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A Volunteer for Being a Drug and Doctor
(Appu John, January 4-6, 2012)

Dr Lobsang Zoepa of Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharamshala honors Shri Ahmed Shah and Smt Marykutty Cherian for the support they extended to the Kochi Tibetan Medical Camps since its beginning in September 2010. They were honoured during the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Tibetan Medical Institute held at Ashirbhavan, Kochi on September 6, 2011. (Photos: Katharina Jourdan and Sylvie Bantle)

The 16th edition of the Wellbeing camp was held here in Kochi with the joint ventures of Friends of Tibet and Men-Tsee-Khang. Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar, CMO, Men-Tsee-Khang, Bangalore and Dr Tenzin Norbu Ganub of Men-tsee-khang along with nursing superintendents led the camp. A number of patients gained wellness of being through this camp. The service rendered to the people by the umpteen volunteers is worth mentioning.

Wikipedia suggests the word as meaning "Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving. Volunteerism is the act of selflessly giving your life to something you believe free of pay. Although if a person volunteers they may not earn money, it produces a feeling of self-worth and volunteers earn respect and Favors instead of money."

This is true with the case of many of our volunteers also. Let us start from the President itself. You have him working day and night to run the whole set up — translating, organising, photographing and even cleaning the premises. We have VJ Jose and Yeldtho Mathew — two others working hard for the Wellbeing of the camp. But along with them we have many others too working hard for the good running of the camps. Take the case of Rajsankar Unnikrishnan, who is the last straw for many in this infectious world.

Each camp reveals a lot more to come… some translators, some photographers, some contributors, some editors, some strategists and some writers. Take the case of translators. Translating the real state of the patient in the most convincing manner to the doctor and vice versa is the most challenging task. Dr Janaki Sankaran, Mrs Sylvie Bantle, Ms Liz Roy, Mrs Marykutty Cherian, Ms Samta Shah and Mr Keval Shah, Ms Lakshmi Rajsankar, Mr AK Tharanath and Mrs Simi Nirmal and Mr Nirmal Antony are some names that come into my mind. They set apart some time for certain for the wellbeing of others. We have photographers like Mr Girish Kumar PG, Ms Katharina Jourdan and Mrs Sylvie Bantle who are using their professional expertise for the wellbeing of the patients.

Next we have strategists like Mr Brahmanandan who even at an elder age is ready to work for the wellbeing of any person. He is also ready to move his appointment for the sake of the needy. Take the case of Mr Suresh Babu of the Thiruvananthapuram who regularly spends time with the camp. Being part of the Holistic Health Foundation he sees heath through Tibetan medicine as a panacea to the allopathic addiction. They come in as translators and are ready to adore any other role as the time necessitates. I call them strategists as they are able to solve many of our problems with their broad mindedness.

Let's take the case of Mr Ahmed Shah, once a busy businessman and now a participant. But he never cries out for his state as a patient. He is ready with an open hand. Not many at the camps know that he is one of the chief contributors to the camps each time. We also have editors and reporters. They may not be seen out clearly instead they appear hidden in the voices of many of the patients who get well by the camps. They inspire simple writers like me to be biographers and a lot more.

Finally it can be said that volunteering is simply as taking once own burden and smiling at others and helping them to take up their burdens. The Wellbeing creates volunteers in higher speed. It may be said in Malthusian proportion as the disease increases in arithmetic proportion, volunteers increase in geometric proportions.