In 1992, Eldred Tellis was sent by SHARAN and OXFAM to document and study the prevalence of HIV infections among injecting drug users in the North-eastern states of India. Returning to Mumbai, he found that needle/syringe sharing had become popular here too. Especially among the marginalised. Even more disturbing was the fact that little to nothing was being done about it. Awareness programs didn't really reach out to them. Many didn't know where to find help. And rehabilitation centres were either unaffordable or had stringent criteria to be met.

A bleak situation indeed. And yet these very same people were counted among the high-risk behaviour category in the transmission of HIV.

So, it was out of a need to address these issues that Eldred Tellis together with A.V. Krishnan (a retired DGP), B. N. Bhagawat (a retired IAS officer) and Sujata Ganega set up the Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust in 1995.

Using our 'unconditional and indiscriminate approach', we were able to reach out to 800 drug users in our very first year. Today, as many as 100 of them visit our centre every day. Be it for our free drug substitution programme, needle exchange programme, healthcare programme or supportive counseling.

However, there's a lot to be done, if we are to create a sizable impact, considering that there are approximately 40,000 drug users in Mumbai and only 400 beds available for their treatment.

We'd like to start a shelter so that the homeless have a roof, and can be given training for technical jobs. Many of our TB patients need an address just to register for the DOT programme. To administer a small ward of 6 beds for emergency cases with AIDS that are refused admission elsewhere due their extreme critical condition. And to be able to get a rehabilitation center for street drug users where they could be imparted vocational training as well.

Since all our are services are completely free, and the demands for supplementary services like nutrition, TB drugs and HIV/AIDS support are increasing, they're causing a burden on our thin resources. Donations from individuals and institutions enable us to continue our work. It is important that they keep coming. Nothing is too little. Please help!