The Sammaan Programme of the SBI Foundation, the corporate social responsibility subsidiary of the State Bank of India, has had a significant impact in Gehlaur Village / Panchayat in Bihar’s Gaya District. A visit by Bharat Dogra to the area provided some first-hand evidence of important changes in the lives of women and children brought about by the programme, which is a sort of tribute to Mountain Man Dahsrath Manjhi
The Sammaan Programme of the SBI Foundation, the corporate social responsibility subsidiary of the State Bank of India, seeks to honour freedom fighters as well as more recent pioneers of development initiatives and in this context it initiated multi-pronged constructive efforts in the native village of Mountain Man Dahsrath Manjhi, who was responsible for opening up a pathway between massive mountains, thus improving the villagers’ accessibility to the outside world.
The 18-month programme (which can be extended) is being implemented in Gehlaur Village/ Panchayat in Bihar’s Gaya District with the cooperation of voluntary organisation Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, known as much for its successful development projects as for its capacity development programmes for the voluntary sector.
The children are now a happy lot as can be seen in the picture.
On the education front, a middle-level government school was gifted with five computers and a smart interactive board and projector under the scheme, helping to improve the learning levels of children. The principal says attendance has improved since word got around that computers were being used to impart learning at the school and computer skills were also being taught. Sammaan has also provided for better and cooler drinking water, and teachers say there are fewer complaints of stomach upset. The walls have been embellished with information about the life of Dashrath Manjhi, too. However, there is still scope for improvement, as the school now has only three classrooms, and government funding is needed to expand.
Under Sammaan, an anganwadi (nursery) in the village has been refurbished and toys, educational materials and better seating facilities provided. Murals make it a more colorful and joyful place for children. The water supply under the government’s scheme is very erratic and electricity is another need. These could be the future focus of the project.
A new school has also been set up under the scheme for pre-school children in an area near where the poorest people live, to encourage children to attend. The students seemed very happy with their teacher and the whole experience – when asked how many would like to skip school so that they could sleep longer, not even one hand was raised.
in the village; free sewing classes for women and girls is another initiative, and goats have been provided to nearly 100 women who have a vet to help.
In the health sector, the Sammaan Programme focusses on maternal health in the village. Anupriya, a nurse specialising in this sphere, provides timely advice and distributes nutritious food. She accompanies pregnant women to the nearest hospital for check-ups and also at the time of delivery. A 24/7 ambulance service to take expectant women to hospital has also been provided.
Free sewing classes for women and girls is another initiative. While most of the 60 girls trained so far, including several from the poorest communities, take up part-time sewing work, a few have started their own shops. Some of the women said they would like to pick up some computer literacy as well, while others were interested in training as beauticians – all indications of winds of positive change in remote villages such as Gehlaur.
Goats have been provided under this programme to nearly 100 women and they are supported further by a trained pashusakhi or village-level veterinary doctor. A gram seva kendra (village service centre) has been set up very close to the panchayat office to disseminate information regarding various government schemes, help people do the documentation for these schemes, and make available the necessary printouts and photocopies at subsidised rates.
Photo: Wikipedia.
Under Sammaan, efforts are also being made to create spaces where youth can meet and exercise. There are plans to set up a library and reading room as well. A youth organisation was envisaged, but as several of the enthusiastic youth had to migrate for jobs due to economic compulsions, this did not have the expected success. While the Sammaan Programme has made valuable contributions, the results so far have also brought out the need for wider and more community-based efforts, which hopefully can be initiated in an extended phase of the programme.
Note: Dashrath Manjhi (1934-2007, also known as Mountain Man, was an Indian labourer from Gehlaur Village, near Gaya in the eastern state of Bihar. When his wife died in 1959 after falling from a mountain and getting injured, and due to the same mountain blocking easy access to a nearby hospital in time, Manjhi decided to carve a 110-metre-long, 9.1-metre-wide, 7.7-metre-deep path through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and a chisel. After 22 years of work, he shortened travel between the Atri and Wazirganj Blocks of Gaya District from 55 km to 15 km. He travelled to New Delhi to get recognition of his work and was rewarded by then Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In 2016, Indian Post issued a postage stamp featuring Manjhi. (Courtesy: Wikipedia.)
(The writer is a senior freelance journalist and author who has been associated with several social movements and initiatives. He lives in New Delhi.)
from Webdoux