The University of Sydney Honors Dr Kiran with Doctor of Letters (honoris causa)

It is a moment of immense pride for the Asha family as Dr Kiran Martin is honored with a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by the University of Sydney in recognition of her outstanding contributions as a social worker, pediatrician, and her transformative efforts to uplift the lives of underprivileged youth in Delhi’s slum communities through Asha.

Dr Kiran Martin has proven time and again that education is the most powerful tool discovered so far to overcome disadvantage and inequality, notably through the Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship – the result of a wonderful collaboration with the University. This prestigious award is the highest that the University can bestow and is limited to a small group of individuals whose achievements in their chosen fields meet an exceptional standard and deserve appropriate recognition.

Dr Kiran Martin, Founder and Director of Asha speaks on Compassion and the Practice of Medicine

Hello everyone, in this video I have spoken about the great importance of Compassion in Health Care and it’s wonderful outcomes in patients. There is a Compassion crisis in Healthcare systems worldwide. I have addressed the scientific basis of compassion and how it helps in health and healing.

Asha’s Founder Dr Kiran Martin speaks on Dignity in the Slums of Delhi 

I have recorded a video on one of Asha’s most important values, that of Dignity, specially in the context of the poor. Thank you for listening.

Dr Kiran, Founder and Director of Asha speaks on Non-Violence

Dr Kiran, Founder and Director of Asha speaks on Non-Violence. https://youtu.be/LWtWCRWzR1E

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Dr Kiran visits Asha slum community Chanderpuri

Hi everyone, my visit to Chanderpuri slum was a day of mixed feelings, sadness at the terrible plight of malnourished girls, and joy that they felt valued and were given the best of care by the Asha team.

I did a health assessment of each of the young girls, and found a variety of health issues that I put them on treatment for.

They have all been coming for their daily food supplements. Some had TB, others had severe Iron Deficiency Anemia, Worms, and so on.

Most came from families suffering from extreme poverty due to complicated sets of circumstances.

They had a wonderful meal together arranged by Asha, following which I gave them gifts of clothes and shoes.

It is only because of your generosity that I am able to help them all. I am so very grateful.

How happy they were to receive clothes and shoes

Dr Kiran visits Mayapuri Slum Community

I had a wonderful day at the Mayapuri clinic today. I met with many malnourished girls and found that our Nurse Practitioner Shiny is taking excellent care of them. She has been regularly giving them, Iron and Folic Acid, Vitamin and Mineral supplements, D3, and she had also dewormed them all. They come regularly for their protein and calorie supplements. The ones who have been on the program for a while, have gained weight, and the ones newly enrolled have a long way to go. The ones who are recovering said that it was the first time in months that they felt strong, alert and energetic. They come to the IT center regularly and do their school work. They were filled with gratitude, and when I shared about your generosity with them, they asked me to thank you from their hearts.

Most of the sick patients come to Asha in large numbers, and I observed they are all being taken very good care of and being given free treatment.

The warriors expressed gratitude for being a part of the Asha family that they all love so much. They brought out a Gratitude Cake, asked me to cut it, and each one expressed their gratitude for so many ways in which their lives were being changed. The atmosphere was filled with love, hope, joy, ambition, and much more.

ON AFFIRMATION

Affirmation is quite closely linked to the value of gratitude. According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘to affirm’ means: to state or assert positively, to maintain as true. It also stands for giving a person a heightened sense of value through the experience of something emotionally or spiritually uplifting.

It is a standard practice at all Asha meetings to affirm and appreciate one another in a safe and loving environment. Everyone present is affirmed, demonstrating the love, appreciation, and respect all team members have for each other. However, our declaration of something in a person that is true requires a genuine knowing of the other. This happens when we take time to build relationships with one another, pay attention to each other’s strengths, recognize and appreciate the gifts of others, and genuinely express that recognition to one another. We can then speak the truth with conviction and knowledge, to what we know about the other. Our affirmation can be authentic, and completely devoid of flattery and manipulation.

Everyday, I see the amazing effects of affirmations on my team as well as on hundreds of slum college students, children, and others in the communities. I have seen these affirmations bring to life their capabilities, strengths, talents, and skills. Their effects penetrate so deeply that the person’s entire attitude, behavior, and actions are affected. They change the way people experience events, and they completely alter the emotional climate of relationships. The word ‘encourage’ means ‘to inspire courage’. Words of encouragement and affirmation lead to courage, and a sense of security. This brings about a vibrant expression of latent potential within us, and causes us to flourish in all the dimensions of our lives. There is no room for judgmental or guilt inducing, condemning or critical words that lead to a feeling of rejection. There is no room for loudness or harshness. The tone and manner in which we speak is exceedingly important.

People are deeply influenced by those who affirm them, and listen to them. Being affirmed does wonders for the other person’s sense of hearing. In addition, behaviours that are rewarded and celebrated, are more likely to be repeated. Affirmation in the presence of others is also key. This means that we are giving public honour and respect for a person’s gifts, abilities, and qualities.

It is important that we affirm people on a consistent basis. Studies have found that consistent affirmation results in the muscles becoming stronger, and more active. On the other hand, the muscles tend to become weak and we feel a sense of fatigue in a negative environment.

Let us embrace affirmation as a value to be practiced everyday, and let us remember that our affirmations can have a profound impact on the lives of others. They way others experience life’s events, and relationships around them, can change forever.

Essence of a good team-Dr. Kiran’s Musings

Hello folks,

I have been reflecting on the various elements of our approach as a team that led to the best outcomes we could arrive at during the worst time of the second wave when people were dying everywhere. As I said earlier, we treated 1500 patients, and one patient died.

Among the many reasons, Trust seems to be at the core.

Having walked this journey together with the communities for 33 years, the residents have a firm belief in our reliability and our integrity. Longevity and consistency is key. They know that we will never abandon them, no matter what.

They also know that we act in their very best interests, without regard for politics, caste, gender or religion. They have faith in our competence and our compassionate approach that they have witnessed over the years of our relationship.

We already had partnerships and organized groups within the communities and so could work together on the basis of a shared vision and shared goals. Our collective actions with hundreds of community members meant that we could reach out and benefit the largest number of people possible. Such partnerships that act together on the needs of communities are critical to a relationship of trust.

Fairness and equal treatment, as well as special care of the vulnerable, are important elements of trust.

Although Trust is influenced by history, it is not static. It must be consistently earned and maintained.

So Trust is a core principle of Public Health Leadership. Those are a few of my musings. Your comments, reflections, thoughts are welcome!

Dr Kiran visits Kusumpur Pahari slum community and runs a clinic

Hi folks,

I visited Kusumpur today. The team and Warriors gave me a warm welcome. I was so happy to see the IT Lab functioning, with our university students using it for college assignments, projects and research. The students were telling me how much of a difference it is already making in this digital age where access to the internet through laptops has happened for the first time in Kusumpur. Macquarie Gurgaon has provided us with the funds for this new project. Thank you Manish and Team Macquarie Gurgaon for your kind assistance. I met Amritesh today and he is in charge of the lab. He will make sure that it is used optimally.

At Kusumpur , I ran the clinic where I saw patients with Bronchial Asthma, COPD, Diabetes and Hypertension. Most patients who had been taking treatment from government centres and private health care institutions, had run out of medication and had no access to their health care providers. The health team led by Nurse Practitioner Pushpa, was doing an excellent job of treating all patients as per Asha’s protocols. All patients under her care were feeling much better. Treatment without any cost and good follow up has meant that they are back on track. The Warriors are also visiting them in their homes.

Thank you Friends of Asha for providing us with the resources for medicines, inhalers, nebulizers, glucometers, and all essentials to treat the patients. Some patients are very poor and the team has given them groceries as well as financial help. Where would they have gone without Asha?

Donate for Asha’s Covid-19 emergency response: https://bit.ly/2tFvdy3

Dr Kiran visits new Asha students in Kalkaji slum community

Dr Kiran visited Kalkaji slum community where she was greeted with around 30 Asha corona warriors and students who greeted her with a warm welcome, and huge smiles on their faces. The Asha corona warriors were eager and excited to interact with Dr Kiran and share their stories with her.

This year, the Asha team in Kalkaji has scored the highest level of admissions to the Delhi University within all the Asha slums! There has been a total of 25 admissions from this community and nearby slum areas where the Asha team continuously works. Dr Kiran was extremely happy with these results and congratulated the team for their dedication and hard work in securing these admissions.

Next, Dr Kiran held an interactive session with the new Asha students wherein the students introduced themselves and shared their stories. Dr Kiran enquired about their association with Asha and heard about how the Asha team in Kalkaji had helped these students with every step in securing their admissions in their desired courses and colleges. The new Asha students were extremely emotional while interacting with Dr Kiran, they thanked her from the bottom of their hearts for providing Asha scholarships through which these students were able to pay their college fees and secure their college seats.

The benefits of higher education within Asha slums are clearly visible and bring much joy. May this movement grow to reach thousands upon thousands of young people, and transform the entire landscape of the Asha communities, forever liberating them from the distress and sorrows of poverty.