Vinita Minj (Mental Health)

Vinita Minj (48) lives in Palmee village of Semra Gadarpo panchayat in Bhandra block of Lohardagga district. Her husband Biriya Oraon and three children (2 sons, 1 daughter) live with her. Biria is a Para teacher and Vinita is an attendant in the government middle school at their own village. They earn around Rs. 7000 per month and live a better life now.

12 years before, Vinita was not like today. She was mentally ill. She left her home, husband and even children; youngest was of 8 months only. She was a transformed person with extreme anger, filthy words, and suicidal tendency. People have chained her after traditional treatment by local ojha-gunees.

Only after intervention under community mental health program by LGSS (partner organization), she was taken to RINPAS and proper medical assistance reached to her.

The field staff has identified Vinita. It was hard to convince tribal people and to shift their mindset. But he met her family members, particularly husband Biriya Oraon and finally an unchained Vinita went to Kanke.

Her personal problem started with financial crisis when Biriya was separated by his brother and at last by parents also. At that time, Biriya and Vinita-both were unemployed. Those were days of acute hardship and even food shortage. Vinita could not see her small children in distress and became mentally disturbed. In-laws have symbolized the situation for her and became immediate reason behind untimely death of her academic aspiration also. She was an intermediate passed woman who wished to do any job but pushed under opposite circumstances. Domestic quarrel made it difficult to think further and Vinita was so much exhausted that she used to treat everyone as stranger, did not recognize her husband during peak of her illness.

After specific and regular treatment at RINPAS for 4 years, Vinita became fully normal and with due course of time, her family dispute ended. Husband Biriya Oraon got a job of para teacher and a share in family property. Vinita was called by the headmaster of village school to work as a paid helper. Rest of the work is a result of her own nature as she is always simple, honest and caring to others.