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OUR HISTORY

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

While visiting India in 2001, our founder, Becky Douglas, observed and witnessed some people living in deplorable conditions. Worst of all were the leprosy-affected, who would approach her, begging for help. When she returned to the United States, she was haunted by those images; Becky knew she had to act. She called four close friends, and around her kitchen table, they quietly formed Rising Star Outreach. In April 2004, Rising Star Outreach of India (RSOI) was officially registered and recognized as a Company under Section 25 of the Companies Act. RSOI started by opening a preschool for 27 children from leprosy colonies. Organized under the Women India Association (WIA) - RSOI also provided board and care for the children. The success of the preschool was stunning, and in 2005 a second preschool was rented and opened for 20 additional colony children, operating under the same WIA - RSOI. Rising Star Outreach was repeatedly commended for the high standard of care and excellence maintained in the preschools.

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However, the preschools were just a start; the suffering of their families who remained behind in the colonies could not be ignored. Rising Star started taking rice and beans to the colonies each month to provide them with basic sustenance. However, this was only a temporary solution. Rising Star recognized the need to help the people learn to provide for themselves.

That goal was realized in June of 2003 when they met Mrs. Padma Venkataraman while working in the colonies. The daughter of India's former president, Mrs. Padma Venkataraman was already well known throughout India for her pioneering work facilitating self-reliance projects in leprosy colonies.

Mrs. Padma oversaw the creation of the Rising Star Outreach Colony Development Project. Its purpose was twofold: to create economic self-reliance and to provide critically needed colony infrastructure such as toilets, clean water, community centers, and learning centers.

Economic self-reliance was facilitated by Women’s Self-help groups who worked with individuals to help them create small businesses to become productive citizens and leave their life of begging behind. Hundreds of small businesses began to flourish. As the families in the colonies started to become self-sufficient, they were able to combine their resources and address other pressing infrastructure issues of the colonies. Rising Star Outreach of India assisted them in these efforts. It was very rewarding for them to have a viable alternative to begging and to create the necessary colony infrastructure. Each of these helped them to rise above the stigma of their disease.

As the colonies began to improve their economic situation, their primary challenge was the lack of consistent medical care. Access to hospitals was difficult logistically and due to their social stigma. RSOI responded to this problem in March 2005 by initiating our first mobile medical unit. Finally, we resolved the severely disabled leprosy victim’s inability to leave the colony for adequate medical care.

Our Clients

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