UNICEF State of World’s Children Report 2008

Sumit Pande / CNN-IBN

New Delhi: A recently released annual report by the UNICEF says that of a nearly 10 million children dying below the age of five every year, 2.1 million are Indians.

And the real shock lies in the fact that all these lives could be saved with better child care facilities.

"If India wants to realise its intellectual capabilities, it needs to work on this area much strongly,” says representative, UNICEF India, Dr Gianni Murzi.

Although child mortality rates have come down significantly in the last 15 years, two indicators have set alarm bells ringing; first, a very high count of the neo-natal deaths.

But the worrying factor has really been malnutrition in India. Fifty per cent of the total under-five mortality is ascribed to malnutrition.

And there has not been any significant change in the nutritional values for children in India in the last two years.

INNOCENCE LOST: Fifty per cent of the mortality is ascribed to malnutrition, says the report

The story of Ajay and his friends from Spain

Ajay, was found in this condition begging at the Taj Mahal in Agra, Krishna das from Dharma Foundation, Spain and his friends found him and brought him to Sandipani Muni School, that was two years ago.

Ajay was with us until Nov. 2007 when he left for Spain with Krsna Das. Now he has already undergone two surgeries and he is due for two more, presently he has been enrolled in a Spanish school and no doubt his life has changed or I would rather say "his life has began".
Our greatest appreciation and regards for Krisna Das and his team at Dharma Foundation for the wonderful service not only to Ajay but to Sandipani Muni School and its children.

Here's a description of his case:
Doctor used artificial dermis for the deep skin and transfer epidermis from the leg of Ajay. Artificial skin for the surface it was not so good because the color that will be different and doctors used the 2 techniques to allow him to have the best look. Then the will make a new ear for him and will make a lifting on the face to give more tension to the skin. It was a hard work to make a new face for him but doctors say that he will recover all the properties of the mouth like, bit, joint, smile etc. They will put also all the dental pieces inside of the lips in the proper position.
They say he will need more surgeries but the hardest part is done with success. Ajay is in phone contact weekly with the parents and his elder brother. He gave many thanks for what we are doing for his brother and also the father said the same.

Sleeping on the floor in Winter

After finding out that 250 of our students were sleeping on the floor even in these cold winter days, we had to choice but to shout it to the world. (see our previous blog)
Some of our dear friends immediately responded to our appeal.
With great pleasure we rushed to the market and bought 250 plastic mats and 250 woolen blankets.

The children were thrilled and overwhelmed while taking home the gift.
Their wonderful smiles and their warmer nights are offered to those friends who generously contributed towards the purchase of mats and blankets.



On behalf of the poorest of the poor a very special thank you to:

-
Natalia Timofeeva (Russia);
- Paul Stern (Thailand);
- Yaroslav Smirnov (Russia);
- Pushkar Raj das and his wife Hara devi dasi (UK)

30% of our children are sleeping on the floor

Yesterday I read the article below from a paper and I thought of going in our Sandipani Muni classrooms and ask the children who was sleeping on the floor.
To my surprise so many children even with temperature as low as 4 degree here in Vrindavan have no choice but to sleep on the floor and most of them just with a plastic sheet and some rugs underneath.
In one of our classroom, 4th B out of 36 student 24 said there were sleeping on the floor. The same day just before 9:00 am twice I saw some of our small children coming to school crying, I asked the teacher to see what was wrong and the teacher said that they were feeling cold.

We have decided to buy some good plastic mats and some blankets for those children who are sleeping on the floor, some kind soul are donating for it, on behalf of our children we extend our warmest thanks to them.
ys rupa

NDTV Correspondent

Thursday, January 3, 2008 (Delhi,Chandigarh, Srinagar)

It is freezing in north India and the cold wave is unlikely to let up in the next few days. At least 90 people have died so far, mainly in Uttar Pradesh but that is just the official estimate.

Thousands of homeless people have virtually no protection from biting winds and sub-zero temperatures.

Delhi continues to be bitterly cold after temperatures dipped to a new low of 1.9 degrees celsius. This morning the temperature went further down to 2.4 degrees celsius, which could mean a freezing night ahead.