Happy Spring!
Dear Friends,
PRASAD Trustees, representatives from our licensees in Australia and Europe, and I recently returned from an inspiring visit to our programs in India filled with immense gratitude—for our dedicated team on the ground, for the communities we support, and most of all, for you, our donors. Without your generosity, none of this would be possible!
During our visit, we toured PRASAD Chikitsa medical, agriculture, and sustainable community development programs and met with the beneficiaries of our services. Witnessing the impact of our work on the ground was truly uplifting—seeing sustainable, holistic, and life-changing efforts in action while meeting the people who are a testament to the value of these services.
We met hardworking farmers who have successfully transformed their lives through our Agriculture and Food Security programs. Women involved in Self Help Groups continue to develop their entrepreneurial skills, helping their families and communities thrive. Access to water remains crucial: by building community wells, we create a lifeline for families. School toilets provide much-needed relief for children and contribute to higher school attendance. In addition, the preservation and promotion of traditional Warli art in the area helps students keep this rich cultural heritage alive while also developing new artistic skills.
This year, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of PRASAD de Mexico, an organization managed by dedicated volunteers who have restored sight to thousands of low-income adults and children. In the U.S., PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program continues to provide school-based dental care services, improving the smiles, health, and well-being of underserved children.
None of this progress happens without you. Thank you for standing with us and making our life-changing work possible!
With warmest gratitude,
Dr. M Cecilia Escarra
Executive Director
From Wasteland to Harvest: A Farmer’s Transformation
For years, Lahu, a tribal farmer of Nevalpada, struggled to cultivate his dry, barren land. Water scarcity made survival nearly impossible.
In 2019, PRASAD Chikitsa stepped in, supplying native rice paddy seeds for family consumption and built a well on his land, giving him reliable irrigation for the first time. Next, PRASAD Chikitsa dispensed kitchen garden seeds and fruit orchard saplings.
Thanks to PRASAD’s network of support, Lahu’s kitchen garden now earns $25–$35 annually—three times more than local farmers without help. In addition, he will earn more income from selling fruit once the orchard matures. After seven years of steady, holistic support, Lahu stands ready to be self-sufficient. His story shows how a network of services and care can truly transform life.
Women’s Self-Help Groups:
Building Rural Women’s Financial Independence
The Jay Santoshi Mata and Mukta Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are thriving. Thanks to PRASAD Chikitsa’s Livelihood Initiative, both groups received skill and business training, along with ongoing mentorship. In addition, the women received kitchen garden seeds, fruit orchard saplings, and a family toilet. Individual members are flourishing.
Here are some examples: Darshana, renting nine buffaloes, earns $81 per month; Sunita earns $11 monthly from her small snack store and flour mill, and Savita earns $108 from renting a small car.
Together, these three women earn approximately $200 USD every month. Considering that many tribal women make little or no income, these women, with minimal education, are now thriving. This is how PRASAD’s holistic services create self-reliant entrepreneurs and stronger communities.
Community Well: A Lifeline for Two Hamlets
We visited a community well that was constructed in the hamlet of Materapada. What may seem like a simple structure has brought about a profound transformation in the daily lives of local
families. Before the well was built, families faced severe water scarcity, especially during the summer months. Women bore the greatest burden—walking about 1.2 miles each day to fetch water. Their routines were exhausting and often required them to awaken in the early hours of the morning or even at midnight to secure enough water for their households.
Today, the well has changed that reality. Accessible water is now available within the hamlet, easing the physical strain on women and families. The well not only serves the residents of Materapada but also supports a neighboring hamlet. In total, 230 people now benefit from reliable access to water. This project stands as a powerful example of how a community project can create lasting, meaningful changes.
Program Updates
PRASAD CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
More Than a Smile: Care That Lasts a Lifetime
A teacher from an elementary school in Sullivan County shared her firsthand experience with our dental program.
“Many of my students come from low-income families, so when PRASAD’s Children’s Dental Health Mobile Clinic began coming to my school, I was thrilled. I see children getting not only much-needed dental care and oral hygiene education, but also an experience of love, kindness, and joy that makes them glow.
They are excited when the bus arrives. They look forward to their time with the dentist and afterward speak about how much fun it was and the kindness they felt as well. I know they are getting much more than just clean teeth and filled cavities. They are receiving a feeling of care that will stay with them as they grow up.”
PRASAD DE MEXICO
Happy Anniversary, PRASAD de México!
Luisa’s world had gone dark. Cataracts had stolen her sight, and with it, her freedom. She fell often—tripping over chairs, missing the edge of the table. Her young grandson stopped going to school. Every morning, he stayed by her side to keep her safe.
Then PRASAD de México came to her village. Luisa received sight-restoring surgery at the eye camp. When she woke up and the bandages came off, she saw light for the first time in years. She cried. She wept with joy. She thanked everyone, the
doctors, the nurses, the volunteers—again and again. “I can see!” she said. “Now I can cook again. And my grandson… he can go back to school.”
Your Donations in Action
India
- Healthcare: 2,093,521 visits
- Milk & Nutrition Program: 1,637,600 servings
- Eye care: 233,000 people benefited
- Kitchen Gardens: 11,722 planted
- Arts & Crafts: 178,696 youth participants
- Self-Help Group training: 18,916 women participants
- Tree Planting: 249,009 saplings distributed
- Floriculture: 141,052 saplings distributed
- Farm and Community Wells: 88 completed
United States
- Dental Visits: 35,191 dental visits
- Dental health education and Care: to 102,642 children.
Mexico
- Eye camps: 223 organized
- Eye surgery: 35,670 adults and children benefited.
- Services provided since the inception of each program through December 31, 2025
What’s Next for PRASAD
PRASAD
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Vivek Panchapakesan, Chair
Brandon Siew, Treasurer
Harriette Cole, Secretary
Jyotika Patel
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. M. Cecilia Escarra
P.O. Box 576
Ferndale, NY 12734
845-434-0376
Email: [email protected]
Visit us at www.prasad.org
PRASAD remains focused on creating lasting impact across communities, ensuring that health, care, and opportunity reach those who need them most.
In the U.S. at PRASAD Headquarters: We will continue to work hand-in-hand with PRASAD international leadership to strengthen our organization’s capabilities while enhancing our capacity to provide strategic and operational support for all our global programs.
In India at PRASAD Chikitsa: Key priorities include expanding services to additional villages, increasing patient targets across all health programs, enhancing nutrition support for vulnerable children, increasing HIV testing and anemia detection, and significantly scaling eye screenings and surgeries, among other initiatives.
In the U.S. at PRASAD CDHP: Our primary goals include early prevention and detection, expanding access to dental care to more children, and promoting community awareness of good oral health and healthy eating practices.
In Mexico at PRASAD de México: By partnering with local hospitals and institutions, our volunteer team will continue to provide free eye surgeries for low-income children and adults in need, restoring vision and improving quality of life.
We Count on Your Support
Your contributions have made a transformative impact, influencing not only the recipients but also those who give and deliver services. The benefits of your generosity go beyond the individual, as people who receive our services share their newly acquired skills and enhanced lives with their families and communities.
By supporting PRASAD’s mission, you help uplift the lives of marginalized populations while also creating a meaningful impact of your own. We encourage you to make a Spring contribution or consider becoming a PRASAD Partner (monthly donor) to have year-round impact. Thank you for your continued support!
Please mail your gift to the address provided or visit www.prasad.org/donate/ today to donate online!
