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Sanjivini

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A selfless good deed in our rapidly modernising and materialistic society is almost as rare as the Green Sea Turtle. Living in this age of spiffy technology, where everything that we need is just a touch away, has rendered most of us incapable of looking beyond our immediate world to help someone who may not be just as lucky as we are.

I cannot boast of being a great social worker or preach righteousness to anyone; I simply want to acknowledge the fact that there still are some individuals who try to make a difference in the lives of those who start believing they are lost in an abyss of inky darkness.

Sanjivini Society for Mental Health, a purely non-profit organisation, works tirelessly towards the goal of reinstating people’s faith in themselves.

It is a premier organisation that has been providing counselling, a much needed service, absolutely free of cost since 1976. People with problems ranging from stressful life situations to severe mental illness can find solace here.

With two centres in Delhi, at Qutab Institutional Area and Defence Colony, Sanjivini’s volunteer body is the mainstay of the organisation. They are a set of committed individuals who work without remuneration. They come from all walks of life, are stringently selected and intensively trained in order to maintain the quality of counselling.

The work at this noble institution is carried out at two main units- the Crisis Intervention Unit and the Rehabilitation Centre. The Crisis Intervention Unit provides confidential psycho-social counselling for a wide spectrum of emotional distress and mental health problems, ranging from self esteem issues, inter-personal problems, depression, suicidal inclination, substance abuse and minor mental illness. The Rehabilitation Centre is a pioneering programme that works towards the rehabilitation of persons suffering from chronic schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is a full-day therapeutic facility.   Over the years, their Community Outreach initiatives have been directed towards the goal of de-stigmatizing counselling by raising awareness.

Sanjivini organises a fundraiser once every two years to ensure that their unerring service to the society can continue. The fundraising event this year was ‘Karna’- a ballet in Mayurbhanj Chau presented by the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra at Kamani Auditorium on 24th January. Dr. Abid Hussain(former Indian Ambassador to the US) and Mr. Keshav Desiraju(from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) were present at the occasion.

The ballet was a beautifully executed, heart-wrenching piece on the life of one of the most inspiring characters of the Mahabharata. The performance was very apt for the occasion as it depicted a person who faced hostile circumstances throughout his life and was denied his rightful place in the social milieu. The dancer who played the role of Karna was a delight to watch and won many accolades, much like the ceaseless efforts of Sanjivini.