Ankeet Dave and Girish Nair started Access Life in 2014.

The not-for-profit organisation provides multidisciplinary supportive care to families who come from remote areas of the country to metropolitan cities for their child’s cancer treatment.

The treatment often goes on for months, sometimes years. And, these families need a home during this time.

It was while volunteering at a paediatric cancer hospital in Mumbai in 2012 that the duo was exposed to this reality.

They realised how most of these families lead a nomadic lifestyle outside the hospital while their kids undergo treatment.

And so they began their hunt for a space where these families could stay during the duration of treatment.

The first centre they started was in Mumbai’s Chembur. The duo went on to start eight more centres spread across Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Manipal, Coimbatore.

A total of 2,240 kids have benefitted through Access Life’s initiatives. The centres are a space of joy and witness many events that are organised for the children.

Each centre has a common kitchen where the families cook according to their regional preferences.

The children are kept occupied with activities and study sessions. The parents are taught new skills that could be a source of livelihood when they return to their respective hometowns after their child’s long treatment.

There is also a private vehicle service that ensures the children and their parents can travel to the hospital in comfort.

Access Life’s Emotional and Psychological Support (EPS) programme equips families with practical ways to deal with the distress created by the disease.