Story of a brave orphan girl, Sunita

Name: Sunita Kumari

Village: Morangi, (Sadar),Hazaribag

Father’s Name: Late Raju Mahato, Mother’s Name: Late Dewanti Devi

No. of Siblings: 2 younger brothers

Family Background: Sunita Kumari, presently studying in class Xth, is a resident of village Morangi. She had lost her both parents and now, she lives alone with her 2 younger brothers only and taking care of them. She herself is the guardian of her brothers. However, she has grandfather, but, he is also old and lives with his another son nearby her house. He provide little support to this young girl.

NBJK intervention: Sunita took admission in our RCC in November 2011 in class 8^th. She was a regular student of our RCC, but, unfortunately on 24^th April 2012, her father had died, and so, she stopped coming to RCC. At that time, she was in class 9^th. She had gone to her maternal parents, with her mother and 2 younger brothers. When the Tutor Mr. Ranjeet Mishra, went to her home to know the reason of her absence from RCC, her grandfather told the Tutor, that, she started living at her maternal grandparents home, and will continue her study from there. So, the Tutor had cut her name from attendance register of RCC.

Suddenly, in July 2013, she came to RCC one day and told the Tutor, that, she wants to study in this RCC. By that time, she was in class 10^th. But, due to poor health of her mother, she has to go outside of the village for her treatment, do all her household work alone, etc. she could not come to RCC on regular basis. Due to her irregular attendance, the Tutor had not enrolled her name in the attendance register. But, seeing her miserable condition, the Tutor had permitted her to come to RCC as per her own time availability. Again unfortunately, on 17^th August 2013, her mother also died. She left alone with her 2 younger brothers. So, she went to her maternal grandparent’s house.

After few months, she again came back to her village Morangi,( her paternal grandparents’ home) and started living there under the protection of her grandparent with her 2 younger brothers. On 5^th September 2013, again, she come to our RCC and told our Tutor, that, she wants to continue her study. She told that, due to untimely death of her parents, she is the only person to look after her 2 younger brothers and grand parents. Further, she also shared that, she could not come to RCC on time, because she has to look after her younger brothers, cook food, and to do other household work. By saying all these, her eyes were filled with tears. Our Tutor assured her, that, she could come to RCC as per her suitability of time.

Present situation: At present, (since September 2013), she is coming to our RCC and preparing for her coming Board Exams. However, due to so many disturbances in her life, she could attend neither her school, nor our RCC on regular basis. All these affects her academic performance very badly, she is very weak in her studies too. She has to work hard to earn his livelihood and to take care of her 2 younger small brothers. However, her maternal uncle (Mousa Ji) is very much supporting her. However, her maternal grandparents are giving rice, potato, etc. but, to meet her regular expenditure, she has to work as a labour on occasional basis in her village or nearby her village. But, even then, she as well as her RCC Tutor are trying their best to get good marks in her coming Board Examination. She also tells, whatever, she learns till date, is all due t o RCC, and for that, she pays her heartiest thanks to NBJK and Axis Bank foundation. Without RCC‘s timely support, she could not think of passing her Board Examination. RCC plays a very important role in filling her academic gaps and it works like a boon for her.

Future Plan: Since, there is no one to take care of, she lives alone with her 2 younger brothers and any mishappenings could take place, so, her maternal uncle has fixed her marriage. She is going to marry on 14^th Feb’14. While asking about her future plan, she tells that, she wants to continue her education even after her marriage; her life partner (proposed) is also interested to continue her education. She wants to become self reliance and economically independent. She will take her younger brothers to her in laws house and look after them as a parent. We wish her for a bright future.

Vinita Minj (Mental Health)

Vinita Minj (48) lives in Palmee village of Semra Gadarpo panchayat in Bhandra block of Lohardagga district. Her husband Biriya Oraon and three children (2 sons, 1 daughter) live with her. Biria is a Para teacher and Vinita is an attendant in the government middle school at their own village. They earn around Rs. 7000 per month and live a better life now.

12 years before, Vinita was not like today. She was mentally ill. She left her home, husband and even children; youngest was of 8 months only. She was a transformed person with extreme anger, filthy words, and suicidal tendency. People have chained her after traditional treatment by local ojha-gunees.

Only after intervention under community mental health program by LGSS (partner organization), she was taken to RINPAS and proper medical assistance reached to her.

The field staff has identified Vinita. It was hard to convince tribal people and to shift their mindset. But he met her family members, particularly husband Biriya Oraon and finally an unchained Vinita went to Kanke.

Her personal problem started with financial crisis when Biriya was separated by his brother and at last by parents also. At that time, Biriya and Vinita-both were unemployed. Those were days of acute hardship and even food shortage. Vinita could not see her small children in distress and became mentally disturbed. In-laws have symbolized the situation for her and became immediate reason behind untimely death of her academic aspiration also. She was an intermediate passed woman who wished to do any job but pushed under opposite circumstances. Domestic quarrel made it difficult to think further and Vinita was so much exhausted that she used to treat everyone as stranger, did not recognize her husband during peak of her illness.

After specific and regular treatment at RINPAS for 4 years, Vinita became fully normal and with due course of time, her family dispute ended. Husband Biriya Oraon got a job of para teacher and a share in family property. Vinita was called by the headmaster of village school to work as a paid helper. Rest of the work is a result of her own nature as she is always simple, honest and caring to others.

Pulled from the Edge (Disability)

Somar Bhuian (42) is a complete blind person by birth and belongs to such a landless and deprived Bhuian caste that is still discarded by other castes in Asdhir village of Katkamsandi block, Hazaribag. His wife Urmila Devi too is a partial blind woman, the mother of their 4 children.

NBJK’s field staff Neelam Sharma has visited the family in July 2010 and found that all they were dependent upon Chakauda grass for their food as no cereal was available with them. This acute poverty has already snatched a child from Somar and his wife. Their dilapidated house, ragged clothing and 6 human beings without proper food explained everything about Somar with his family.
Neelam was astonished to know that earlier Somar was a beneficiary of the pension under social security scheme by Jharkhand government. But this aid has been suspended in the meantime as Somar was declared dead on the pages of government record without any enquiry at all.

Neelam contacted Vaibhav Kumar, the concerned BDO and informed him about the blunder which forced not only a person, rather a full family to starve and to live in such a miserable condition. This intervention took about 2-3 months but Somar was reinserted in the list and his pension became regular. Before this, he was allocated 35 kg grains immediately from Disaster Relief Fund of the block.

The villagers were mobilized and a general meeting was called to look into the matter. They decided to help Somar and family. The dealer of PDS outlet was instructed by the BDO to provide 35 kg rice every month to Somar. With due advocacy and processing, also his wife urmila could get a disability certificate and receives monthly pension.

Now-a-days Somar and urmila get monthly pension and rationed grain. Their elder son goes to school. Also people offer some easy but paid works to Somar or his wife. They attend village meetings and enjoy a better social milieu. Somar can run a tiny shop of daily snacks like biscuit, papad, germinated gram etc if facilitated properly as Neelam suggests.

Micro credit support to disable (Disability)

Shyamdev Mahto (53) spent his childhood on edge. Poverty and polio were the enemies. He lost his left leg partially and couldn’t get suitable treatment in time. But he accepted the challenge and didn’t allow himself to be dependent. He sells groceries in his village. Shyamdev has been provided a loan of Rs 5000 under micro credit linkage of AVI-DFID funded program for disables. This timely financial support made him strong and his shop is having items worth Rs 30,000. NBJK helped him in certification of disability also. Shyamdev earns nearly Rs 3000 per month and contribute to his family appreciably as its head. He maintains repayment of the loan and has certain plan to enhance his business. Shyamdev Mahto is very active despite his old age and placed an example before other disables in this locality.