Thangum Thanalum_bkp

Our Mission: Provide financial assistance to individuals affected by cancer and their families in Kerala, India to meet the expenses of their treatment and education of their children.

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Our Approach: Establish collaborative partnerships with known and reputable organizations with proven track record in health and humanitarian services to serve as local administrators in Kerala.

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What is Thangum Thanalum?

Kerala has been severely affected by cancer and it has taken a deep toll on the physical, financial and mental well being of the Kerala society. It is everybody’s worst nightmare but many of us have seen it and felt it in close quarters in real life.
High cost of procedures and long term treatment plans often financially ruin low and middle income families.
Those who are dependent on government assistance often find it difficult to get the treatment that they need while making two ends meet.
The uncertainty that comes into the lives of cancer patients, especially the young ones, is life changing as their lives are suddenly turned upside down. They have to stop attending school and their once promising dreams suddenly turn bleak and blank.
This is why KAGW has decided to launch a long term initiative titled Thangum Thanalum, to assist individuals affected by cancer and their families in Kerala, to meet the expenses of their treatment and education of their children.
Thang stands for support; support by KAGW for the patients and their families. The two hands that appear in our logo symbolize the support.
Thanal stands for shade; shade for the little ones, who otherwise would be exposed to the extreme hardships caused to them or to their families due to cancer. The image of the tree in our logo symbolizes the shade.
Thangum Thanalum will be a directly managed, end user identifiable, long term charity program working through known and reputable partner organizations as local administrators in Kerala, based on four core principles; Compassion, Transparency, Accountability, and Efficiency. The fund raising associated with this program will be on-going and dynamic.

How does Thangum Thanalum work?

Funding and Contributions

Individual contributions by KAGW members and supporters will be the primary source of funding.
As of now contributions can be made in two ways;
• In person by check, cash or by credit card at the Thangum Thanalum booth next to the front desk at every major KAGW event
• By credit card or through PayPal by clicking on this link
All contributions are tax deductible and every contribution will be acknowledged by KAGW by way of an email confirmation.
KAGW will consider additional ways to raise funds in the coming years, which may include direct campaigns, local fund raising, as well as targeted fund raising programs including stage programs, raffles etc.
The funds collected for this program will be maintained and accounted separately in a KAGW Charity Account.

Identification of Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries will be identified based on specific criteries and has to be approved by both KAGW and the partner organization.
Financial criteria is the primary consideration for the identification of beneficiaries. Anybody who cannot meet the treatment expenses for themselves or for their dependents, while maintaining the minimum quality of life will be considered for this program. Cases with extreme financial distress will be given priority.
When a child is unable to continue his/her studies due to the financial difficulties caused by on-going cancer care for that child or for another member of that family, this program will offer funding for education of that child.
Potential beneficiaries can either be referred directly by KAGW’s partner organization or by a third party, including any KAGW member. If the referral is by a third party, the partner organization should be able to review the eligibility of the potential beneficiary.

Our Current Partner Organization –Solace

In November 2018, KAGW has partnered with Solace, a well known voluntary organization based in Thrissur, Kerala. The contributions that are presently collected through the Thangum Thanalum initiative are intended to support Solace in their mission of facilitating for the care and support of children from poor background with long term illnesses.
Founded in 2007 Mrs. Sheeba Ameer in Thrissur, Solace, in tandem with the medical fraternity, provides medical, social and psychological, including counseling, aid to the children, their caregivers and families.
Solace currently cares for more than 1600 children with long term illnesses including cancer and thalassemia through their facilities in Thrissur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Patambi and Malappuram.

Program Administration

Thangum Thanalum program will be directly managed by a Coordinator designated by the KAGW Executive Committee.
The program will be administered on the ground in Kerala through one or more partner organizations, which are known and reputable, with proven track record in health and humanitarian services.
A partner organization under this program should be approved by the KAGW Executive Committee and their performance will be evaluated on an annual basis. They are also required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with KAGW, which will outline the roles and responsibilities of each party as well as the terms and conditions associated with the program and its administration
It is expected that the partner organization is not explicitly affiliated or linked to any political party or religious organization and that it is involved in activities that serve all segments of the population
To properly channelize our limited resources and funds, KAGW will limit the number of partner organizations to three or less in the beginning but will consider adding more partners once the program matures.