Last May 15, 2021, a scientific solidarity marathon was held to raise funds for Shanti Ashram, a Gandhian center for development, learning, and collaboration in Coimbatore, India, to be able to look after the health of children living in conditions of extreme poverty and hardship, now in dire economic difficulty due to COVID-19. The marathon involved world-renowned professional obstetricians and gynecologists.

Antonia Testa is an Italian gynecologist, Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. Dr. Kezevino Aram, known as Vinu, is a pediatrician, and is the president of Shanti Ashram, founded in Coimbatore, in southern India in 1986, and which, for over 30 years, has been working with communities and individuals to help people out of poverty, overcome inequalities, train creative leaders and ensure sustainable development.

About two years ago, during a business trip, Antonia was able to get to know and appreciate Vinu’s work up close. She was impressed with Vinu’s projects, which reach about 50,000 children and their families: “During the trip, I was a guest in her home with two other young colleagues, and I was able to see the social projects carried out by the center – both health care and educational and business projects. In particular, we visited the village schools that they have built, and the pediatric clinic that had just opened. A clinic that acts as a bridge between the large hospitals of the city and the territory. Then, there was the food bank. I attended meetings with mothers and grandmothers with HIV, and so on…”

Last Christmas 2020, Dr. Vinu Aram sent Dr. Antonia Testa an email, explaining some of their projects. Reading the email, she intuited that something was wrong. To follow it up, she immediately picked up the phone and called her. “Thus, I discovered that, after 8 months of lockdown, the center has run out of resources and that Vinu does not know how to continue supporting all the projects that have started already. So, I asked her: but how much money, in your opinion, is needed? She replied: 60,000 euros. After that phone call, l thought of finding a way to help her…”

Antonia talked about it with her acquaintances, and started collecting small donations. Sharing the situation with a colleague, Luca Savelli, an idea was born: The same way singers get together to organize a solidarity concert, why not do something similar between gynecologists?” We thought: Why not combine our skills, and attempt a sort of virtual marathon of our scientific relationships and, with the money we manage to collect, donate it to Vinu Aram?” said Dr. Testa. Within 24 hours, colleagues from South to North America, from Australia to Europe responded positively, confirming their full adherence to the project.

Thus, the purely scientific marathon comprising 20 expert gynecologists and pediatricians from all over the world, will pass the baton by sharing their most innovative research on the topics entrusted to them.

At this point, the question arose: How will we raise the funds?

“Being a scientific project – explains Dr. Testa – “we were able to bring it to the attention of companies in the sector and it is from them that we hope to receive contributions. But even individuals participated, thanks to the crowdfunding we have set up on the GoFundMe platform.”

Here is our exclusive interview with Dr. Antonia Testa regarding the marathon of solidarity project for Shanti Ashram.

Were you able to raise the funds needed for India’s Shanti Ashram?

We have been able to raise the funds that Dr. Vinu Aram and I had estimated as necessary to cover the months from January to June 2021, which was caused by the pandemic. Before she could start normal life at Shanti Ashram, I asked her how much money was needed to carry on the life of Shanti Ashram, especially the social projects they have underway and she told me 60,000 euros.

How did the Pope know about this project?

The Pope got to know about it through Cardinal Konrad Krajewski who heads the Pope’s Office of Papal Charities or the Vatican’s Almoner, a member of the papal household with responsibility for performing works of mercy on behalf of the Pope. Once I met him with other colleagues and with him we shared the Vaccine for the Poor project, an aid launched by the Pope through Cardinal Krajewski to bring aid to various regions of the world as well as to the poor within the city of Rome. The Cardinal called me on that day and, after I briefly explained what we were doing, he told me at the end of the marathon, “What is lacking will be filled up by the Pope.”

What beautiful learning experiences did you get from this initiative?

I would say several experiences. The first one is that “no difficulty can bring you down,” as Chiara Lubich repeated many times. So, after that phone call from Vinu Aram, although I had no ideas and didn’t see how I could work for India, I insistently asked Jesus to give me a sign. And the sign came from the interaction with my colleague with whom I regularly do the motivational courses for doctors. So pray and don’t let yourself be brought down, even if you don’t have any ideas. Ask for them, ask the eternal Father.

Another formative experience – to believe, to trust that the people around us are people who have the desire to give. When I called up my colleagues around the world to propose the project, they all immediately agreed. “You can count on me, you can count on me.” That was everyone’s response!

Third, and as usual, don’t let yourself be disheartened because there was a moment when it seemed to me that the marathon might not have been successful and the amount raised, far from the goal. Don’t ever let yourself be discouraged but continue to have faith, because it was just in that moment of emptiness that God “takes over.” He takes over. Providence arrived, and it puts you up. In fact, the Cardinal, in his letter that accompanied the donation, said: “I have seen the Spirit of charity that animated this initiative, and the Pope wants to contribute with this help. So the other aspect of the fruit of this experience is that, beyond us, others perceive the goodness of our giving, the authenticity of an action.”

Antonia with her friends were able to raise about 30,000 euros for the solidarity marathon last May 15, 2021, and Pope Francis donated 30,000 euros more to fill up what was lacking for Shanti Ashram.

Interview by Jose Aranas