It was to this area of southern Madhya Pradesh, that 40,000 Bengali refugees fleeing from East Pakistan were resettled in the mid 1960s to 1970s. These once prosperous people had been forced to leave their homes under traumatic conditions and arrived in India with nothing. From the difficult conditions of overcrowded refugee camps in Raipur, each family was eventually given a small plot of land in the jungle. Some of you may remember the benefit concert of 1971 staged by George Harrison, Ravi Shankar and friends to help raise funds for these people. Despite their efforts, nearly 30 years later they are still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Conditions in the area are harsh. There is limited education and little primary health care. Hospitals are several hours drive away over rough roads on overcrowded buses. Children and adults become crippled for lack of medical attention after simple accidents. There is no maternity care. People die from malaria which is endemic as is dysentery. TB, cholera and typhoid are also common. Chronic anaemia and iodine deficiencies are widespread due to dietary inadequacies.

A little help from outside can alleviate many of their hardships and empower these people to improve their own lives.

The Tulsi Trust is born
In 1992 a small group of westerners was first invited to the area around Kapsi, by one of the villagers. Some were so deeply moved by the plight of these people that they have dedicated their lives to help this community. In 1994 our sister charity in India, the Jai Shri Radhay International Seva Trust Society with whom we work in close co-operation, was established.

They look after our volunteers and support the project infrastructure. Through the generosity of friends and supporters we were able to build a 26 room mud adobe community centre on land donated by local Adivaashi villagers. This centre has become the heart of our project, from which each year we have run at least a three month clinic, often for much longer. Our Indian partners continue all year with medical and emergency care.

From our eleven years experience of understanding the needs of these people, it has become very clear that a combination of conventional and complementary medicine works best. Our holistic disciplines include, amongst others, allopathy, homeopathy, sanjeevini, ayurveda and counselling. This has proven to be vastly popular with both the Bengali and Adivaashi villagers many of whom had never before had access to medical attention.

Feeling that at last their prayers can be answered, the villagers are begging for help in building a permanent hospital. Fifteen acres of land has been donated central to the Bengali and Adivaashi villages which our project serves. Our work is driven by the needs of the local people and all decisions are taken in conjunction with them.

They have a Shanti Committee (peace committee) of 11 men and 11 women from the Adivaashi and Bengali villages who sit, sometimes all night, to thrash out community plans. We listen to them, share with them our own ideas and then act accordingly. It is they who are asking us to build a cottage hospital so that sick people can be treated closer to their homes. The Indian Government is currently encouraging the development of polypathic hospitals throughout rural India, some of which we have forged links with.

We invite you to share this potent opportunity to create a hospital which will embrace the very best of conventional and complementary medicine.