A VISIT to India 10 years
ago changed the life of
Saarda Devi.

By KIM PEMBERTON
News Reporter

The 35-year-old North Van-
couver resident became a dedicated
fund raiser for the poor in India.

A 50-bed hospital in one of In-
dia’s urban slum areas recently
opened with funds raised by her
North Vancouver-based organiza-
tion.

“I saw the poverty and I wanted
to do something to help,”’ she said.
“*It?s a very, very needy project.”

Devi is the vice-president of the
Handia Baba East-West Children’s
Hospital and Foundation, a non-
denominational! charitable
organization founded. two years
ago.

The founder of the organization
was Yogi Shreekant, who currently
divides his time between Van-

35 - Wednesday, January 28, 1987 - North Shore News

Stir up
Oriental
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PAGE 37

couver and India, where he helps
in the hospital’s supervision.

Devi said the organization des-
perately needs volunteers, but she
takes pride in the fact that a hand-
ful of workers here has been able
to do so much.

She said a great deal of thanks
must also go to the Canadian gov-
ernment, which contributes $3 for
every $1 raised by the organiza-
tion.

“We were very fortunate when
we Started getting help from the
government. Before, we raised
money on our own.,’’

Devi herself would send most of
the earnings she made as a yoga
instructor to India.

“I feel very close to the people
in India,’’ said Devi. ‘‘The area
where the hospital is is very, very
poor. Here, in North America,
there is an enormous amount of
poverty, but you can pursue dif-
ferent avenues like welfare. In In-
dia there is nothing.’’

After her first trip to India, Devi

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made three subsequent trips. Her
most recent was to attend the in-
augeration of the hospital July 29,
which saw the opening of its out-
patient clinic.

She saic the second stage of the
project will come when the hospi-
tal opens completely, with an
obstetrics ward, pre- and neo-natal
clinic and an X-ray unit.

Devi said a Rotary Club dona-
tion of $6,000 meant an additional
contribution of $18,000 from the
federal government,- resulting in
the purchase of a hospital. am-
bulance.

She said the ambulance will
travel to remote villages, to pro-
vide medical care for people who
might otherwise go without treat-
ment. ,

She said all donations to the
foundation are tax deductable.

For more information call 984-

7601 or write 325 East 4th Street,
North Vancouver, V7L 133.

2.

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