The indefatigable Eldred Tellis, one of the most hard-working and inspiring care workers in India – or anywhere – is the hands-on head of the Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust. The Trust works to provide care and support to street-based drug users, and seeks to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Bombay, India.
Since the early 90s, Eldred Tellis and his partners and team members have worked in the darkest and loneliest streets of Bombay, finding drug users who are experiencing the greatest difficulty, and who are in the most precarious states of ill-health.
Working directly in the streets, and at their help and rehabilitation centres, the Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust provides food, diagnostic medicine, and treatment regimes for a very wide range of illnesses, from skin irritations all the way to HIV/AIDS.
I’ve visited Eldred several times at his rehabilitation centre not far from the Haji Ali shrine, and I’ve watched him at work. I’ve also seen him dealing with the rich and powerful citizens of Bombay, who are interested in his work, but also concerned – as many citizens are, in cities all over the world – about treatment centres that gather drug addicts in one place.
Invariably, Eldred is the same man in every situation. He’s as calm, compassionate and caring with the addicts in his treatment centres as he is with the concerned citizens from the elite levels of Bombay society. Eldred is a man who lets his heart do the talking for him, and that pure, humane heart always finds a way to reach the common humanity in everyone he meets.
I’ve admired Eldred Tellis for years (I couldn’t do the work he does: I don’t have the patience or the gentle temper: that part of my nature is still a work in progress, I’m afraid), and I can sincerely vouch for the integrity, honesty and effectiveness of his work in Bombay.
The word “Sankalp” means, variously, “volition” or “determination” or Resolution” – among other things – has a wide application in India, and can be found in many websites and web directories. There are quite a few “Sankalp” organisations out there, and even a “Sankalp” restaurant. So, when you look this up in any web search engine, don’t forget to write: Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust in the search window.
You can also reach the Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust at their website:
http://www.sankalptrust.org/
There are full details on the site for making donations in Indian Rupees or in Foreign (non-Indian) currencies.
The Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust is a fully registered charity with tax exempt status.
Those interested in volunteering with the Sankalp rehabilitation Trust in Bombay for a while should contact the trust directly through the email address:
sankalp.trust@gmail.com
If you’re going to do that, please keep in touch with me, too (info@shantaram.com) so that I can give you some advice and help in the big, crazy city of Bombay.