The principal goals for our work in Kodaikanal include the following:

1. most crucially, to deliver acute prophylactic healthcare to children who belong to the crèches within this poverty-stricken community;
2. promote continuous care by providing biannual well-child visits for all crèche children, monitoring key indicators of collective health;
3. effect a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children within the crèches;
4. curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections; and
5. promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives.

Progress in the crèches accelerates daily. FIMRC most recently began funding medical care for the children of a fourth crèche called Helping Hearts, which allows for 15 additional children to receive life-sustaining medical attention. Recent additions to the crèches include introducing nutritious foods into the children’s diets in the form of eggs, chickpeas, and other nutrient-dense foods, as well as initiating a daily tooth-brushing initiative for every child served by FIMRC’s Project Kodaikanal.

FIMRC strives to develop sustainable programs within the community. Project Kodaikanal strives to provide educational opportunities for children, as well as nutritional support to the four crèches in which FIMC works. Since the program’s launch in August 2009, in collaboration with GHVP volunteers, medical students and health professionals, FIMRC realized many noteworthy achievements in 2009, including:

• Designed and began implementation of community mapping for 4 communities which will allow FIMRC to identify children who will benefit from a future free pediatric health program.
• Delivered 14 hours of first aid training to 22 individuals from different communities.
• Covered medical expenses for 210 kids through partnership with the Betsey Elizabeth Trust.
• Organized and executed a Teachers day and a Children’s day attended by over 150 community members.
• Developed educational literature on Bleeding, Breast self examination, Burns, Child Health, Choking, First Aid, Diabetes and H1N1 virus
• Conducted an extensive health analysis on physical growth parameters for 210 children at the crèches
• Developed partnerships with Van Allen Hospital, Pasam Health Trust, Perumalmalai Clinic, Kodaikanal Health Medical Services and Church of South India Rehabilitation Center.
• Organized a fundraiser in Mumbai, India to help reduce costs for the Health Tracking System project

Zainab Ghadiyali, Program Manager

Seattle, Washington

As Program Manager, Zainab assists in managing FIMRC’s public health initiatives such as Health Tracking Systems and community health education. Additionally, she works with a highly motivated team on development of organizational policies, procedures and analytical documents. Previously, she began developing FIMRC’s public health program in India as Field Operations Manager for Project Kodaikanal. Born and raised in the Indian city of Mumbai, she possesses a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, conducted research in Germany, and gained firsthand experience in public health as a FIMRC Global Health Volunteer in Costa Rica. She loves traveling, cooking Asian, Thai and Greek food, technology, logic, traveling, yoga and searching for the elusive four-leaf clover.

Sandra Perapadan, Field Operations Manager

Kodaikanal, India

As Field Operations Manager Sandra supervises the operations of Project Kodaikanal and works with the Van Allen Hospital, as well as a network of childcare centers, to materialize FIMRC's goal of providing pediatric care in the region.  Born and raised in the Indian city of Mumbai, Sandra has completed studies in social work from the National Institute of Social Works and Social Sciences. She gained firsthand experience in public health during her internship with the Family Planning Association of India. Thereafter, she expanded her experience by working with the National AIDS Control Organization.  As the primary point of contact for Global Health Volunteers in India, Sandra provides volunteers with eye-opening, immersive perspectives in Indian healthcare and culture.  In her free time she enjoys hiking, playing football, and traveling.

Hilda Issac, Program Coordinator

Kodaikanal, India

As founder of the Betsey Elizabeth Trust (BET), Hilda leads the effort to manage several childcare centers in and around Kodaikanal. After forming BET in 1999 she established Grace Kids Center in Kodaikanal, then went on to open similar centers in nearby Porayar, Palllangi, and Attuvampatti.  Under Hilda’s leadership, BET also runs a sewing center to support women from low-income families.  Hilda works in tandem with FIMRC to maintain health outreach initiatives for children in the community.  She is also known to make the best rice cakes and coconut chutney in all of Kodaikanal!

Housing
Volunteers stay together in FIMRC’s Volunteer House, located a short walk from the Van Allen Hospital. All volunteers are provided sheets, blankets, kitchen, internet, warm showers and secure shared rooms. Due to the limited capacity of the Volunteer House, groups of 6 or more may be housed in a neighboring hotel.

Meals
Volunteers are responsible for purchasing meals from a list of recommended meal vendors in the community.

Transportation
All transportation is provided by reputable hired drivers with outstanding safety records.
Upon arrival at the Coimbatore airport, volunteers are met by a driver, as well as a staff member or representative of FIMRC, and are transported to the Volunteer House in Kodaikanal. Private transportation is provided for each volunteering day between the housing quarters and all volunteering locations including the hospital and crèches.

The following costs are due per-person to FIMRC for participation in Project Kodaikanal:

• Program donation: $649 for mission trips of up to two weeks, $275 per week thereafter
• Housing/transportation: $350 per week

Passport
US citizens can enter India with a valid passport. Volunteers who do not hold a US passport must check with their respective embassies for information on travel eligibility. Volunteers are responsible for obtaining or renewing their passports.

Visa
US passport holders MUST obtain a visa prior to travel. Non-US passport holders should check with their respective embassies for current visa requirements and regulations. Volunteers are responsible for ensuring that they are legally eligible to travel abroad. A U.S. passport, valid for at least six months from the date of departure, containing at least two blank pages, is necessary. Please note that pages reserved for amendments and endorsements cannot be used for visas. A tourist visa for India costs $73, lasts six months and includes multiple entries. Your visa must be obtained in advance from the Embassy of India. More information is available at www.indianembassy.org.

Volunteers may be required to present a letter from FIMRC confirming their participation in the Global Health Volunteer Program in order to obtain a visa. Please contact us at missions@fimrc.org if you are traveling to India and require this letter.

Vaccinations
We refer all volunteers to the information provided by the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/travel for the most up to date vaccination recommendations. Please note the different recommendations not only for the country you are visiting, but also for the region in which you will be staying.

Flights
Volunteers are responsible for arranging their own flights and must fly in and out of Coimbatore International Airport (code CJB). Please click here for further information on flights.

Insurance
Volunteers are responsible for possessing health insurance which covers emergency medical evacuation. Please click here for further information.

FIMRC Payments and Enrollment Forms
Once you work with our team to confirm your volunteering site and trip dates, you will be sent a welcome message via email which will contain instructions for enrollment, as well as deadlines for the submission of materials. If you have questions about this process, do not hesitate to contact missions@fimrc.org or 1-888-211-8575.