth College graduates, from Hanover, New Hampshire.  This project works in collaboration with the Betsy Elizabeth Trust to install smokeless stoves in poor village homes, starting with creche families, based on information from the WHO that indicates a high death rate for children under 5 years old from lung infections related to unventilated cookstoves in the home. Young lungs cannot tolerate the pollution and can lead to infection and death if untreated. We use a clay, 2 burner stove, made by local potters, which has a connection to a "chimney" made out of clay also. The benefits of this project spread far beyond our creche children, to their siblings, mothers, fathers and other members of the family, and also provide income for village potters.

 

Medical Care for Children:  sponsored by FIMRC, this non-profit in collaboration with the Betsy Elizabeth Trust, provides us with an on site nurse who works at our creches full time. On Mondays, she travels to each creche in the Kodaikanal area and examines all the children, looking for those who need treatment or who are not gaining weight. These children are then taken by our jeep to a local Indian doctor who diagnoses their illness and prescribes medication if needed with no charge to the parents. FIMRC also provides money for extra protein in creche daily meals and basic medical supplies for each school. Last year, a nurse midwife was added to the staff of Helping Hearts Creche located on the plains, a 6 hour drive away. Thanks to their consistent support, we have been able to give medical care by trained professionals to our children.