#NBJK/AVIPartnersForumProgram @ActionVillageIn

05 – 13 March 2018, Hazaribag: United Kingdom based Gandhiaite Organization Action Village India has called it’s Partners Forum meeting at NBJK, Hazaribag. NBJK is one among it’s partners in India with ASSEFA (Karnataka), Stri Shakti (Jharkhand), CRUSADE (Tamilnadu), DAC Trust (Tamilnadu), Ekta Parishad (Odisha) and Kerala Gandhi Samarak Nidhi (Kerala). AVI supports varoius community development projects being implemented by these VOs and partners with NBJK for Rights to PwDs programme in 5 districts of Jharkhand and Bihar.

AVI Partners Forum meeting was initiated with welcome address by Mr. Girija Satish (President, NBJK) who briefed about NBJK activities towards integrated development with Education, Health, Livelihood, Support to small NGOs, Advocacy-networking & governance. He said that schemes or issues by government/funding agencies needs people’s views instead of imposing ideas. In India we need a strong anti-liquor law, less rituals, gender equality, irrigation & price support to farmers, simple regulations for non-govt. input to education & health and other systemic reforms, he explained.

Later on all the partners have presented about their activities including AVI supported programs. There was a special session led by Mr. Anand Abhinav on CSR in India, related law, fundraising from individuals and other concerned aspects. The representatives of AVI and partners have visited villages and small VOs covered under programs like Rights to PwDs, Support to Small NGOs, Girls Education Sponsorship by NBJK and Stri Shakti. AVI team members have visited LNJP Eye Hospital at Chouparan and Lord Buddha Home for Chilldren at Bodhgaya also. They were greeted warmly by orphan children at LBHC and impressed by the cultural program staged on this occasion.

This meeting became important with the farewell ceremony for Mr. Ivan Nutbrown (Head, AVI), now replaced by Ms Anna Griffiths and Ms Esther Trienekins from his active role. He was presented a memento from all partner organizations. The people present in this partner forum meeting were Messrs Stefan Lugo Labiejko, David Smith, Bishnu Priya Swain, Umakant Mahanty, R. Shakthivel, C. Thiyagarajan, V. Tamilselvi, Andy Rutherford, Dr. R. T. P. Rani, S. Radhika, A. Vasantharasan, S. R. Jothi Ramalingam, Rakesh R. S., Caroline Beatty, Libby Blake, Bimla Chandrasekaran, Filman Bakhla, Rajiv Ranjan Sinha, Sujata Prasad, Rajiv Singh and others.