“The minute you start instituting a charge for your service, the most vulnerable populations are the first sector of society to be marginalised, and it’s precisely this sector of the society that you wish to serve the most”. Dr Mehta opined. 

But still, I was keen on knowing the financial management of the organisation because my next big question is about the sustainability of the organisation. Jaipur Foot functions only on donations that too only if the donor comes and visits the hospital. 

I was awestruck with these financial principles and later I got to know more about Dr. Mehta.Today the question of sustainability is the nightmare for several social purpose organisations in India. Simple and great decisions by Dr. Mehta and team kept Jaipur Foot running for over 44 years now. Such is the dedication of the organisation as the organisation towards its donation policies that even the Prime Minister of India was given a simple welcome without any garland or a red carpet when he visited the organisation.

Today, people with Jaipur Foot are driving cars, completing a marathon, stitching clothes, dancing, and working shoulder to shoulder in various fields with others. Nothing could stop them even though their legs got imputed. One invention has restored their dignity, financial status, human relations and equity in the society.

Dr Mehta listens to people and their problems with a compassionate heart.  He provides cycles, financial support for small businesses and creates another support mechanism to people who are in need. He takes care of people by providing food, accommodation, and the amputees find friends and stay in touch.

The language of social purpose organisations often stuck with quarterly reports, sustainability, logical framework analysis, but are we addressing the problem? How do you develop respect for people in the society for whom you are working? These fundamental questions of mine got answered when I visited Jaipur Foot.

There is a perfect convergence of Universal Human values and operating spaces coming with integrity in Jaipur Foot. The organisation runs without hierarchy while I realised that, this work of showing the entire unit and taking people around can be done any of them and today Dr. Mehta did it. He shares his table with his personal secretary and said “All my life I was in a separate and big room equipped with big tables, separate and big houses but I also have a bigger heart to accommodate everyone possible”. 

After the interaction, it was all silence from within. I sat down in a small tea shop outside the office and was in sort of penance. Several thoughts were just flowing in my mind at that time but when I looked into myself and questioned “Will you be able to do something like this?” then a person came and offered me tea and while he was going back, I could observe his leg which is also artificial. Then my realisation came on the forefront and tickled me and said “Who am I do something for people who already have enough strength? All I can do is to tap the existing strength and provide resources that enable them to get back their own capacities”.

I earned humbleness from Dr. Mehta, his intention of working with people ignited my fire and made me look into myself.

 –Authored by : Sampath Hari, student of the 3rd batch of the Post Graduate Programme at Indian School of Development Management.