RTCs Gearing Up for Trainees Placement @AxisBank

20-22 February, Ranchi & Ramgarh: NBJK run Rojgar Training Centers are gearing up for placement of their trainees under the Program of Sustainable Livelihood (PSL) with support of Axis Bank Foundation, Mumbai. On 20^th February, a Rojgar Mela or Placement Fair was organized at Hot Lips Banquet Hall, Kanke Road, Ranchi by local RTCs of Hatia and Piska (Ranchi).

Around 150 youths trained in different skills at RTCs of Ranchi, Khunti, Koderma, Deoghar and Ramgarh districts have joined the event as well as 22 employers like Annapurna Finance, Arohan Finance, DigiCall, Videocon, Excel Data Services, Akash Enterprises, Excel International, ANI Com, Eureka Forbes, Bread & Butter etc have sent their HR people there to select eligible workers. Mr. Satish Girija (Secretary, NBJK) and Mrs. Sujata Prasad (Program Manager) have graced the Mela with their presence by facilitating the process. Most of the concerned center coordinators, faculties and placement officers were present to support pass out trainees and more than 100 youths have been shortlisted for different positions by the companies.

On 22 February, RTC, Ramgarh has organized Certificate Distribution Ceremony for about 200 pass out trainees of 1^st and 2^nd batch after completion of their courses in trades like BCA, BSPA, Computer Hardware, Mobile Repairing and Beautician. On 18 Feb, BSPA trainees of the same center have got an opportunity for exposure visit at local hospitals/nursing homes with their faculty Mrs. Sahodara Kerketta to know more about the job they seek. Mrs. Sujata Prasad (PM) has informed that the PSL has contributed various job oriented skills to 5734 youths, ensured placement for 2076 and 1431 pass outs are self-employed within the period of Oct’14 – Feb’16.

Capacity Building Training for Carers Groups @Carers Worldwide

Hazaribag, 26 – 29 February: NBJK, Sacred (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh) and Samuha Samarthya (Koppal, Karnataka) – the organizations working with Carers groups have joined hands under auspices of Carers Worldwide and Commonwealth Foundation, UK to participate in the 2^nd phase Partners Training on “Skills for Facilitating Group Process to Empower Carers”. These VOs have promoted the people who care for their family members eclipsed by physical, mental or geriatric challenges by organizing them in groups after an extensive field survey and trying to engage such groups with livelihood or other activities for their empowerment.

The training was participated by staff members and Carers representatives associated with the program of Caring Carers, appreciated widely for its new approach coined by Dr. Anil Patil, (Founder & CEO of Carers Worldwide). He inaugurated the training and briefed about understanding of group dynamics & process, counter mechanism for inter-group conflict, attitude for group work, skills for leadership and advocacy as the objectives to add something positive in lives of the carers. Dr. Patil has informed about Carers groups supported under MNREGA in Karnataka and Andhra and their issues being raised during Gram Sabha meeting in villages of Hazaribag to sensitize our society towards carers. These are like Change Agents to make our family or society more humane and deserve a lot of importance, pointed out Mr. Ramakrishna Surdeo (Org. Dev. Trainer) while introducing the program. Mr. Manoj Puttur (Program Officer, Carers worldwide India) has praised these silent and hidden people always busy in caring of their dependents and referred to Community Caring Centers by Sacred, Andhra Pradesh to strengthen Carers movement.

Out of 30 participants in the training, most of them were women and covered such a long journey besides caring of their children or reliant. NBJK team involving Mr. Rajiv Singh, Md. Nayeem, Mrs. Vimla Rana, Mrs. Pratima Devi and others was responsible to organize this interstate training on Carers issue.

Outing for Deafblind Children @SenseInternatl

18 February, Hazaribag: 30 children suffering from deafblindness and multi sensory impairments have enjoyed an outing at Swarnjayanti Park and cafeteria inside with their parents or carers. The picnic was organized under Services to Deafblind Children program with support of Sense India, Ahmedabad for such children of Hazaribag and Ramgarh districts.

They were provided shoes on the occasion by Plan India and became happy to get the gift. All the children have shared glad moments together as playing games, making drawings and celebrating their arrival at slides, swings or with wonderful toy train in a caring milieu. There was a group feast and parents meeting that offered mutual interaction and a feeling of solidarity among people with difference for accustomed neighboring world. Md. Nayeem (Program Coordinator) met children and parents and called them extraordinary people deputed by the Almighty to serve special children. He appreciated their patience and trust that gives NBJK an opportunity to serve such children.

NBJK works with 90 deafblind and MSI children in 3 blocks of Hazaribag, Ramgarh and Ranchi districts. They get functional/clinical assessment, home/center based services for cognition, motor, language and communication through ADL, O & M, FRW, physiotherapy, sign language, IGAs, parents/carers training, events and outings. The outing was arranged by a team of Mr. Abhay Kumar (PC, Ramgarh), Mr. Mukesh Kumar (Physio), Mr. Parasnath Mahto, Mr. Mukesh Mahto (Special Educators), Mrs. Indu Gupta, Mrs. Tanuja Khatun, Ms Rashmi Parween and others.

Outcome and Impact Orientation for VOs @bread4theworld

15-19 February, Hazaribag: NBJK has organized a 5 days residential training for VOs across Jharkhand and Bihar on project management under the program of Support to Small Initiatives facilitated by Bread for the World (Germany). The VOs are associated with small projects in their areas to ensure food security and livelihood to families identified through survey and have attended previous phase of the same orientation training by ASK, Gurgaon in Sep’15.

The training has covered issues like development of monitoring system to assess project related changes, field visit, capacity building and strengthening of network including review of the earlier instructions. Mr. Prakash Layak (Resource Person) has briefed the trainees that changes are more important than the activities and those can be established by data we can collect and analyze. He discussed about compulsion of result based work plan, work evaluation & reporting as well as synchronization with other schemes on food security and livelihood promotion from government or non-government sectors. Food security can be achieved by introducing new means of livelihood in rural areas as we are doing already, pointed out Mr. Dinesh Kumar Dev from Akhil Bhartiya Samajik Swasthya Sangh, a partner VO  working with 80 beneficiaries in Gogri and Choutham blocks of Khagaria district (Bihar) under the program.

27 VOs from Ranchi, Ramgarh, Chatra, Hazaribag, Giridih, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Koderma, Patna, Gaya, Bhojpur, Saaran, East Champaran, Nalanda, Nawada, Madhubani, Khagaria, Jamui districts from both the states have participated in the training coordinated by Mr. Rajeev Singh (Program Manager) and Mr. Shankar Rana (Asst. PM).

Tailoring Training and Sewing Machines to Women @UshaIntl

8 February, Hazaribag: A week long residential training for 20 rural women from Chandwara (Koderma) and Churchu (Hazaribag) blocks has been started under Usha Silai School program with support of Usha International Ltd. They will get training for sewing machine maintenance, repair and a refresher outlook for tailoring job within the period with help of master trainers from Usha Company.

Mr. Ritesh Lohani (program officer, Usha International Ltd.) has informed about next training and machine distribution at Dumka during 16 – 22 February with NBJK for 18 women from Jarmundi, Kathikund, Raneshwar, Shikaripara (Dumka) and Maheshpur (Pakur) blocks. All the trained women will open Usha Silai School to provide paid tailoring training to neighborhood girls/women at their villages as a dignified and convenient means for livelihood on part time mode. Usha trainers’ team is comprised by Mrs. Sangeeta Jaiswal, Mr. Mannendra and Mr. Kamal.

There are 1941 Usha Silai Schools functional in Jharkhand and Bihar under the program by NBJK with Usha International Ltd and these schools have produced more than 10 thousand skilled girls and women for tailoring.                        

Review Meeting of Rights to PWDs Program @ActionVillagein

7 February, Hazaribag: Review meeting with Hazaribag district program team and DPO (disabled people’s organization) members was held under Rights to PWDs program with support of AVI-BLF, UK. The program runs in Sadar, Churchu, Ichak and Katkamsaandi blocks in the district. The meeting was vital in presence of Mr. Ivan C. Nutbrown, Mrs. Kathleen Siddle and Mr. Anthony T. Mortlock (all from AVI-BLF, UK) while Mr. Satish Girija (Secretary, NBJK) has welcomed the participants and maintained for proper education to children with disabilities as well as active DPOs to promote self-reliance among PWDs.

All they discussed over baseline survey in 365 villages, certification of identified PWDs, their access to entitlements and strengthening of DPOs under the program started from July’15. The staffs have shared their views upon survey experience in remote-naxal prone villages, government facilities to PWDs, their awareness level and activities of DPOs. Also they mentioned about the case of Ruby Kumari, a challenged girl student facilitated for college admission/hostel accommodation and the initiative by Katkamsaandi DPO for marriage support to youth members suffering from social boycott as success stories under the program. K’saandi DPO office bearers like Mr. Govind Mehta (president), Murli Manohar Gupta (secretary) and Santosh Kumar (treasurer) have got opportunity to elaborate their work before the visitors.

The people living with challenges and discriminations are within focus and strengthening of their DPOs is our priority, said Mr. Rajesh Ranjan (state manager, RTPWDs) during the meeting. Mr. Neeraj Gupta (district program manager) has reported about beneficiaries of certification (186), pension (24), railway pass (14), school/college enrollment (42) and self-employment (21) as achievements under the program.

Resolutions amid VHSNC District Federation Meeting @oxfam

28 January, Hazaribag: District federation of Village Health, Sanitation & Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) met on the initiative of NBJK under the program of Strengthening Primary Health and Education with support of Oxfam Patna. The federation has passed resolutions to improve essential health service through government schemes discussed about irregularities in events of VHND (village health & nutrition day) and enhancement of untied fund in proportion of village population. Also VOs representatives and DPM of National Health Mission have enriched the meeting with their views. VHSNCs federation seeks for following changes consensually –

• Regular and timely meeting of VHSNC, expenses of untied fund as per work plan and population wise enhancement in the fund.
• Health checks up, ANM consultancy and dry ration distribution on Village Health & Nutrition Day.
• Regular meeting of VHSNC members and AWC (aanganwadi centre) for better coordination to ensure institutional delivery.
• Coordination for PHC/health sub-centre/CHC, staff & service availability at health centres and community participation to boost up the campaign of institutional delivery.
• Bank account facility for payment to JSY beneficiaries if certified by Mukhiya.
• Inclusion of Identified VOs in hospital management committee to facilitate services and benefits for rural population.

All office bearers, members and invitees have demanded to manage shortcoming of medical staffs, doctors and proper infrastructure in the field and agreed upon issuance of child birth certificate on the ground of birth place. Mrs. Sanju Devi (president), Mr. Shambhu Mehta (member), Mrs. Aarti Devi, Mrs. Nisha Devi, Mrs. Savita Devi, Mrs. Saraswati Devi, Mrs. Ambaree Khatoon, Mrs. Nirmala Devi (all sahiyas/BTT), Mr. Neeraj Bhagat (DPM-NHM) and Mr. Jageshwar Sharma (BPO, Chouparan) were present in the meeting along with VOs representatives like Mr. Satish Girija, Mr. Awdhesh Pandey, Mrs. Meera Kumari, Mr. Ajit Tiwary, Mr. Lakhendra Thakur, Mr. Brijnandan Singh and Mr. Virendra Giri.

NBJK Celebrated 67th Republic Day

Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra has celebrated 67^th Republic Day of the nation at its CO (coordination office), HO (head office) and BOs (branch offices) with full enthusiasm. This began with national flag hoisting ceremony by Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) at CO in presence of staff members, neighborhood children and community.

In a brief address, he saluted all martyrs-freedom fighters of the nation and referred about equality with other fundamental rights of citizens granted by constitution. He praised the democracy adopted by India and appealed all to contribute that as aware voters for development needed to counter growing differences. Mr. Satish Girija (Secretary, NBJK) has greeted all present there and called the day as an opportunity to think as a nation in need to progress together. NBJK was founded with a broad vision of social transformation and committed to people’s empowerment as the tool for such change, he opined. Mr. Abhay Kumar (staff member, Ramgarh) has mentioned about social gaps in the name of caste and religion due to an inert mindset only as our constitution prohibits such acts. The function was charged with the slogans for great leaders voiced by all before the flag.

In the program organized by Hazaribag district administration, NBJK was represented with a tableau on Child Rights. Also NBJK managed schools have celebrated the day much lively.

Interface Meeting on Quality Education @oxfam

21 January, Hazaribag: An interface meeting among office bearers of district level federation for School Management Committees (SMCs), member representatives from voluntary sector and the nominee of DSE (district superintendent of education) office was held under the program namely Strengthening of Primary Health & Education with support of Oxfam Patna. Mr. Satish Girija (Secretary, NBJK) has welcomed all and stressed upon mutual cooperation between community and government for quality school education in rural areas.

After proper discussion, all participants have agreed about new recruitment of school teachers for academic purpose only in proportion with enrolled students, schools with boundary wall, toilets, water/drinking water and sports facilities, one day monthly orientation to students for Baal Sansad activities, increase in school development fund as Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 30,000 for middle & primary school, transparency in fund allocation & quality up gradation for mid day meal, minute of monthly meeting & copy of resolutions by SMCs to concerned education officer and unification of village education committee, mata samiti and SMC as a single entity with authorized bank account for any government school.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Tiwary (representative & media in-charge for DSE office), SMC federation officials like Mr. Amit Kumar Mehta, Mr. Vinod Ram, Mr. Vijay Saw, Mr. Fulesar Ram, Mr. Shiv Kumar Besra, Mr. Pradeep Ram, PRI members Mr. Prem Paswan and Mrs. Parvati Devi including Master Bittu Kumar, Sheetal Kumar and Baby Monika (all Baal Sansad members). VOs were represented by Mr. Awdhesh Pandey (CVUK, Barkattha), Ms. Reeta Kumari (JSK, Hazaribag), Mrs. Meera Kumari (GIDS, Hazaribag), Mr. Harinath Tiwary (LUK, Katkamsaandi) and Mr. Brijnandan Singh (NBJK).

Soft Skill and #Yoga Classes at RTCs @AxisBank

RTCs (Rozgar Training Centres) under Axis Bank Foundation-Mumbai supported Sustainable Livelihood Program by NBJK have introduced soft skill classes for youth trainees. After ToT for RTC faculties by Quest Alliance-Bihar in August’15, all 11 centres in 10 districts (Jharkhand) have initiated towards soft skills like time management, SWOT analysis, personality development and communication etc of their students.

RTC at Piska More (Ranchi) has started Yoga classes for youths to keep them fit physically and mentally. It’s significant to add such special classes besides specific trade wise training to prepare them for a competitive job market looking for better candidates always. Currently there are around 1000 youth trainees at centres of Hazaribag, Koderma, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Khunti, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Dumka, Deoghar and Giridih.

During Oct – Dec’15, 1216 pass out trainees have developed their skill through short courses of hardware, software, tailoring, beautician, agriculture, cell phone repairing etc there and 488 have been placed already.  Mrs. Sujata Prasad (programme manager) confirms about training quality up gradation and better learning milieu by introducing soft skills and Yoga classes to RTCs.