Sumant Kumar: From Orphan to Aspiring Horticulturist

17 March 2023, Silaunja (Bodhgaya): Sumant Kumar’s news is one of resilience, determination, and hope. Born and raised in a small village- Teshwar, post-Itwan, police station-Mohanpur, district-Gaya in Bihar, India, Sumant lost his parents at a young age and had to rely on the care of his older siblings. However, when a well-wisher suggested that he be sent to NBJK run Lord Buddha Home for Children (LBHC), Sumant’s life took a dramatic turn for the better.

At LBHC, Sumant was able to receive the care, education, and support he needed to thrive. He learned valuable skills such as music, dance, and computer literacy, and was able to pursue his dream of obtaining a higher education. Now, Sumant is pursuing a Master’s degree in Horticulture at Sikkim University and has completed a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Himgiri Zee University in Dehradun.

However, Sumant has not forgotten his roots. He remains grateful to LBHC and all of those who have supported him throughout his journey. He plans to use his education to support his family and LBHC, and to give back to those who have helped him along the way.

As supporters of LBHC, we have the opportunity to help young people like Sumant to achieve their dreams. By donating to LBHC, we can provide essential resources such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare to vulnerable children in need. We can give them the chance to break the cycle of poverty and create a better future for themselves and their communities.

Join us in supporting LBHC and the children it serves. Your donation can make a significant impact on the lives of young people like Sumant, who have the potential to achieve great things with the right support. Let’s work together to create a brighter future for all.

Donate now to support LBHC and the children it serves.

Eye Screening Camps at Villages, Vision Restoration to Cataract Patients

16 March 2023, Giridih-Jamui-Deoghar: NBJK run Vimla Ramkrishna Eye Hospital, Deoghar has organized nine eye screening camps & follow up visits at Jaridih, Dhanotand, Beyadih, Palra, Balthar, Murkhari, Kawar, Jarwadih, Kanan villages of Birni, Jamua, Sono blocks of Giridih and Jamui districts. Apart from this, it’s Vision Centre with support of Sightsavers at Bengabad block in Giridih district does provide eye checkup facility to local patients.

The outreach camps have ensured community awareness & household screening in rural pockets with absence of any eye care service. These provided free of cost eye examination to villagers on the spot and they underwent cataract surgeries at VRBEH. The patients were brought to the hospital, availed food, stay, operation, medicines, glasses, and follow up medical support as well as taken back to their homes also. We are grateful to Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust and SBI Foundation those supported the initiative to save poor people from avoidable blindness.

Within the period of 07-15 March 2023, these screening camps have ensured eye checkup for 213 persons, 96 found with Cataract, 26 with Refractive Error, 03 with Pterygium while 01 was suffering from DCR. During the camps, medicines have been provided to 37 patients and 16 have benefitted by follow up service too.    

Training on Eye Health Awareness for Community Health Workers

15 March 2023, Hazaribagh: Under joint auspices of Sightsavers supported Rural Eye Health Programme by NBJK and NCD Cell of Hazaribagh Sadar Hospital, one day training upon Eye Health Awareness was organized for community health workers, ANMs & ophthalmic assistants.

The training held at ANMT Training Centre of Sadar Hospital and covered various topics like eyes’ anatomy, their caring, causes-symptoms-treatment of diseases like Cataract, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, Pterygium etc and referral points like Sadar Hospital and NBJK run LNJP Eye Hospital, Bahera (Chouparan, Hazaribagh) for proper curative measures.

Mrs. Manjula Tigga and Mrs. Prabha Vilung (Ophthalmic Assistants at Vishnugarh & Barkagaon CHCs respectively) were the trainers those insisted on building a common strategy to make Hazaribagh district as Cataract-free soon.

Also Dr. Rajesh Kumar Gupta (DLO, Hazaribagh), Mr. Kirti Rawat (DPC-REH) and health workers from District NCD Cell were present on the occasion.

Total 48 community health workers from 16 blocks of the district have participated in the training.

Accessible Eye Healthcare Empowers Women

14 March 2023, Jhajha (Jamui, Bihar): Mrs. Pobiya Devi, a 68-year-old traditional delivery assistant/midwife from Dhamna village in Jamui, Bihar, was unable to earn a living due to her failing eyesight caused by cataracts. However, thanks to the support of NBJK run Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital (VRBEH), Deoghar and SBI Foundation, Mrs. Devi’s vision was restored, and she was able to resume her work as a midwife with renewed confidence and comfort.

Mrs. Devi’s income was dependent on her skills as a midwife, but unfortunately, her outings were reduced due to cataracts. Her poor socio-economic status made it difficult for her to seek medical attention. However, she came to know about an eye screening-cum-cataract camp organized by VRBEH with the support of SBI Foundation. After her eye check-up, she was told about the cataract, which needed removal surgery.

Despite her initial fear, the medical team at VRBEH assured her of a safe and successful operation. She was offered free travel, stay, food, surgery, medicines and glasses as a sponsored patient by SBI Eye Care, a CSR initiative from SBI Foundation. After the surgery, her eyesight was restored, and she was able to resume her work as a midwife with renewed confidence and comfort.

This achievement highlights the importance of accessible eye healthcare, especially for women who often face significant obstacles due to socio-economic conditions.

VRBEH-SBIF Make Geezerhood Easy

13 March 2023, Sono (Jamui): Mr. Bhuneshwar Majhi (70 years), father-late Giro Majhi, lives at village-Balthar, post-Sono and district-Jamui in Bihar.

He is a landless tiller from SC community, does sharecropping upon 1.25 acre land and arranges food security for nearly six months. Also he works as an agriculture labourer to fulfill family requirements. With diminishing eyesight continuously, Bhuneshwar felt troubled.

Since he needs to go to the fields regularly for agriculture related activities, one day he fell on ground due to low visibility. But Bhuneshwar was unable to guess his real problem of Cataract.

Gradually he stopped his movements and it became difficult to go toilet or to take bath even independently. My life became a burden for me, Bhuneshwar remembers.

One day he heard about the Eye Camp from Mrs. Manju Devi, a member of women’s Self-Help Group in his village. Manju told him about the Eye Screening Camp going to take place at a neighboring village namely Kendua. She informed that NBJK run Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital, Deoghar and SBI Foundation will organize this. She suggested Bhuneshwar to get his eyes checked in the camp and took him there.

He was detected with Cataract. With consent of Bhuneshwar & his family members, VRBEH medical team brought him to the base hospital at Deoghar and removed his Cataract successfully. He availed the facilities like travel, food, stay, surgery, medicines, glasses etc free of cost under SBI Eye Care, a CSR initiative by SBI Foundation through VRBEH, Deoghar. Also he got follow up service from the eye hospital.

Now Bhuneshwar’s vision has been restored completely. He is very happy, encouraged and expects to join his farming works soon.

He expresses sincere gratitude to Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital & SBI Foundation as these enabled him to be active again.

A Seminar on International Women’s Day

11 March 2023, Amrit Nagar (Hazaribagh): Under joint auspices of NBJK & Action Village India, a seminar held on the occasion of International Women’s Day and it was presided by Mr. Swarupchand Jain (Senior Advocate). The seminar started with the lighting of the lamp by AVI representatives Mrs. Jenny, Mr. Ivan Nutbrown, NBJK president Mr. Girija Satish, Mr. Swarupchand Jain and the participating rural women.

While introducing the theme, Mr. Girija Satish welcomed AVI guests, introduced them and said that in our society there was more discrimination between men and women and a tendency to underestimate women couldn’t consider their views properly but now change is coming. Opposing child marriage, he appealed to value the opinions of girls in marriage related decisions and to extend the scope of women’s reservation implemented in Panchayati Raj to Parliament and Legislative Assemblies also. Mr. Girija Satish, referring to NBJK-run girl education, women’s livelihood development programs, said that economic self-reliance has an important role in women’s empowerment.

AVI’s Mrs. Jenny said that 100 years struggle of English women has brought one-third of the women in the Parliament there today. Describing domestic violence against women as a global issue, she emphasized on stopping it and said that big changes are possible with the collective initiative of women. Prof. Lalita Rana, highlighting the condition of Indian women in various periods like pre-Vedic, post-Vedic, medieval, British rule, mentioned the existing laws and said that we need to stay away from illiteracy, superstition, dowry system, conservatism etc.  As discussing the changes, Mr. Ivan considered women’s cricket team, women’s participation in various fields and improvement in their economic status as important.

Former MLA Mr. Gautam Sagar Rana supported inter-caste/inter-religious marriages, urged women to maintain equality between sons-daughters, to oppose the practice of purdah and said that even today women’s labor force does not get the right worth. Expressing happiness over the increasing number of women office bearers in the administrative-judicial circles of Hazaribagh, Dr. P. Mishra welcomed the future change.

Mrs. Meena Devi, who came from village-Rola on this occasion, said that we do not just want respect but also employment. Mrs. Anju Devi from Sakhia village recited a self-composed poem about moving forward on the path of life, mentioning many famous women including late Indira Gandhi. Reminiscing her old days, Mrs. Razia Khatoon, a handicapped woman of Bonga village has talked about her association with tailoring training and livelihood with the help of NBJK. Mrs. Pramila Devi and Ms. Devanti Kumari also placed their views on this occasion.

In the presidential address, Mr. Swarupchand Jain said that now the illusion that daughters are a burden is breaking.

A total of 68 people including most of the women participated in the seminar and Mr. Shankar Rana was conducting the stage. Mr. Rajeev Singh proposed the vote of thanks.

Rashtriya Netra Yagna Contributes to Vision Restoration

05 March 2023, Dumka: Mr. Kalu Dutta, 70 years, lives at village-Pokhariya in Shikaripara block of Dumka district in Jharkhand. He is an old aged person but runs his family of five members actively with help of his son. Kalu Dutta is a small farmer with annual income of Rs. 45,000 only.

He had vision problem for a long time unattended as per assumption of age related factor. But it was growing gradually and halted Kalu’s activities up to an alarming point. He became dependent upon others for even going to toilet or taking bath and became helpless to visit his farm plots. Kalu was much anxious about his future as he lost his eyesight.

When NBJK run LNJP Eye Hospital, Dumka has organized an Eye Screening Camp adjacent to his place and publicized about the event going to be held as Rashtriya Netra Yagna with support of Vision foundation of India, neighbours have suggested Kalu Dutta to go there for eye checkup. Kalu asked his son to accompany him and reached there.

Through checkup, he was identified Cataract in his right eye. He has been recommended for surgery without any cost and the hospital team has brought him to the base hospital at Dumka. Earlier Kalu Dutta hesitated to go there but LNJPEH counsellor made him ready for operation.

After the surgery on 14 February 2023 at LNJPEH-Dumka, he felt the change with a clear vision and got relief from all pre-conceived fears. At the hospital, he has been cared well, got food, medicines, glasses & post-surgery service and became impressed.

Now Kalu Dutta can see without any problem. He joined his daily chores and looks after agriculture work too. The change he admires a lot and thanks Vision Foundation of India-LNJP Eye Hospital, Dumka for such a timely initiative.

World Bank’s Senior Advisor & GoJ Officials Visit at MNSKPCL Operational Area

01 March 2023, Khunti: Murhu Nari Shakti Kisan Producer Company Limited, the apex community institution promoted under Lakhpati Kisan Smart Village programme by NBJK with support of CInI-Tata Trusts, has coordinated the visit of Mr. Rajeev Topno (Senior Advisor & Representative of World Bank) to operational areas of World Bank funded JOHAR Scheme with support of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society.

Mr. Topno was accompanied by Mr. Chhavi Ranjan (IAS & Secretary with the Government of Jharkhand), Mr. Shashi Ranjan (IAS, DC-Ranchi) and Mr. Nitish Kumar (DDC-Khunti).

They visited at villages to assess impact of JOHAR Phase II on 27th February. Mrs. Mukta and the Directors of MNSKPCL have made a presentation over integrated approach of Lakhpati Kisan programme & JOHAR before the visitors.

It’s noteworthy that MNSKPCL is co-opted by JOHAR of JSLPS also.

Learning Materials to Girl Students of Birsa High School, Devkuli

28 February 2023, Devkuli (Ichak, Hazaribagh): Keeping view of coming board exam, 60 girl students of Birsa High School, Devkuli (Ichak, Hazaribagh) have received learning materials.

Mr. Abhay Kumar (Supervisor, NBJK) handed over the support books to the girls and motivated them to concentrate over planned preparation.

Among the beneficiary girl children, 22 girls are from class X, 15 from class IX and 23 are enrolled in class VIII. Mr. Baleshwar Prasad (Principal), Mr. Dashrath Prasad, Mr. Vinay Kumar and Mr. Virendra Kumar Singh (all teachers) were present on this occasion.

It’s significant that 95 girl children from poor socio-economic background are being sponsored by AVI to complete their schooling through Birsa High School.

Training for Usha Silai Local Resource Persons

27 February 2023, Bodhgaya (Gaya): Under Usha Silai School programme by NBJK with support of Usha International Limited, Local Resource Persons’ training held at Lord Buddha Home for Children, Silaunja (Bodhgaya).

LBHC is an organ of NBJK and 19 shortlisted silai school teachers from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have participated in the training.

On 23^rd Feb, the event has been inaugurated by Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) who introduced NBJK and its various programs before the trainees. He mentioned about eleven years’ long collaboration with Usha Iternational and praised Usha Silai School programme as an income oriented, skill based replicable prototype for women empowerment.

Mr. Ritesh Lohani and Mr. Felix Tirkey (Program Managers-UIL, from Bihar & Jharkhand respectively) were trainers. The participants have learnt about different modules of monitoring, organizing and reporting of Usha Silai Schools during this residential training ended on 24^th Feb.