Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Redivivus' philanthropy is on hold until it is safe for international travel.
Mask up and be safe!
Welcome to Redivivus Inc.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is dedicated to making the world a better place through access to books and medical supplies.
We establish libraries in rural schools in India.
We also collect and donate life saving medical supplies to needy hospitals in India.
Who We Are
Our Roots
Since our start in 2018, we have been working with other foundations to supply schools in India with libraries and rural hospitals with medical supplies. In 2019, we supplied Transform Lives School in Ananatapur, Andhra Pradesh with almost 100 pounds of books and Sassoon general Hospital and Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospita in Pune, Maharashtra with cabinet-fulls of medical supplies.
Education + Rural Libraries
My childhood was defined by books: whether it was fiction or nonfiction, Percy Jackson or Nat Geo, I would devour words like no one else. I had access to books almost everywhere; the public library, school libraries, at home, and more. I knew from family trips to India just how much privilege I had, and how underprivileged schools are, especially compared to schools here in the United States. In 2019, I had the time and resources to be able to fix this problem in at least one school. I went to one of the elementary schools in my school district, Westridge Elementary School, and started a book donation drive for almost the entire month of May. Westridge pulled through with a massive turnout: over 100 pound of books for us to take to India! That summer my family and I packed up the novels, textbooks, and magazines into big boxes and took them with us to India in July. With the help of the Sehgal Foundation, we distributed them to the Transform Lives School in Andhra Pradesh. The experience was life changing, and providing books to everyone in the world, no matter the location and privilege of the reader, is my goal.
Healthcare + Medical Supplies
As a high school student, I volunteer at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, one of the local hospitals in Des Moines, Iowa. Part of my job was to stock supplies. What I noticed on my many trips to the supply closets, was that many medical supplies which had never been used or unopened were being thrown away because they had "expired" ie beyond their use by date - this did not mean they were unusable, but hospitals in the US aren't allowed to use them anyways.
Meanwhile, hospitals in underprivileged countries, like India, are forced to sterilize and reuse equipment because of exorbitant prices! To put things in perspective, an ERCP guidewire (used for a procedure to relive bile duct obstruction from stones or cancer) costs about 20,000 rupees - the average Indian person going to these government hospitals earns about a100 rupees a day; unbelievable orders of magnitude. The kind of decisions this forces the poor patient and their family to make is mind boggling. This kind of equipment can be lifesaving: think of how many people are forced to endure health problems simply because they cannot afford the cost of medical care.
Doctors beyond borders does not accept donations of expired equipment, this is an unmet need and I stepped up to it. I contacted the other local hospitals and presented my case- all gladly gave me their expired equipment
I would like to thank Iowa Lutheran Hospital, Iowa Methodist Hospital and MercyOne hospital in Des Moines for their generous donations.
Our distribution plans are currently on hold due to Covid-19. We continue to collect donations.
Key People
Vidya Iyer, Founder and CEO
Vidya Iyer started Redivivus as a school project which expanded into a non-profit after the success she experienced during the first round of donations. She is a Senior at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. Outside of Redivivus, Vidya participates in policymaking and social and racial justice with CORE (Community of Racial Equity) and SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice).
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Shipra Baduni
Shipra Baduni is Redivivus' Education contact in India. Her work with the Sehgal Foundation and Redivivus is integral to the success of our program.
Dr. Sheetal Dhadphale-Mahajani,
MD DNB DM DNB
Sheetal Mahajani is Redivivus' Healthcare Contact. She is the associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology in Sassoon Hospital in Pune, India.
Sunil Pawar, MD DNB
Sunil Pawar is the Director of Endoscopy at Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, India and our Healthcare contact there.
Amol Bapaye, MD FASGE
Amol Bapaye is the Director of Endoscopy at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, India and our Healthcare contact there.