Udaan Smile
July 2020
April 2020
What We Do
Udaan started in early 2000 with the adoption of a single child who couldn't afford insulin she needed to stay alive. Over the last 15+ years, we found that a diagnosis of Type 1 could also mean being pulled out of school, and an end of all hope. We went from village to village, finding underprivileged children with Type 1 diabetes and became a family of nearly 700 families.
Today, every Udaan kid is a dreamer, aware that she can do anything she wants. Here are some of the things we do to help her succeed.
Comprehensive Medical Care
Mission: No child lost due to lack of resources
We raise resources from individual and institutional donors to provide free insulin, glucometers, strips, consulations and investigations to all Udaan kids. Each child receives a standard of care in keeping with IDF and ISPAD guidelines. As most children have no access to a doctor nearby, Udaan operates 24 hour helplines to support rural kids with medical or other concerns.
Emotional Support
Mission: Empower children with diabetes to dream and achieve
Udaan works with families to address the psycho-social aspect of chronic care. We run a unique program called MyT1Moms (read here). Mothers of T1D are trained to become coaches, providing advice and emotional support. Udaan is a fun place, where kids and families gain confidence and form strong bonds over summer camps, weekly activities, competitions, picnics and treks.
Child and Caregiver Education
Mission: Develop skills and knowledge for life-long self management
Udaan is a pioneer in creating a structured education program for caregivers tailored for low-literacy environments. Every week, kids and caregivers join an expert support group to learn self management.
Programs go beyond medical management to address social aspects like parenting, problem solving, and career counseling.
Inclusive Innovation
Mission: International standard outcomes within constrained resources
Many of our families have no reliable access to electricity, which renders insulin ineffective and risks the life of Udaan kids. We designed a clay pot that could be made by a local potter, which keeps insulin cool with just three glasses of water a day. Other innovations for low-literacy situations include games for diabetes education and hotline for rural medical support. As a result, Udaan kids have HbA1c levels similar to those seen in most developed country settings.
Community Awareness
Mission: Prevent Type 2 diabetes and create a positive ecosystem for kids with Type 1 diabetes
Udaan conducts workshops, radio shows, rallies and road shows to promote nutrition and exercise in the local community. Our keystone projects are DiPS (Diabetes prevention in Schools) and GPEd (General Practioner Education) programs, which are offered in both rural and semi-urban environments in Maharashtra.
Dr. Archana
Founder
Dr. Sampat Sarda
Director
Shubhankar
Innovator
Usha
Co-ordinator
Dr. Kranti Raymane
Trustee
Ramakant Vempati
Advisor
Jo Aggarwal
Advisor
Shailaja Kekre
Advisor
