Visitors from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at Khunti Villages@tatatrusts

03 December, Khunti: At NBJK operational villages with support of CInI and Tata Trusts in Murhu block of Khunti district, some professionals from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have visited to assess need and priority of inhabitants. They went Aara hamlet of Kudapurti village, near Ulihatu, the native place of Birsa Munda, a great freedom fighter. Again they visited Sekre hamlet of Gutahatu village,the last battle place of this tribal martyr.

In both of the villages, there is no electricity and people live without it compromisingly. The team has considered upon power supply to households for women in kitchen, children at study during evening hours. Even farmers can irrigate with motor pump sets when such scheme may be launched here. These villages amid forest are 24 km faraway from Khunti district headquarters.

In 24 villages under Murhu block of the district, NBJK has facilitated 792 farmers with 77 SHGs for tomato cultivation and market linkage. Now marketers and vendors come to villages for crop collection. With organized efforts, tomato growers could deal a large business of Rs. 10 lacs 20 thousand plus local sale in Khunti town. Their average income escalated by Rs. 15000 – 18000 during the season.                              

River Water# for a Village through 2 km Pipe Over Hills in Khunti @SRTT

02 December, Khunti: Under the Livelihood program with support of SRTT, Mumbai and CInI-Jharkhand in Khunti, NBJK has facilitated people of Baree village to get water of Tajna river flowing above across Sudgi Buru hillocks. This endeavor didn’t need any complex system, machinery, power or fuel rather gravity force is being used for the purpose. The water comes through a pipe of 3 feet diameter, with outlets at various points in the way made by cutting rocks to ensure downwards slope.

Baree village is about 16 km from Khunti town/district headquarter and people depend upon rainwater for agriculture. This new pipeline will be a lifeline soon for 60 households of the village, Mr. Mohit Purty (Program Manager, NBJK) ensures confidently. Earlier only one crop was possible, now farmers can irrigate 200 acres to get more round the year due to water availability, he added. At present, people are getting 24 hours water supply and further extension of the water pipeline is going on for additional coverage. Local farmers are happy to see the improvement. They started growing in fallow land and use the water for domestic use also.

NBJK aims to enhance annual income up to Rs. 1, 20,000 for 2500 families in 45 villages of Khunti district under the program. Dr. Prasad Krishna Baghmare (Dy. Commissioner, Khunti) has appreciated the innovative scheme to bring down water and assured for its replication as a role model if found sustainable.

Village Health@ Camp on World AIDS# Day

01 December, Bodhgaya: On the World AIDS Day, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra, Silaunja (Bodhgaya) has organized a health camp in village – Hathiyar under Basadhi panchayat of Bodhgaya block in Gaya district. The camp was held for dental and blood check up among rural community. The village has never witnessed such a health camp previously and thus pulled a large crowd around the venue. The people from all walks of life have participated in the event and 60 persons could get the facility of initial medical test related to dentistry and other diseases detectable through blood samples.

There was a rush in late hours and much demand for the service. It’s worth mentioning that NBJK has been providing medical treatment facility for dental and other general diseases for local community in the premises of Lord Buddha Home for Children at Silaunja village near Bodhgaya since years. The health camp was focused upon general health awareness, information dissemination and affordable services within access at LBHC for people.

A team of Dr. Abhishek Mrinal (Dentist), Dr. Nand Kishor (General Physician), Mr. Dilip Kumar (Lab Technician) and Mr. Santosh Pandey (Compounder) has worked hard during the camp. Mr. Tripurari Prasad Singh (Asst. Prog. Manager, LBHC), Mr. Devjit Banerjee (Rozgar Training Center, LBHC) and Mr. Santosh Kumar Gautam (Block Coordinator, PWDs Program) have contributed the event significantly on the opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV.

NBJK Beneficiaries Hosted by Legendary Amitabh Bachchan

13 December, Mumbai: Noted film actor Mr. Amitabh Bachchan has hosted NBJK team for his popular TV show “Aaj Ki Raat Zindgi” on Star Plus channel. The show is devoted to innovative social works bring change for people in need of support. As NBJK works in collaboration with Carers Worldwide, UK among Carers of differently able/mentally ill/ epileptic/old aged family members and facilitated their groups in Hazaribag to work together as a community, some selected Carers were invited with Dr. Anil Patil (Founder & Executive Director, Carers Worldwide) to join the talk show.

The Carers like Mrs. Meena Devi, Mrs. Rekha Devi, Mrs. Parvati Devi from village- Maheshra and Mr. Sanjay Ram of village-Harli in Sadar block of Hazaribag district have comprised NBJK team led by Mrs. Vimla Rana (field supervisor) and Mr. Rajeev Singh (coordinator) of Carers program. Dr. Patil and Carers were given opportunity to explain about their works before the world during the show anchored by Big B. They have raised their voice, agony and activities on behalf of all those care to their dependents silently and selflessly.

NBJK has identified 828 Carers (97% women) in villages, promoted their SHGs for internal saving & lending, livelihood activities and problem sharing/solving purpose in tune with their caring service. The intervention got a boost up by the TV show.

865 Get Consultation & Medicines in @Mental Health Camp

24 November, Hazaribag: NBJK has organized monthly mental health camp in its premises with support of RINPAS (Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry & Allied Sciences), Kanke / Ranchi and 865 PWMIE (people with mental illness & epilepsy) have got almost free consultation and medicines by the team of psychiatrists and support staffs from RINPAS on the day. They were patients of neurosis, psychosis, schizophrenia, obsession, anxiety, epilepsy and other diseases related to our mental state. Most are the victims of superstitious practices applied upon them by their carers or family members initially to get rid of mental diseases.

 “It was like a nightmare if you are targeted all the time for anything beyond your control”, said a young girl Surajmuni who was epileptic once and found relief with regular treatment at this camp. This helped her to get a job also, she confirms. The mental health camp serves patients not only from Hazaribag but other districts like Koderma, Chatra, Giridih, Dhanbaad also and majority belongs to villages where mental illness is still treated like any stigma.

Mr. Alok Toppo (camp in-charge) has informed about impact of this monthly mental health camp as increasing acceptability for different people in need of support and medical treatment. Dr. Siddharth, Dr. Ajitesh, Dr. Ranjan and Dr. P.  K.  Sinha of RINPAS team provided their consultation to patients.

Orientation Workshop for @Rural Health Service Providers

24 November, Hazaribag: NBJK has organized an Orientation workshop for Rural Health Service Providers, known as RMP (Registered Medical Practitioner) doctors in rural areas popularly. Liver Foundation, West Bengal has supported the endeavor and 27 health service providers from 21 villages of Sadar, Ichak, Daru, Katkamdag and Katkamsandi blocks have participated in the workshop. The program was focused upon better health services by such service providers. It started with welcome address by Md. Nayeem (program coordinator) and Mr. Satish Girija (Secretary, NBJK) has introduced objective of the workshop as an initiative towards betterment of rural health scenario with support of Liver Foundation.

The participant rural medical practitioners have accepted that sometimes cases go wrong and cause problems to patients & their carers due to factors like lack of knowledge, proper diagnosis and medicines. On this occasion, Mr. Swapan Marti, Mr. Arko Sarkar and Mr. Arnav Goswami (Representatives from Liver Foundation) have offered E-learning facility for rural health service providers, which will connect them with Specialist doctors for professional up gradation and quality health services.

The program is free of cost and scheduled to be launched from December 2015. There will be video conferencing for 2 days in every week and within 9 months; it will provide online training for 72 days cumulatively. This will establish a dialogue between two worlds in fact as still our rural population need quality health services, said Mr. Shankar Rana who was conducting the workshop. Such innovative training program for rural health service providers is being experimented in Dumka district of Jharkhand.

LBHC @Children on Diwali# Visit and with Gifts to Smile

11 November, Bodhgaya: The Diwali (Festival of Light) proved special for inmates of Lord Buddha Home for Children, the orphanage run by NBJK with support of Stitching Kinderhulp Bodhgaya (the Netherlands). LBHC children have visited Sambodhi Retreat, a beautiful resort with beach like impression at the bank of Falgu River.

The children have enjoyed swimming pools; parks made inside the campus and visited other spots developed here for tourists. Sambodhi management has sponsored the program and allowed free entry with lunch for them. Sambodhi staffs like Mr. Suvendu Mitra (Operational Manager) and Mr. Rajesh (Support) have guided all 68 children during their visit.  NBJK expresses sincere gratitude to Sambodhi Retreat for support to children.

Under Gift a Smile program by CAF India, LBHC children have received gift items like books, pencils, nutri-drink, washing powder, water purifier etc from online customers with Amazon Company. The children have responded well and conveyed their happiness to supporters.

NBJK Participation in #Project Proposal Training by @Oxfam Patna

26-29 September, Coimbatore: Mr. Prabhu Nath Sharma (Treasurer, NBJK) has participated in the training on Project Proposal Development by Oxfam Patna at Karl Kubel Institute for Development Education, Coimbatore (Tamilnadu). This has introduced about fund raising concepts and any fundable proposal. Mr. Tom Jose (Resource Person) was there to explain integration of log frame as a planning tool with problem/objective & strategy analysis. He enlightened the participants on log frame matrix & impact orientation to know about the contents of a proposal. Mr. Prabhu Nath Sharma has appreciated the training and said about the key learning that contains preparation of a sellable project proposal, details about full clarification, clear picture of activities and input-output-outcome-impact sequence. There were 20 NGOs (09-Jharkhand, 11-Bihar) joined the training over project proposal development for fund raising purpose by Oxfam Patna.

113th Birth Anniversary of Loknayak @Jai Praksh Narayan

11 October’15, Hazaribag: The people of Hazaribag who followed Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and participated in nationwide youth movement of 1974 have celebrated his 113^th birth anniversary in Hazaribag Central Jail now named after J P (as he was known popularly). They offered flowers to the portrait of JP in the cell where he was detained by British government during Quit India movement called by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 and have made a successful escape bid from this jail with his friends.

JP followers have remembered great literator Pandit Rahul Sankrityayan and Dr. Rajendra Prasad (later first president of India) also by visiting their rooms now preserved as a place of historical importance. The JP disciples have organized an all faiths prayer-cum-meeting in the jail and Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) has highlighted over the role of JP in our freedom movement along with restoration of democracy in independent India. Mr. Swaroop Chand Jain (Advocate) has recalled the stormy days of ’74 movement when youths and students stood for common people. Mr. Gautam Sagar Rana and Prof. K P Sharma have placed JP as the mass leader who could earn true love from all.

Many people including social workers and political leaders with different views have participated in the meeting pursued by their stay at JP memorial site at Hazaribag town.  3 members committee was formed to initiate for the JP memorial to be inaugurated on 5 November.