SPPS Students Crack CBSE with Flying Colors

The students of NBJK run Surekha Prakashbhai Public School have scored 100% result in class X under Central Board of Secondary Examination, New Delhi. There were 62 students appeared this year for the examination conducted by CBSE and all have made their school proud of them. Three students namely Ankit Kumar Singh, Aman Raaj and Nancy Jain have achieved 10 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average). While Pinky Kumari & Rupesh Kumar (9.8), Ankit Raaj (9.2), Anuranjan (8.8), Jaikishor Kumar (8.6), Rimy Chatterjee, Imteyaz Khan, Ankit Kumar, Himanshu Kumar, Chandrashekhar Kumar, Shilpy Kumari and Shruti Kumari have enriched the list of high fliers. Mrs. Rina Padey (Principal, SPPS) has congratulated all the students and their parents on behalf of the school family and expected for better performance by the students in future. She praised the teachers and NBJK leadership for support with team spirit. Mr. Girija Satish (ED, NBJK), Mr. Gandharv Gaurav (Program Director) and the school teachers like Mr. Indrajit Sharma, Mr. Ajit Pandey, Mrs. Kanchan Gupta, Ms Neha Kachchap with others have extended their best wishes to the outgoing batch. Surekha Prakashbhai Public School has introduced Plus 2 classes also from current academic session and contributes to affordable as well as quality education within reach of the rural community at Chouparan block in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand.

Biometric Attendance System at NBJK Coordination Office

NBJK has introduced a Biometric Attendance System for its Coordination Office at Amrit Nagar, Hazaribag from May’15. All staffs have been instructed to make entry of their thumb impression for incoming & outgoing movements. They report for arrival during 9 – 9.30 AM to register daily attendance, for departure & arrival during 1 – 1.30 PM at lunch time and for exit in between 5 – 5.30 PM at end of the work day. This allows Microcredit field staffs for late entry at 2 -2.30 PM and includes local travel with all outside movements of employees as per the rule. Mr. Mithilesh Kumar (Office Manager) has informed about various features of the biometric system before all staffs of C. O. and demonstrated about the functioning. He believes in smooth dealing of the affairs now and confirmed about all time personalized data on hand to finalize salary, pay-roll and other monthly calculations. In the field of advanced electronic identification, automation and tracking products & services, The Biometric Access Control System is a professional fingerprint access and time attendance control system that uses fingerprint, voice guidance, attendance record, fingerprint update and data communication. This can be applied widely in confidential places for its easy installation and high security.

Microcredit, Hazaribag Observes Annual Review Meeting

Microcredit department of NBJK, Hazaribag has organized its annual review meeting on 15 – 16 May. This had an agenda to analyze the achievements of the program for the year 2014 – 15 and to agree on the target to be reached during current fiscal year. The meeting was attended by all 22 members of the program team for Sadar I, Sadar II, Ichak, Barkagaon and Chouparan blocks of Hazaribag district. Mr. Sudhir Kumar Upadhyay (Program Manager) has welcomed all participants, greeted them for their works on the ground and made them aware of various challenges emerging from the field. He has warned about Multi-lending practice by the groups when they avail credit from different agencies at a time and couldn’t do justice with the resources available due to overlapping and collision of business plans. The review meeting was graced by Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) who expressed his concern over the problem of regulations for MFIs and cited for a clear legal framework to avoid any misunderstanding. He awarded Mr. Shivnath Rana (Credit Officer, Sadar block) as all-round best performer of the year, Mr. Ajay Kumar Gupta (Credit Officer, Ichak block) for highest growth rate and Mr. Naveen Kumar Mishra (Credit Officer, Chouparan block) for best group structure & record keeping. Its worth mentioning that the program has covered 4435 members of SHGs and JLGs with a total disbursement of Rs. 8.65 crore with 99.9% repayment rate. We are all set to dispense Rs. 9.86 crore among the groups this year, Mr. Sudhir Upadhyay has informed after the meeting that discussed over monetary policy of RBI, MUDRA Bank and other related developments too.

On Rights to People with Special Needs

With a result oriented intervention over the issue of rights to people challenged by physical or mental impairments, NBJK has focused upon mobilization of PWDs, their certification and entitlements during the period from July’09 to June’13 in 5 districts of Jharkhand – Bihar. This innovative program was implemented among 32000 identified PWDs, ensured disability certificates for 29860 such people and pension or other benefits to 17000 of them with support of AVI & DFID, UK. The program has got an extension for next 3 years from May’15. The newly appointed program manager Mr. Mohit Gupta has briefed about it’s continuation to strengthen the process initiated by NBJK earlier. By accessing their rights, more challenged people can be a part of the change initiated with a fresh baseline survey in 500 new villages under 20 blocks of Hazaribag, Koderma, Giridih, Nawada and Gaya districts. The program will ensure selection & training of 100 volunteers, issuance of 15000 new certificates, entitlements to 19000 PWDs, formation of 250 SHGs & 75 DPOs, self business promotion for 1000 challenged people, skill training to 1000 PWDs, service to 4000 visually / hearing impaired children, awareness events in 300 schools and many more within the time to come. Every district has a team of 11 members including 8 field staffs, 2 block coordinators and a district coordinator to look after the program smoothly. Now we are reviving our field contacts and 33 certifications have been reported at the camp by DDRC, Hazaribag on 15 May.

Cultural Show-case by Orphan Children

The children of Lord Buddha Home for Children, Bodhagaya have come forward with self composed lyrics and music under Show-case program organized on 13 May with support of Manzil Mystics, a local group on arts & culture. A team of the group has worked hard for two days with children for the program and facilitated them for an excellent exposure by using their own talent. All the exercise was to imbibe some valuable traits of self respect, confidence, leadership, farsightedness and discipline for personality development among them through the mystic tool of music. LBHC children have liked this new experiment and performed amazingly during the show. They put words, made musical accents and impressed the audience by their flair. The show was anchored by Mr. Tripurari P. Singh (Asst. Program Coordinator, NBJK – Bodhgaya) who welcomed the guests and dignitaries. Mr. Shamshul Akhtar (Karuna Shechen), Mr. Amrendra Kumar (Nalanda), Dr. Abhishek Mrinal (Lions Club) and Mr. Santosh Kr. Sinaha (Gyan Bharti) have graced the event and encouraged the children to present their learning on the dais. The program was coupled with prize distribution and citation for 12^th batch apprentices of Rozgar Training Centre running inside the campus of LBHC for rural youths. Mr. Nitesh Kr. Sharma, Jasveer, Anshu Raaj, Santosh Pandey, Anant Rohit, Minhaz Ansari and Ajay Kumar have contributed a lot to make the events successful.

Refresher Training for Rozgar Staffs

2 days Refresher training for faculties, mobilizers and placement officers working at all 9 RTCs (Rozgar Training Centers) in 8 districts of Jharkhand by NBJK with support of Axis Bank Foundation, Mumbai has commenced on 28 April at NBJK Coordination office, Amritnagar, Hazaribag. This was focused upon uniformity in documentation, curriculum, study material and process of their functioning. Mrs. Sujata Prasad (Program Manager, RTCs) said that due to multiple courses and a large number of trainees, such exercise is needed for the project team.

She has informed about skill development training on computer software / hardware, BPO, cell phone repair, bedside patient attendants, driving, electrician, beautician, tailoring etc. for around 1400 youths and placement for roughly 500 among them within last 4 months after opening of the RTCs at Ranchi, Khunti, Ramgarh, Hazaribag, Koderma, Devghar, Dumka and Jamshedpur.

Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) too has joined a session and provided important tips for ease and practicability within modus-operandi of RTCs. There were 55 participants on the first day of Refresher training.

Training for Carers’ Project Team

NBJK staffs have attended 3 days training during 17 – 19 April on Organization & Advocacy for Carers Empowerment by Carers Worldwide, UK at Bangalore. The main purpose of this training was to emphasize the strategic need of Carers Movement to address the issues Carers are facing in their regions. Other two participant organizations were SACRED from Andhra Pradesh and SAMUHA SAMARTHYA from Karnataka; work over the issues of Carers like NBJK with Carers Worldwide. Dr. Anil Patil (Founder & ED, Carers Worldwide) has shared his concern for the people, who care for their family members with mental illness, disability, old age or any other illness but become losers of employment, education, health and social contacts for themselves. He said that there are no organizations in India, Nepal, Bangladesh or South Africa working specifically among Carers to address their needs. From NBJK, Mr. Rajeev Singh (Team Leader) has informed about baseline survey, identification of 828 Carers (97% women), formation of their SHGs (58 nos.) and expectations from their side. The training has facilitated the participants to reflect on their activities, to understand their role for working with the carers & federations, strategies / process of advocacy and towards the goal of Carers Movement. Mr. Ramakrishna was the resource person and there were 14 participants in the training who prepared plan of actions on behalf of partner VOs. NBJK associates Carers Worldwide in the program upon Carers launched at Hazaribag for the period of Oct’14 – Sep’17.                                                                          

More Facilities for Children

NBJK managed schools of Chouparan and Churchu blocks in Hazaribag district (Jharkhand) are gearing up with new class rooms and toilets for their growing number of students. Er. Pawan Lal Gupta (branch manager-cum-civil engineer, NBJK) has updated about Surekha Prakashbhai Public School, Bahera (Chouparan), where 2 class rooms (20’x20’) and 2 separate toilets for boys & girls have been constructed. In Amoli Apurva Primary School, Bahera (Chouparan), 2 class rooms of 15’x30’ and 2 toilets became ready now with support from Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, Mumbai. There is a plan to erect boundary wall around the school also. Another class room of 30’x20’ size was built at Roshni Dhruv High School (Churchu) and we are going to start a rich library at LBHC (Lord Buddha Home for Children), Bodhgaya soon, Er. Gupta has added. He said about NBJK’s plan to make the building of Komal Pujan English Medium Public School at LBHC which will make the Home as a center for all-round community development. Currently it provides vocational training for youths at RTC (Rozgar Training Center) and runs health & dentistry centers in own premises those serve people of 40 villages scattered  around LBHC located in village Silaunja, Bodhgaya. It’s noteworthy that Amazon Company has supported children of the Home with books, toys and many useful items for them. These orphan children have achieved good result in their annual school examination and one can support such a child to meet her/his  school fee/dress/ transportation  for a year by donating Rs. 12000 to Lord Buddha Home for children.

Training to NGOs on Office Management, Documentation and Government Schemes

NBJK has organized capacity building training for small, inexperienced NGOs of Bihar/Jharkhand on office management, documentation and government schemes from 12 – 19 March. The training for 93 NGOs from both the states was organized under Support for Small Initiatives program funded by BFW, Germany. This program aims for strengthening of small VOs under network of Swaichhik Manch, promoted by NBJK for sustainability and adoption of proper work culture among its members. During the training held for representatives of 45 VOs from Bihar on 12-15 March, Mr. Rajiv Kr. Singh (program manager) has discussed over organizational profile, proposal writing, implementation strategy and presentation. Mr. Pravesh Singh (Asst. Manager-Finance) has covered the topics like 12A, FCRA, TAN, PAN, society act, EPF, different registrations, TDS along with attendance, tour & leave/fixed asset, purchase & stock registers, project & general files etc. while legal aspect of FCRA was explained by Mr. Sanjay Sinha (Finance Manager). The trainees were provided detail information on various government schemes like Antyodaya, Annapurna, PDS, NRGA, NRLM etc. to facilitate social security among target beneficiaries in villages. They worked out over issues and shared problems in the group to find out practical suggestions. Second phase of the training was scheduled during 16-19 March for 48 VOs from Jharkhand on the same theme with participation of their secretaries or senior staff members. Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) too has visited the trainees and shared his views to tackle obstacles before the sector.