A New Vision: Shri Lakshmi Rana’s Journey to Sight

27 February 2025, Deoghar: Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital, with the support of Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust, has successfully restored the vision of Shri Lakshmi Rana, a 70-year-old resident of Chitoleddaya village, Deoghar district. After struggling with blurred vision for two years due to cataract, Shri Rana has regained his independence and quality of life.

A skilled carpenter in his younger days, Shri Lakshmi Rana’s deteriorating eyesight had left him homebound and entirely dependent on his family. Unable to recognize people or engage in daily activities, he felt isolated and withdrawn. However, his life changed when a free eye screening camp was organized in his village by Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital. His family brought him for a check-up, where he was diagnosed with a cataract in his right eye.

The hospital team ensured he received free surgery, post-operative care, and related services at the base hospital. Following a successful cataract operation, Shri Rana’s vision was restored, enabling him to move freely, resume daily activities, and reconnect with his community. Recently, he attended a village fair—an experience he had not imagined enjoying again.

Expressing his gratitude, Shri Lakshmi Rana shared, “I feel like I have been given a new life. I am deeply thankful to Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital and Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust for restoring my vision and bringing happiness back into my life.”

This initiative is part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to providing accessible and high-quality eye care services to rural communities. By organizing free screening camps and offering cataract surgeries at no cost, the hospital aims to eliminate preventable blindness and improve the lives of many more individuals like Shri Lakshmi Rana.

Restoring Sight, Restoring Life: The Story of Smt. Mahadevi

24 February 2025, Deoghar: NBJK run Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital, Deoghar, in collaboration with Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust (NMB Trust), is making a profound impact on lives through accessible eye care. One such beneficiary is Smt. Mahadevi, a 66-year-old resident of Chitoleddaya village in Deoghar Sadar block, whose vision was restored through a free cataract surgery.

For the past few years, Mahadevi had been struggling with severe vision impairment, which made daily activities increasingly difficult. Living in a family of six, with her husband Shri Ganga Rana and other members dependent on daily-wage carpentry, seeking specialized eye care seemed beyond their means. As her condition worsened, she found it difficult to recognize people, perform household tasks, and even step outside her home due to the fear of falling.

A turning point came when Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital, Deoghar, organized a free eye screening camp in her village with the support of NMB Trust. Encouraged by her family, Mahadevi attended the camp, where she was diagnosed with cataract in her right eye. Recognizing the urgency of her condition, she was taken to VRB Eye Hospital, Deoghar, for surgery.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship from NMB Trust, Mahadevi underwent cataract surgery free of cost, covering all medical expenses, travel, medicines, food, and post-operative care. The procedure was highly successful, restoring her vision and transforming her life.

Today, Mahadevi leads an independent and confident life. She visits the market, interacts with neighbors, and recently attended the village fair—activities that once seemed impossible. Expressing her gratitude, Mahadevi shared, “I am feeling very happy now. I can see everything clearly, and I am extremely grateful to Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital and Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust for their timely support. They have changed my life.”

This initiative highlights the transformative power of accessible eye care and community-driven healthcare programs. Through its ongoing efforts, Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital, with the support of NMB Trust, continues to bring light into the lives of many, ensuring that vision care reaches those who need it the most.

NBJK & Feeding India Join Hands to Provide Nutritious Meals to Rural Schoolchildren

21 February 2025, Chouparan (Hazaribagh): In a significant step towards ensuring better nutrition and education for children from underprivileged backgrounds, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) has partnered with Feeding India – a Zomato Giveback initiative to provide nutritious breakfast and lunch to students in four schools across the Chouparan block of Hazaribagh district.

The initiative benefits students of Amoli Apurva Primary School (Prajapat Nagar), Amoli Apurva Middle School (Bahera), Amoli Apurva High School (Mangarh), and Chandrakala Devi Daga High School (Kewaliya). These schools, run successfully by NBJK, cater to children from rural communities with poor socio-economic backgrounds. Along with free meals, NBJK also supports these students through scholarships, sponsorships, and free tuition, leading to remarkable academic performance.

Under this initiative, students receive sprouted moong or gram with milk as breakfast and rice, dal, and vegetables for lunch every school day. This has significantly eased the financial burden on parents while encouraging higher student retention. However, due to its designation as an examination center for ongoing Class 10 board exams, Amoli Apurva High School has temporarily paused meal distribution, which will resume mid-next month.

During the past eight days alone, with support from Feeding India, NBJK has successfully served 4,388 meals to students of Amoli Apurva Primary School, Amoli Apurva Middle School, and Chandrakala Devi Daga High School.

Speaking on the initiative, an NBJK representative stated, “Ensuring nutritious food for students not only promotes good health but also enhances their focus and learning capacity. This collaboration with Feeding India is a crucial step towards bridging the gap between nutrition and education.”

This impactful intervention aligns with the broader goal of universal education and zero hunger, paving the way for a healthier and more educated future for Jharkhand’s rural children.

Alumni Meeting Strengthens Bonds and Inspires Future Trainees at Rozgar Training Centre

20 February 2025, Hazaribagh: The SBI Life-supported Rozgar Training Centre successfully hosted an Alumni Meeting on February 19, 2025, bringing together former trainees to celebrate their achievements, share experiences, and inspire current trainees. The event aimed to strengthen the connection between alumni and the training center while fostering networking and collaboration opportunities.

The meeting commenced with a warm welcome from the organizers, followed by an overview of the training center’s milestones and contributions to skill development. Alumni shared their professional journeys, highlighting the practical applications of their training, the challenges faced in their respective fields, and suggestions for enhancing the training programs to better equip future trainees.

Key discussions during the event focused on:

• The impact of skill training on career progression.
• Opportunities and challenges in different professional sectors.
• Recommendations for improving training modules.

An interactive session allowed alumni to engage with current trainees, offering guidance and motivation through real-life success stories. This exchange of knowledge and experiences provided valuable insights for aspiring professionals, encouraging them to pursue excellence in their careers.

The event concluded with a networking session where participants had the opportunity to connect informally, exchange contacts, and explore potential collaborations. Alumni expressed their appreciation to the training center for organizing the event and fostering a strong sense of community among its members.

The Alumni Meeting was highly successful, with attendees valuing the opportunity to reconnect and contribute to the training center’s growth. The event reinforced the significance of alumni networks in building a resourceful and supportive ecosystem, inspiring both past and present trainees to achieve their career aspirations.

Successful Employer-Trainee Meet at NBJK’s Rojgar Training Center

19 February 2025, Hazaribagh: Under the CSR initiative Mission Rojgar by SBI Life, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) successfully organized an Employer-Trainee Meet at its Rojgar Training Center on 18th. The event aimed to bridge the gap between employers’ needs and trainees’ skills, offering insights into career opportunities and skill development.

Prominent organizations such as Arena Multimedia, Max Tailors, Sai Children Nursing Home, and Aura Beauty Salon participated, sharing their workforce requirements and potential employment prospects. The event facilitated networking and collaboration while helping trainees understand employer expectations and explore job and internship opportunities.

Welcoming the participants, Program In-Charge Mr. Rupesh Mallick emphasized the meeting’s objective of aligning skill development with market demands. Employers shared valuable insights on technical and soft skills, market trends, interview preparation, workplace behavior, and available career opportunities.

The participating employers appreciated the initiative, acknowledging its crucial role in developing a skilled and employable workforce. They also expressed their willingness to collaborate with the training center for future recruitment needs.

Trainees actively engaged in discussions, gaining practical guidance on enhancing their skills and applying for potential job openings. Many trainees expressed their eagerness to improve their abilities and pursue available employment and internship opportunities.

Such initiatives continue to play a vital role in fostering collaboration between training institutions and industry, empowering youth for a brighter future.

Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital Expands Outreach with 54 Screening Camps in Remote Areas

18 February 2025, Deoghar: Vimla Ramkrishna Bajaj Eye Hospital (VRBEH), run by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), has taken a significant step in expanding its services to underserved rural communities. Between 21st January and 17th February 2025, the hospital organized 54 eye screening camps across remote areas in the Deoghar, Giridih, Jamui, and Lakhisarai districts of Jharkhand and Bihar.

These camps, held in Deoghar Sadar, Mohanpur, Gawan, Birni, Jamua, Giridih Sadar, Jhajha, Sono, and Lakhisarai Sadar blocks, brought essential eye care services closer to the rural population. A total of 1,068 patients benefited from the initiative, receiving expert consultations and preliminary eye care services near their homes.

Key Impact:

• 502 patients diagnosed with Cataracts
• 26 patients identified with Pterygium
• 252 individuals received treatment for Refractive Errors on the spot
• 134 patients were provided with necessary medications
• 10 patients received follow-up care
• 87 patients referred to the base hospital or nearby vision centers for further treatment

VRBEH’s Vision Centers at Jamua and Jhajha played a pivotal role in this campaign, ensuring seamless coordination and post-camp follow-ups for eye patients.

This initiative has been made possible with generous support from Kotak Securities, Sightsavers India, Naraindas Morbai Budhrani Trust, and Vision Foundation of India. Through their contributions, patients in need receive free Cataract Surgery, medications, care, travel, food, and accommodation, making quality eye care accessible to the most marginalized sections of society.

NBJK extends its heartfelt gratitude to these organizations for their unwavering support in restoring vision and transforming lives. With such efforts, VRBEH remains committed to eliminating preventable blindness and ensuring “Eye Care for All” in the region.

Surajmani Minj: Revolutionizing Traditional Farming with Modern Techniques

15 February 2025, Chanho, Ranchi: In a remarkable transformation, Mrs. Surajmani Minj, a 36-year-old tribal woman from Nawadih-Ganeshpur village in Chanho block, has embraced modern agricultural practices, paving the way for self-sustainability and inspiring her community.

Surajmani, along with her husband and two school-going sons, previously relied on traditional farming methods, facing constant challenges in sustaining her family. However, with the intervention of HDFC Bank-NBJK’s Parivartan: Holistic Rural Development Program (HRDP), her journey took a transformative turn.

Under HRDP, she was introduced to modern farming techniques such as soilless seedlings and drip irrigation, which significantly enhanced her agricultural productivity. With extensive training and support, she successfully adopted these advanced systems, leading to higher efficiency and reduced dependency on harmful chemicals.

A government-provided polyhouse, facilitated through HRDP, enabled Surajmani to cultivate crops in a controlled environment, safeguarding them from adverse weather conditions and pests. This approach resulted in increased crop yields and improved financial stability. Additionally, she diversified her crops, ensuring a more resilient and profitable farming enterprise.

Surajmani’s success extends beyond her farm—she now supplies soilless seedling beds to other farmers and experiments with new seed varieties, further boosting her earnings. Her advocacy for organic fertilizers and natural pest control contributes to environmental conservation and water preservation through drip irrigation.

Her journey from a traditional farmer to a modern, self-sustaining agripreneur is an inspiring example of how strategic interventions and access to technology can drive rural development. Today, she stands as a role model for her community, demonstrating that sustainable and profitable farming is within reach for small-scale farmers.

HDFC Bank-NBJK’s Parivartan: Holistic Rural Development Program continues to empower farmers like Surajmani, reinforcing its commitment to transforming rural livelihoods through innovation and sustainable practices.

Flourishing Fields: Reviving Agriculture and Hope in Gokhuldih Village

12 February 2025, Deoghar: In the heart of Gokhuldih village, Deoghar Sadar block, the lives of farmers Satya Narayan Raut and Jyoti Devi have been transformed through the SBI Gram Saksham project, implemented by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) in collaboration with SBI Foundation.

For years, the couple struggled to sustain their 1.30-acre rain-fed farm, facing water scarcity and an unreliable well that hindered their ability to cultivate crops effectively. Due to insufficient Kharif yield, they had to rely on loans and daily wage labor in Deoghar township for survival.

In 2023, under the SBI Gram Saksham initiative, their well was identified for renovation, significantly enhancing its water retention capacity. With the improved water availability, they were able to irrigate one acre of land, ensuring better farming conditions.

Furthermore, Satya Narayan and Jyoti, along with five other farmers, received an electric motor pump under the project, facilitating efficient irrigation. As a result, they could cultivate Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid crops, ensuring food security throughout the year.

The impact has been profound. The family managed to save ₹30,000, reducing their dependency on daily wage labor. Expressing their gratitude, Satya Narayan shared, “Earlier, there was less water in my well, but after the repair, there is enough water. This has changed our lives.”

The SBI Gram Saksham project, through targeted agricultural interventions, is enabling sustainable farming practices and improving the livelihoods of small farmers across rural Jharkhand. The initiative by SBI Foundation and NBJK continues to empower farmers, fostering self-reliance and economic stability.

Feeding India Provides Nutritious Meals to Students

11 February 2025, Chouparan (Hazaribagh): Feeding India, a Zomato Giveback Initiative, in partnership with Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), successfully provided 3,278 nutritious meals to approximately 1,000 students from February 7 to February 11, 2025. This initiative, aimed at fostering nutrition and education, benefitted students from the following schools:

• Amoli Apurva Primary School, Prajapat Nagar
• Amoli Apurva Middle School, Bahera
• Amoli Apurva High School, Mangarh
• Chandrakala Devi Daga High School, Kewaliya

As part of the initiative, students were served healthy and balanced meals, including sprouted moong/gram with milk for breakfast and rice, pulses, vegetables, and khichdi-chokha for lunch. This endeavor not only nourishes children but also enhances their educational experience by ensuring they receive the sustenance required for active learning.

In addition to daily meals, deprived girls studying in these schools receive educational sponsorship support from generous donors. Feeding India further strengthens their journey by providing essential nutrition, thereby reinforcing a commitment to equality, education, and social empowerment.

NBJK extends heartfelt gratitude to Feeding India and all benevolent donors for their unwavering support in making a difference in the lives of these children. This collaborative effort continues to uphold the values of fraternity and social upliftment through nutrition and education.

The Rise of Differently-Abled Youth: Self-Reliance through NBJK Training

04 February 2025, Hazaribagh/Ranchi: The disability training program run by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) at Amrit Nagar, Hazaribagh, and Shantaman Nagar, Ranchi, has achieved remarkable success in empowering differently-abled youth. Launched in August 2024, this initiative is a collaborative effort with Bangalore-based Cheshire Disability Trust and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank to equip participants with essential computer skills, desktop publishing (DTP), sign language, communication, and life skills.

This one-month residential training program has significantly expanded employment opportunities for its trainees. According to NBJK Secretary Satish Girija, the goal is to train 200 differently-abled individuals by March 2025 and provide livelihood opportunities to at least 140. So far, the initiative has made considerable progress: the Hazaribagh center has trained 88 individuals, with 43 securing jobs, while the Ranchi center has trained 78 individuals, with 43 successfully employed across various sectors.

The impact of this training is evident in the transformation of numerous lives. Four hearing-impaired youth trained in Hazaribagh – Roshan Kumar Mandal, Rahul Kumar, Joy Robin, and Satyam Dev – have recently been offered apprenticeships at Tata Motors, Jamshedpur, with two more trainees expected to secure jobs soon. Additionally, locomotor-impaired Nova Kumari is now employed at Wipro, Kolkata, while Pramila from Latehar has secured a job at a petrol pump near her home after completing her training in Ranchi.

Other success stories include Khirgaon resident Ali Imam, who is now working at a motor binding shop near Mahavir Sthan, Anil Prasad, who has secured employment at Ujjivan Bank’s Hazaribagh branch, and Gufran Khan from Ranchi, who is working as an office assistant at a local hotel. Another trainee from Ranchi, Raza Hussain Ansari, is now employed at an ICICI Bank branch in Kolkata.

Currently, the sixth batch of training is underway at the Hazaribagh center with 15 hearing and mobility-impaired trainees, while the fifth batch at the Ranchi center consists of 22 participants. Expressing enthusiasm for the program’s success, NBJK Secretary Satish Girija emphasized that this completely free, short-term vocational and residential training is empowering differently-abled youth toward self-reliance. He urged eligible individuals to take advantage of this opportunity to become financially independent and self-confident.

For more information, interested candidates can contact NBJK’s training centers in Hazaribagh and Ranchi on 8877219001, 7004783223.