Hope Makes Her Alive

Sony Kumari (20 years) is suffering from Dwarfism and her height stagnated at 3 feet 2 inches only. She is the youngest daughter of Mr. Sitaram Yadav and Mrs. Somri Devi of village/panchayat/post-Bagodardih, district-Giridih, Jharkhand. She has two elder brothers also but they live with their wives & children separately. Her father is a small farmer while mother does household works and sometimes as a labourer also. Considering Sony’s physical constraint and family situation, these illiterate parents have paid proper attention to her schooling and brought her to the school run by Vanvasi Vikas Ashrama, an NBJK network NGO at Bagodar, Giridih. Sony studied there up to class 5 and completed class 10 from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalay (a residential govt. school), Bagodar. Currently she is doing her graduation at ParshwaNath College at Dumri, about 25 km from her place and passed 5th semester examination of B. A. (Geography Hons.).  

But Sony is a much curious person and she is in hurry to do something more. When she was identified under the program on Rights of PwDs in Jharkhand & Bihar with support of AVI-BLF (UK) and was offered a two months tailoring training course at NBJK (Hazaribag) including a sewing machine, she accepted this happily and joined the training on 8 April 2018. Earlier she shown inclination towards BCA course but switched over to Tailoring after 4 days only due to her weak English. Now I am allright and enjoy this new learning, Sony says. Tailoring teacher Md. Minhaz and fellow trainee girls appreciate for her intelligence as well as the will to learn and social skill.

When asked about her inspiration, Sony praises her parents for all types of support they provided and still motivate her to achieve any job/livelihood. I want to complete my master degree anyhow but feeling afraid about resources, she shares. Sony has a ration card and she gets disability pension of Rs. 600 monthly but never on time. About a decade ago, she has received a tricycle that became defunct now. Sony’s mother is her best friend and both are closely attached. About marriage, Sony rejects any such idea and wants to be self-dependent firstly.

#Rehabilitation of Baso Devi by #FamilyCounsellingCentre @MinistryWCD

Mrs. Baso Devi (45 years), father – late Manjar Rajak, village + post – Banaso, police station – Bishnugarh, district – Hazaribag (Jharkhand)  and Mr. Dashrath Rajak (50 years), father – Sohar Rajak, village – Aango, post – Partanga, police station – Churchu, district – Hazaribag (Jharkhand) were married to each other about 25 years ago. This was an arranged Hindu marriage with consent of both the families and community people. Baso Devi came to her in-laws’ place. Earlier the couple was on good relation and blessed with a daughter soon. Dashrath started to work as a support staff with a hotel at Hazaribag and run his family. He was expecting a son from his wife but this couldn’t be possible.

Dashrath has made this a point for continuing dispute. In the meantime, Baso Devi met an accident while doing household work and enjured her leg. Being the husband, Dashrath was supposed to take care of his wife but he was aloof and never asked for even medical treatment. At last, Mr. Chhatru Rajak (brother of Baso Devi) has intervened and hospitalized her sister. Baso Devi went under a major surgery but couldn’t be cured as before. She became lame and weak. Dashrath was still indifferent and abandoned his wife. Again Baso Devi returned to her brother’s place.

At her in-laws’ place, the only daughter of Baso & Dashrath became marriageable as per local custom and she was married to the bridegroom of Dashrath’s choice only about 4 years back. None has asked or even informed Baso Devi or her brother about this marriage. After one year of his daughter’s marriage, Dashrath has married again in the year 2014. This was the biggest jolt for Baso Devi and she went to her Sasural (In-laws’ place) to know the truth but ousted by her husband. At brother’s place, her Bhabhi (brother’s wife) too was opposing her stay. This became a question upon her survival and Baso Devi was wandering from piller to post for justice.

After knowing about Family Counselling Centre at NBJK, she came here on 12 May 2017 and lodged her complain. She was assured for her rehabilitation by FCC which acted promptly. Mrs. Meera Gupta and Mr. Sanjay Kumar (Counsellors) have met all the concerning people and visited at both villages to find out any amicable solution of this chronic marital dispute that pushed Baso Devi in a dangerous situation. In between 17 – 22 June 2017, the counsellors have collected all the facts & figures related to the case and did personal counselling of Dashrath and Baso.

On 29 June, both the parties and community people have joined the meeting called by FCC. It was decided unanimously that Baso Devi is entitled to live at her sasural and Dashrath Rajak has to look after her. He will provide all the needful to Baso Devi as the husband. His second wife Saroj Devi was ready to accept Baso Devi as her elder sister. Both the stepwives were ready to accomodate each other and Baso Devi went to her husband’s place again. Follow up reports have confirmed about peaceful family equations.                                                         

#DropoutChild Joins School @HDFC_Bank

Master Arun or Arun Kumar Das (13 years) is only son among three daughters of Mr. Ashok Das and Mrs. Maya Devi at village Basdharwa of Lokai panchayat in Koderma sadar block of Koderma district, Jharkhand. Arun is a student of class VII in Upgraded Government Middle School at his village but he was an irregular, ill-disciplined and unpredictable student.

During School Management Committee (SMC) meeting, team NBJK of Holistic Rural Development Program has paid attention towards this boy and decided to support him for schooling. When SMC has made query, the members have identified a number of reasons behind Arun’s absence from the school. He is a slow learner in study but tasted smoking, gutkha and other bad stuffs under peer pressure. Also he goes to pick Mica remanents in the area for money. Since he belongs to SC category and has a poor family background, some class fellows used to tease him.

This was a tough case but Mr. Ghulam Baquee (Teacher, Remedial Coaching Center) has accepted the challenge. He met the parents and convinced them to ensure their ward’s presence in the school. There were counseling sessions for Arun and he was encouraged to play cricket as he likes forever. His school was provided new sports kit and he has been enrolled at RCC also for extra academic support as well as to shun bad company. Now Arun enjoys his school as these measures have made some differences indeed.

A New Beginning @WeAreSwades @HSBC

Arti Kumari belongs to Mandai Khurd village of Hazaribag Sadar block in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand. Her family includes 7 members and the father is a mason. He is lone bread earner for the family. It is very challenging for her father to run the family in a proper manner. She has three more sisters and all of them were forced to drop out from schools due to poverty.

Arti wanted to shoulder economic burdens of her family and one friend has conveyed her about Skill for Life, the residential training program on skill development by NBJK. She came to training center and queried about the courses offered. She got admission in the course of General Duty Assistant domain as per her interest.  After completion of the course, Arti has been recruited as patient care attendant at Nidan Hospital, Hazaribag. Now she earns Rs. 3,500 per month.

This enabled Arti to share economic responsibilities of her family, to get school admission for her sisters and to enjoy social recognition also. This training has unleashed a new beginning in my life and improves health care services also with help of such useful training to youths, Arti says.

Lakhpati Kisaan Dayamani

Within a year of initiating the Mission 2020: Lakhpati Kisan-Smart Village, a program with support of Tata Trusts-CInI in Murhu block of Khunti district (Jharkhand), NBJK has promoted more than 200 lakhpati farmers, who have become role models for community. One such person is 45-year-old Mrs. Dayamani Nag of Burshu village. She belongs to Munda tribe and her five-member family was dependent on three acres of land, but subsistence agriculture and poor earnings led them to resort to daily wage labor. This was until 2013, when she joined Turtan Mahila Samiti, and learned about techniques of seed and plant-spacing, scientific practices of raising nursery and paddy saplings transplantation through trainings by CInI-NBJK.

Now she uses only one kg of rice seeds instead of wasting 25 kg in 60 decimals of land. In 2015-16, she planted six kg of paddy in her two acres of land and her productivity shot up to 60 quintals, as opposed to five earlier. She was also encouraged and supported to diversify to high value crops, and became the first farmer to take up tomato cultivation for all three seasons. Supported by three wells for irrigation, she also took up cauliflower and chili for the kharif season, green pea and mustard for rabi, and watermelon for the summer. Motivated by her success story, many new households are now partaking in the program.

The Mission 2020 has been underway since April 2015, and the past 18 months have seen significant progress being made on the ground. The potential of this scheme is quite encouraging and its result draws considerable implication for public policy also.

A Quest for Better

Deepak Kumar Sharma (23 years) is a youth from village-Saraiya, block-Padma, district-Hazaribag (Jharkhand). He is the youngest son among four siblings in the farmer family of Mr. Kashinath Sharma and Mrs. Urmila Devi. Deepak has joined NBJK run Residential Rozgar Training in October’16 to learn Mobile-CFL repairing & servicing skill.

Till November’16, he has learnt to make charging sections, speaker/mike, ringer, LCD fitting, IC reboll, wall repair with many more regarding android/ keypad cell phones and about reuse of CFL bulb. Also he went through life skill sessions during this two months course and contributed to make an interactive environment with his fellow trainees. After training, he was offered the job of a mechanic by Maa Ambe Mobile Repair Shop at Korra Chowk, Hazaribag.

 Deepak works on contract basis and charges half income from every business he attends. He assumes to earn about Rs. 4,500 in December and feels happy by easy going to his home about 20 km far from his work place. “I was interested in electric works right from my childhood, so with the mobiles later and got the chance to learn something really at NBJK, which made me self-reliant…”Deepak says.

Internet Sathi (Friend) Empowers Tribal People in Khunti

NBJK is trying to fill digital divide and enables people to access freedom of information via internet in tribal villages of Murhu block in Khunti district (Jharkhand) under the project called Internet Sathi with support of Tata Trusts & Google Inc. It has trained some selected people as Internet Sathi (Friend) and those Sathis have formed Learning Groups of youths and farmers in villages to capacitate them with specific information needed for their development.

Mahadev Roshan Munda of village-Kundibartoli, panchayat-Kunjala, is a college student at Khunti and he was interested to know about Candle Designing. Ms. Sushanti Purti, an Internet Sathi taught him Net Surfing by Google search engine with help of her project tablet and mobile phone. All these impressed Mahadev very much and he started a small scale candle making business. Now he searches more designs with help of Google search browser and making designer candles for local market. During Diwali, Mahadev Munda has earned more than Rs. 5000 happily and waiting for Christmas to sale more candles.

Another Internet Sathi Ms. Gaurmani Purti has facilitated Mr. Majhiya Purti, a farmer in village-Hethgoa, panchayat-Hethgoa, to use Kisan Suvidha, an Android App through his mobile phone. Majhiya has learnt Insect Pest Management by this application and got help to cultivate disease free tomato crop. Also he was informed about weather, agro shops, market price, Kisan Call Center and relevant tips to grow other crops methodically.

Likewise Ms. Pramila Nag belongs to the learning group in village-Bichna, panchayat-Bichna, with Mrs. Taramani Kumari, an Internet Sathi. When Pramila has passed class 10th from her village school and completed 3 days module classes to use Internet, she learnt about On-line application form filling and applied to St. Xavier College, Ranchi for admission in Intermediate course. She got admission there and now using Internet frequently for various purposes.

This Internet Sathi initiative has helped many other youths like Mr. Sundar Nag and his friends of village-Bhushu, panchayat-Digri, to know about job opportunities and results in the village itself. They are members of the Internet Sathi learning group formed by Mr. Firda Nag. Sundar and friends have completed 3 days module class and acquainted with use of Internet to know about competitive examinations and results. They purchased Smart mobile phones with internet facility and use net to update them. Now they are not needed to get support from any cyber café at Khunti. Internet Sathi project empowers people having least exposure and connect them with the world now.

Tribal Farmers Earn from Pig Rearing

Under the program namely Lakhpati Farmers Smart Villagers with support of CInI Tata Trusts, NBJK has promoted collective Pig Rearing at Mailburu village of Digri panchayat in Murhu block of Khunti district, Jharkhand. There are 73 households with 356 people in Mailburu village. Main occupation of villagers is agriculture, lac cultivation and livestock rearing.

Since agriculture & lac Cultivation is limited to the farmers having land and host trees, NBJK started intervention on Piggery Development for others. In Mailburu village total 23 HHs are involved in collective pig rearing in common place with 15 boars (male) and 31 sows (female). The Piggery development concept started by series of exposure visit to understand the management practices at Kanke based Piggery Farm and other Piggery model villages promoted locally by NBJK. Initially Pig Rearers calculated the business model with help of NBJK, CInI and also with CInI based Piggery Consultants Dr. S.K.Singh. It is calculated that after gestation period, there will be 7 piglets average from each sow and the average return from 15 sows will be Rs. 2, 10, 000 at 1st time besides pork retailing cost.

There is a good demand of piglet in the area. Initially pig breeders have contributed Rs 500 each for pigsty construction. Also they contribute Rs 250 per month to feed pigs. Also pig rearing group is in contact with Khunti based hotels for waste and with local rice bear seller for fermented stuffs. CInI Tata Trust has financial supported the rearers during pigsty construction which is in terms of cement which used for sloppy floor construction. NBJK-Khunti based community/livestock resource person visits twice in a week for health checkup of pigs. Also the pig rearing group holds weekly/monthly discussion cum meeting with NBJK professional for management practices.

Praveen wants to be an Electrician

Praveen Kumar, son of late Bhagat Prasad belongs to village-Ladu, Post-Dema, Block- Mohanpur, Dist-Gaya, Bihar. He is dwelling at LBHC since 2005. His mother Smt. Kanti Devi is a house wife. Her economical condition is not good. After accommodated at LBHC, Praveen got admission at Manav Bharti National School (English medium, CBSE based), Kendui, Gaya.

He was an average student but more interested in electricity. When he was studying in Class VII, he had started modestly as switch repair, wire change etc. with electricity at LBHC campus. So NBJK management has decided to promote Praveen Kumar in the area of his interest. He obtained 7.6 CGP in 10th board exam. After that he was facilitated to join ITI with electricity trade.

Now he gets training at Maa Mangla ITI, Gaya. He goes there regularly to learn and practice to be a trained electrician. His performance is good in his class. He also assists main electrician for wiring in building construction for Komal Pujan public School. One week ago he did wiring at LBHC for Kent Ro connection in all houses. Now Praveen is happy and open to new ideas about electricity.

#SkillPromotion Opens a Fresh Chapter @senseindia

Mrs. Pushpa Devi, Husband – Mr. Krishna Prasad Kashyap, Mohalla – Okni, Post & Police Station – Hazaribag Sadar, is a 44 years old lady with hearing as well as vision problem by birth. She was married 28 years ago, now a proud mother of 2 married daughters and 2 unmarried adult sons. Her family life is full of devotion and love from her husband, who is a small businessman.

When Pushpa was identified under the program of Services to Deafblind with support of Sense India, she was provided vision treatment and spectacles. Also she was convinced to visit at NBJK run Resource Centre at Hazaribag town to get centre based services for Deafblind children/people. She learnt sign language, brushed up her functional reading/writing and became acquainted with traffic lights/rules to communicate smoothly. When it comes about Community Based Rehabilitation for Pushpa, her previous interest to tailoring and related work was considered important. She has been supported with a second hand Sewing Machine and Ms. Rashmi Parween (CBR Worker) took responsibility to provide her tips for tailoring regularly.

Pushpa Devi has learnt cloth cutting, stitching, finishing and sweater weaving etc out of this exposure and became more confident now. She has been provided financial support also to make her business stable.  Now she makes petticoat, blouse, chunri and other garments for women customers.