September 29th 2013
In connection with World Heart Day (September 29, 2013) celebration, Jayanti Memorial Trust (JMT) as the coordinator of the Heart Net Nepal, this year, designed a month long unique and effective campaign in educating Children and Women regarding their heart health and precaution. With the campaign theme “ Take the Road to a Healthy Heart”, JMT in a month long campaign (in September) involved and coordinated with students from Ullens, Rupy’s International, Triyog, and Malpi in an awareness project that focused on emphasizing precaution over cure with regards to heart related diseases amongst children. Over 80 students from the above mentioned private schools were involved into this campaign and they further took the campaign to at least three additional public schools around their vicinity, imparting knowledge related to Children’s Heart Health!
To coincide with the World Heart Day and mark the conclusion of the month long Heart Health campaign, JMT hosted a function at Ullen’s School premises at Khumaltar on Saturday September 29 where each school concluded their campaign with a presentation on various topics allotted to them. They were specifically asked to involve a student from the visited public school for the presentation of their respective topics, which was ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd. All the 4 participating school also displayed one art work each at the Ullens School on the 29th September, 2013, representing their school/college on Women and Children’s Heart Health Awareness and the best was awarded. However all four artworks will be put up at Bir Hospital and Shahid Gangalal Hospital in Kathmandu. Triyog School presented “Cardiac Terms” in a form of a skit and stood first, while Malpi Institute presenting "Role of Youths in modification of lifestyle for a healthy heart and Take a road to a Healthy Heart”, stood second with their skit and the young grade nine from Ullens whoes powerpoint presentation on " Cardiac Diseases amongst children and precaution" bagged the 3rd position. The unhappy faces of the students of Rupy's Internation School who presented the topic on" Cardaic Diseases amongst Women", lightened up when their school bagged the best artwork award.
MEDSted, a medical institution where the aspiring students of Kathmandu Medical College and Nepal Medical College volunteered and extended hands to JMT by assisting in the presentation and mentoring the aspects of this campaign. As children and women are considered to be the best agents for change, and as such in this month long campaign JMT and MEDSted also visited organizations like TEWA, Maiti-Nepal and Saathi’s drop-in-shelter to build awareness on Women’s Heart Health. On this occasion over 250 women’s blood pressure were checked and medical advice given. They further disseminated information to the audience on the occasion of the World Heart Day 2013 with their presentation on various topics such as: Heart Friendly Nepali Food, Government initiative for indigent cardiac patients in the country and Importance of Decentralizing Cardiac Care and Treatment, Know your number for various age groups and gender (Blood Pressure), First Aid on Heart Attack, Cardiac Facilities Available in Nepal.
The Trust could not have started its campaign alone. It received exceptional support from our eminent doctors. Dr. Prem Raj Baidya took out time from his busy schedule to be present at the rehearsal and give expert feedback to each presentation from the participating schools, while Dr. Bhagawan Koirala after a busy day of work at the Out Patient Department sat down with the young medical students answered all their questions patiently. Dr. Rabi Malla graciously took out time from his angioplasty to educate and inform our young activists while Dr. Bharat Rawat spent his two days in guiding students in preparing for their presentations in public school on children’s heart health. While Dr. Aruna Uprety and Dr. Prakash Raj Regmi were gracious enough to be with the students and answer all their queries and provided their expert knowledge, as soon as they got back to Kathmandu from their travel.
The Trust has much to be grateful to the Principal of Ullens School who graciously accepted to be the venue for the World Heart Day 2013. All the Principals, Coordinators and faculty members of all participating school showed high regard to community service and extended full cooperation to this campaign. It was amazing to see the determination and sense of social service amongst our young students who took this whole campaign seriously and made it a success.
Jayanti Memorial Trust truly hope what it began this September will spread like wild fire all over the country and all young students will be encouraged, informed and empowered to combat cardiac disease within our country.
