India

On behalf of the Grand Commandery of the Castello, I visited India again in February 2018.

Women in Need (WIN), our major charity, continues to work hard for women who are in desperate need of help.

Our latest project here is to buy a portable iBreast scanning device for early detection of breast cancer. A three-month crowd-funding drive among Members and Friends of the Grand Commandery led to raising the necessary funds and in May 2018, on the 45th anniversary since Castello Lanzun became the home of our Grand Commandery, the money to purchase the iBreast scanning device was forwarded to WIN.

I was taken to outlying villages where this device will literally be a lifesaver. Women in these villages have a real problem travelling in to Nagpur for scanning. WIN will be able to scan and detect cancer without the need to transport patients many miles to Nagpur.

The iBreast device is connected by wifi to a centre in Mumbai for patients to be assessed.

I also paid another visit to the leper colony in Dattapur. I saw big changes here, but I was made most welcome again.

The Leper Colony, Dattapur

I was asked to plant a tree at the Dattapur Hospice

Uganda

In April, I visited Kagando Hospital in Uganda again. This is another charity which the Grand Commandery has assisted in recent years.

Our latest project here was to build two accommodation modules for visiting medical staff, with the main portion of the rents received going directly to help leprosy sufferers in the locality.

From this...

  ...to this - in just a few months.

I was asked to inaugurate the building during my visit.

Inauguration of the Building

In the meantime, the Grand Commandery of the Castello continues to raise funds for charity through social events organized at Castello Lanzun.

We also donated funds to rebuild a row of shops just outside the hospital after the original ones were destroyed by fire.

The New Shops