Annual report

1. ANNUAL REPORT - 2014

2. CONTENTS PAGE
NUMBER
Message from the Director 3
Main Activities and Achievements 4-5
Introduction 6
Areas of Intervention 7
Health
 An Overview of Medical Activities 8-10
 Access to Primary Health Care: Shechen Medical Centre in
Bodhgaya, Bihar and Hata in Jharkhand
11-13
 Mobile Clinics in Bihar and Jharkhand 14-16
 Health Education Program (HEP) with Special Focus on Women
Hygiene & Sanitation
17-19
Education
 Early Childcare and Development 20-21
 Support to Primary Education 21-23
 Non-Formal Education (NFE) 24
Environment
 Bodhgaya Clean Environment, Hygiene and Sanitation Program 25
 Solar Electricity 26
 Rainwater Harvesting 27
Sustainable Development
 small money BIG CHANGE 28
 Vocational Training
29-30
 Kitchen Garden
30-31
Other Important Activities and Events 32-34
Annex-Case Study 35-36
2

3. 3
Message from the Director
As Karuna-Shechen India completes 13 years of working towards improving lives of
the under-served population, it is a good time to look back at our achievements and
also forward to a challenging, but exciting, future.
In 2014 we embarked on a number of initiatives - we have successfully extended our
humanitarian assistance to the needy, backward communities in Bihar’s
neighbouring State, Jharkhand; a Third Mobile Clinic has been introduced in
order to provide affordable primary healthcare to those in the districts of
Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Nawada; 4 women have been trained in e-Rickshaw
driving making them Bihar’s first female rickshaw drivers. Our venture to enable
underprivileged women break into a male-dominated profession has earned us
appreciation of the Bihar State Government and brought our efforts into the
limelight. Our new educational program, Role of Play in the Life of a Child, is
helping in the all-round development of 400 young children through various indoor
and outdoor play activities. Besides, we have started our own informal school for
children in Dema and Masuribar who are unable to get primary education.
Apart from these we witnessed several positive experiences and achievements across
our areas of intervention. We have been successful in reaching 80,701 patients in
Bihar and Jharkhand through our OPD and Mobile Clinic services. Our OPD in Bihar
is now open 7 days a week in an attempt to serve maximum possible people.
Through our community-planned and community managed program we have
embarked on our mission to fight open defecation by constructing community toilets
in 4 villages. Our Kitchen Garden program has touched 3818 households across
all the villages that we support. This is a huge accomplishment in our fight against
malnutrition and poverty. The program which had started in 2013 has gone a step
ahead this year with the introduction of nurseries in 11 villages. We continue with our
efforts to generate environmental awareness by distributing 5530 jute bags among
the locals and planting trees along the road. We have conducted training for our NFE
students in diverse vocations like mushroom cultivation, Rakhi and paper bag
making. We have reached in Bihar and Jharkhand through our primary healthcare
services.
Our efforts to empower underserved and marginalised communities through our
program would not be successful without the support of our donors, partners and
volunteers. We are enormously grateful for your generosity, time and encouragement,
without which it would have been impossible for us to achieve the successes outlined
in this report.
Message from the Director
As Karuna-Shechen India completes 13 years of working towards improving lives of
the under-served population, it is a good time to look back at our achievements and
also forward to a challenging, but exciting, future.
In 2014 we embarked on a number of initiatives - we have successfully extended our
humanitarian assistance to the needy, backward communities in Bihar’s
neighbouring State, Jharkhand; a Third Mobile Clinic has been introduced in
order to provide affordable primary healthcare to those in the districts of
Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Nawada; 4 women have been trained in e-Rickshaw
driving making them Bihar’s first female rickshaw drivers. Our venture to enable
underprivileged women break into a male-dominated profession has earned us
appreciation of the Bihar State Government and brought our efforts into the
limelight. Our new educational program, Role of Play in the Life of a Child, is
helping in the all-round development of 400 young children through various indoor
and outdoor play activities. Besides, we have started our own informal school for
children in Dema and Masuribar who are unable to get primary education.
Apart from these we witnessed several positive experiences and achievements across
our areas of intervention. We have been successful in reaching 80,701 patients in
Bihar and Jharkhand through our OPD and Mobile Clinic services. Our OPD in Bihar
is now open 7 days a week in an attempt to serve maximum possible people.
Through our community-planned and community managed program we have
embarked on our mission to fight open defecation by constructing community toilets
in 4 villages. Our Kitchen Garden program has touched 3818 households across
all the villages that we support. This is a huge accomplishment in our fight against
malnutrition and poverty. The program which had started in 2013 has gone a step
ahead this year with the introduction of nurseries in 11 villages. We continue with our
efforts to generate environmental awareness by distributing 5530 jute bags among
the locals and planting trees along the road. We have conducted training for our NFE
students in diverse vocations like mushroom cultivation, Rakhi and paper bag
making. We have reached in Bihar and Jharkhand through our primary healthcare
services.
Our efforts to empower underserved and marginalised communities through our
program would not be successful without the support of our donors, partners and
volunteers. We are enormously grateful for your generosity, time and encouragement,
without which it would have been impossible for us to achieve the successes outlined
in this report.

4. MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
HEALTH
 80,701 people benefitted from our OPD and Mobile Clinic services in Bihar and
Jharkhand
 78,355 patients visited the OPD and Mobile Clinics in Bihar; a 62.45% rise compared to
2013.
 Our OPD in Bihar is now open 7 days a week
 A Third Mobile Clinic was launched to serve the poor in 3 new districts of Bihar;
Aurangabad, Nawada and Jehanabad.
 We extended our area of intervention to the State of Jharkhand
 34,328 and 591 patients were registered at our OPD in Bihar and Jharkhand respectively
 43,123 and 1755 patients have been registered with our Mobile Clinics in Bihar and
Jharkhand respectively
 6912 medical tests were conducted at our pathology laboratory
 We have started conducting awareness sessions in schools and communities on
menstrual and reproductive health.
 We are now distributing INR 2 single piece sanitary napkins to better tap the needs of
the target populace.
 10,421 sanitary napkin packets were sold in Bihar & 160 in Jharkhand. Again, 950 single
napkins (INR 2 each) were sold in Bihar and 1032 single pieces in Jharkhand.
 We are testing the quality of drinking water in the 18 villages in Bihar where we are
working.
EDUCATION
 Babua schools (Informal schools), launched in Masuribar and Dema to provide holistic
informal education to children who do not attend schools is benefitting 135 young
children.
 Our new program, Role of Play in the Life of a Child, is benefitting 400 children in the 10
villages where it is running.
 508 rural children are benefitting from our Yoga and physical training sessions in the
villages
4

5.  NFE students from Banahi who had undertaken advanced training in candle-making
produced beautiful candles from the wax provided by the organisation.
 30 NFE students from Karhara ,Dema, Banahi and J.P.Nagar have made and sold candles
with our financial, raw material and marketing support.
ENVIRONMENT
 We have successfully installed Solar sets in 112 households across the 8 villages.
 Rainwater harvesting systems have been installed in 113 rural households across 9
villages; and also at schools in Dema, Lohjhara, Gopalkhera, Rampur and Kanchanpur.
 We have distributed 5530 Jute bags among locals.
 We have planted 176 trees along the roads of Bodhgaya
 We are conducting intra-school competition in schools to raise environmental
awareness among students
SOCIAL
 We have started Electric Auto-rickshaw services from our clinic to the main road and
have trained 4 poor women as e-rickshaw drivers. 3 of them have been driving our e-
rickshaws for the past two months and have received much appreciation from all.
 3818 households have been reached through the Kitchen Garden program. Besides,
Nurseries have been established in 11 villages.
 Community toilets have been constructed in the villages of Bhupnagar, Banahi, Kadal
and Chando.
 Pond has been dug in Dema and a canal made in Chando under the small money Big
Change program, with the dedicated labour of the community members.
 Vocational workshop on Mushroom cultivation in Jharkhand and Bihar with 22 and 45
participants, respectively.
 40 women participated in vocational training on Rakhi-making prior to Rakhi ceremony
(ceremony in which sisters tie bands around brother’s wrist to celebrate the bonding
between them)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
 13 final year post-graduate students of Rural Management and Development
department, Magadh University conducted field work in our operational villages, taking
as case study, one of our programs for their Masters Project work.
 5 volunteers from France came in different parts of the year to help us with our various
program activities.
5

6.  We held a Program Orientation, like the previous year, for all our staff members.
INTRODUCTION
The year 2014 has been pivotal in our journey to serve the poorest individuals and
communities. Our new innovative programs like women empowerment through the training
and supporting female e-rickshaw drivers have not only won the hearts and confidence of the
beneficiaries but also brought our efforts to the limelight.
We began the year with the launch of a new program called ‘Role of Play in the Life of a Child’ in
four villages; Banahi, Dema, Chando and Gopalkhera. It focuses on 3-6 years aged rural children
who go to the Anganwadi centres. Under the program various indoor and outdoor games and
other activities are conducted for the all-round development of the children. Looking at the
great results and positive feedback for the program, we extended it to cover 6 new villages from
November; Mastipur, Bakraur, Shekhwara, Lohjhara, Mansidih and Trilokapur.
But the program that has drawn attention of the Bihar government and media is our female e-
rickshaw driver. Component of woman empowerment efforts, our initiative to give poor women
a chance to challenge male-dominated profession, was recognised and much appreciated by
important State government personnel like Gaya’s District Magistrate, District Transport Officer
and ex-Chief Minister of Bihar.
This year we have introduced a third Mobile Clinic in Bihar, extending our healthcare services
beyond Gaya to Aurangabad, Nawada and Jehanabad districts. Another major achievement of
2014 has been the geographical expansion of our activities to Bihar’s neighbour and one of the
most backward States in India, Jharkhand. While the groundwork for the programs was done in
the first half of the year the main activities began from July. We now run regular Mobile Clinic
services in some villages of Seraikela-Kharsawan and East Singhbhum districts. In November we
launched our OPD at Hata in East Singhbhum, near Jamshedpur city. Apart from these we are
also conducting women health awareness sessions at schools and at community levels and
organise vocational training for the poor along with our local partners.
6

7. We have provided primary healthcare to an overwhelming 80, 701 patients (78,355 people in
Bihar and 2346 in Jharkhand). Our Kitchen Garden program has reached 3818 rural households.
Under our small money BIG CHANGE program we have constructed community toilets to
combat open defecation, dug ponds and made canals to support irrigation facilities.
Five volunteers from France were with us to help with the various program activities. The first
volunteer, Sebastien, helped us launch the Early Childcare and Development program running
in 10 Anganwadi centres. Edith, a professional joker, was here to add an element of happiness
among our patients and other beneficiaries. Jennifer came as a second volunteer for the
program at Anganwadi centres in second half of the year. A third volunteer, Sacha is a WASH
expert who is here to conduct chemical tests on drinking water of our operational villages in
Bihar. Quentine is a professional photographer who is capturing our program activities through
still and video photographs. He is also giving basic photography training to our staff.
2014 has been an extremely satisfying year for us at Karuna-Shechen India. We are happy
about our accomplishments this year and we are continually committed to learning from, and
improving, our humanitarian services. This report highlights some of our key achievements of
2014.
OUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTERVENTION
7

8. 8

9. HEALTH
9

10. AN OVERVIEW OF MEDICAL ACTIVITIES
In 2014 we registered 78,355 patients in Bihar (62.45% more than 2013) and 2346 patients in
our newly started OPD and Mobile Clinic services at Jharkhand. Patients from nearly 400
villages come for medical check-up at our OPD and Mobile Clinics.
Table 1: Total Number of Patients at OPD and Mobile Clinics in Bihar
Month OPD Mobile Clinics Medical
Camps
Total
January 2613 3240 0 5853
February 2384 3075 513 5459
March 2668 3071 502 5739
April 2474 2545 0 5019
May 2573 2649 0 5222
June 2966 4089 0 7055
July 3507 4233 0 7740
August 2995 3646 0 6641
September 3600 5010 0 8610
October 2745 3098 0 5843
November 3004 3988 904 7896
December 2799 4479 0 7278
Total 34328 43123 1919 78355
Table 2: Total Number of Patients at OPD and Mobile Clinics in Jharkhand
Month OPD Mobile Clinic Total
September 0 685 685
October 0 409 409
November 60 259 319
December 531 402 933
Total 591 1755 2346
We started our Mobile Clinic services in Jharkhand in September and inaugurated our OPD in
the month of November.
Direct Observed Therapy (DOT)
10

11. Out of 6912 medical tests conducted in our pathology laboratory 471 were Sputum tests (for
Tuberculosis). Out of these the number of people who were diagnosed with TB was 15. While 58
patients have successfully completed their DOT course, 28 TB patients are currently undergoing
treatment.
Table 3: Details of DOT Program
Indicators Total
Number of TB patients started medicine 39
Number of sputum tests conducted 471
Sputum Positive 15
Completed TB Medicine 58
Total Number of TB Patients currently
undergoing treatment (OPD and Mobile)
28
Types of Diseases observed among Patients in OPD and Mobile Clinics
The following table gives us information about the various types of diseases observed among
the patients in our OPD and Mobile clinics.
Table 4: Types of Diseases
11

12. The table show that the most common health problems observed among our patients in both
the States were Bone and Joint Pain, Cough and Cold and various Skin diseases. In addition,
hypertension and Amoebiasis were observed to be some other common diseases among those
in Jharkhand.
ACCESS TO PRIMARY HEALTHCARE: SHECHEN MEDICAL
CENTRE IN BODHGAYA, BIHAR AND HATA, JHARKHAND
12
Types of Diseases Patients in Bihar Patients in
Jharkhand
Diarrohea/children 149 1
Diarrhoea / dysentery adults 1222 6
Amoebiasis 2302 114
Typhoid 39 63
Tuberculosis (TB) 564 2
Gynecological patient 2874 78
Bone & joints patients 19452 391
Burn patient 203 2
Worm manifestation 81 32
Skin diseases of all kinds 8244 147
Ophthalmologic infections 41 17
Number of identified malnourished
children 11 35
Cardiac Infection 12 17
Hypertension 3511 132
Diabetes 680 18
Asthma & Chronic Obstructions
Pulmonary Disease 2034 8
Cough & Cold 14478 108
Epilepsy 208 0
Ear Nose Throat (ENT) patient 2150 22
Lymphadenopathy 44 0
Incise & Drain Dressing 548 10
Other Patients 18, 522 1143

13. Inauguration of our OPD in Jharkhand
Medical check-up of patients at the newly opened OPD
Our OPD in Bihar is now open 7 days a week in order to serve maximum number of needy
patients as possible.
We inaugurated our OPD at Hata in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand on 19th
November in
the esteemed presence of heads of Panchayats of nearby villages, medical officer from Red Cross
Society and other guests. In about one and half months the OPD has registered an impressive
591 patients. Currently the OPD functions thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
In 2015 we will extend OPD services to 6 days a week.
The total number of people who came to the Medical centre in Bodhgaya for Consultations in
2014 was 34, 328, 67.17% more than that in 2013 (20,535 patients).
Table 5: Total Patients at OPD in Bihar and Jharkhand
Months Patients in Patients in
13

14. Bihar Jharkhand
January 2613 0
February 2384 0
March 2668 0
April 2474 0
May 2573 0
June 2966 0
July 3507 0
August 2995 0
September 3600 0
October 2745 0
November 3004 60
December 2799 531
Total 34,328 591
Table 6: Total Male, Female and Child Patients at OPD in Bihar and Jharkhand
Bihar Jharkhand
Men 9086 271
Women 16369 269
Children 8873 51
Total Patients 34,328 591
Pathology Laboratory
14

15. 572 patients got medical tests done from our Pathology laboratory and total analysis done was
6912. The number of patients and tests are different because one patient may go for several
tests.
Table 7: Types of Medical Tests conducted in our Laboratory
Types of Medical Tests Conducted Total Number of Tests
TC/DC 1051
ESR 893
HB% 811
Malaria 301
Uric Acid 185
Blood Sugar 870
Serum Blirubin 142
AFB (Sputum test) 471
ECG 77
Urine routine examination 298
Urine culture sensitivity test 180
Other Tests 1633
Total 6912
MOBILE CLINIC
15

16. Mobile Clinic in the villages of Jharkhand
Mobile Clinic in Bihar
This year we introduced a third Mobile Clinic to serve the impoverished and needy populations
of three new districts in Bihar (Nawada, Aurangabad and Jehanabad). Besides, we launched our
Mobile Clinic facilities in the backward districts of East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan in
the State of Jharkhand. Currently, our Mobile Clinics in Jharkhand function twice a week on
Saturdays and Sundays. Next year we will extend its services to 6 days a week.
Table 8: Total Patients at Mobile Clinics in Bihar and Jharkhand
Months Patients in Bihar Patients in
Jharkhand
16

17. January 3240 -
February 3075 -
March 3071 -
April 2545 -
May 2649 -
June 4089 -
July 4233 -
August 3646 -
September 5010 685
October 3098 409
November 3988 259
December 4479 402
Total 43123 1755
Table 9: Total Male, Female and Child Patients at Mobile Clinics in Bihar and Jharkhand
Bihar Jharkhand
Total Patients 31558 1755
Men 15405 398
Women 22414 1019
Children 15837 338
MEDICAL CAMPS
17

18. Like each year in 2014 we organised free Medical Camps in Bodhgaya in the months of January,
February and November where 1919 patients were registered.
Table 10: Number of Patients at Medical Camps
Months Medical Camps
January 0
February 513
March 502
April 0
May 0
June 0
July 0
August 0
September 0
October 0
November 904
December 0
Total 1919
HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME (HEP)
18

19. Our Health Education Program is running successfully in our operational villages and of Gaya
district as can be seen from the following tables:
Table 11: Some Statistics on HEP
Indicators Figures
Total Households reached 1285
Total Families reached 1936
Total Number of Health Groups 38
Total Number of Members in Health
Groups
228
Total Number of Home Visits by Village
Coordinators
3883
Total Number of Home Visits by
Motivators
9523
The number of home visits by our Village Coordinators and Motivators, number of
families/households imparted with education on health-related matters, and number of Health
Groups formed for the effective running of HEP vividly put across the sincere efforts of the
organisation towards the program.
Table 12 : Reproductive and Child Health
Indicators
Total Number of Sanitary Napkins sold 10421 packets (Bihar) & 160
packets (Jharkhand)
950 single piece (Bihar) and
1032 single piece(Jharkhand)
Percentage of Pregnant Women Followed-up by Village
Coordinators and Motivators
86.2
19

20. Percentage of Pregnant women immunized with TT1& TT2 75.5
Percentage of Pregnant Women having Institutional Delivery 73.61
Percentage of new-born children immunized with BCG and 1st
DPT
74.66
Percentage of recorded Neo-natal deaths 0
Our Menstrual Health and Hygiene program which was started in 2013 by making sanitary
napkins available at subsidised rates to poor women and girls, has gone a step further this year
with the introduction of health awareness programs in village communities and high schools.
This program has been started in Jharkhand along with primary healthcare services. We have
conducted women health education sessions in 14 schools and an orphanage in Bihar and 6
schools in Jharkhand. Apart from the INR 6 pack of 6 napkins that we have been distributing
since the beginning of the program, this year we have started selling INR 2 single piece sanitary
napkins. We have sold 1032 and 950 single napkins in Jharkhand and Bihar respectively.
Table 13: Number of Sanitary Napkin Packets (INR 6/packet) distributed in Bihar
Months OPD Mobile
Clinics
Medical
Camps
Total
January 177 695 0 872
February 158 586 102 846
March 108 613 135 856
April 84 440 0 524
May 125 685 0 810
June 159 410 0 569
July 133 540 0 673
August 105 1180 0 1285
September 146 900 0 1046
October 151 640 0 640
November 133 1054 0 1054
December 107 1246 0 1246
Total 1586 8989 237 10421
Table 14: Number of Sanitary Napkin Packets (INR 6/packet) distributed in Jharkhand
Months OPD Mobile Clinics
January 0 0
February 0 0
March 0 0
April 0 0
May 0 0
20

21. June 0 0
July 0 0
August 0 0
September 0 0
October 0 0
November 11 4
December 55 90
Total 66 94
WASH
We are conducting quality tests for drinking water in all 18 villages with the help of our
volunteer. After we get to know about the water quality we will find cost-effective, local
techniques to make it suitable for drinking.
EDUCATION
EARLY CHILDCARE & DEVELOPMENT
ROLE OF PLAY IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD
21

22. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child lays down the right to play and engage in
recreational activities as an integral part of their growth process. India’s Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS), a program for proper growth and development of pre-school
children functioning through the Anganwadi system mentions playing games as an integral part.
However, in most cases we have seen that this particular component of ICDS is often neglected
and ineffectively implemented.
With an effort to complement the government’s efforts towards holistic development of pre-
school (3-6 years of age) children we launched our new program, Role of Play in the Life of a
Child in 10 villages in collaboration with our partner organisation from France, Inter’Lude.
Initially started in 4 villages (Gopalkhera, Chando, Banahi and Dema) of Gaya district the
encouraging feedback and demand for similar program in other villages prompted us to scale-
up the project to cover 6 new villages Mastipur, Bakraur, Shekhwara, Lohjhara, Mansidih and
Trilokapur.
The groundwork for the program included the village selection process and extensive meetings
with the District Magistrate and District Programme Officer regarding legal formalities. We have
had two volunteers from Inter’Lude for 4 months each to help us with the program.
Two trainings, one at the beginning of the program and the next during its scale-up, were
organised for select staff members of our organisation, Child Development Project Officers
(CDPOs) of the relevant blocks and Anganwadi Workers of the villages. Both trainings
22

23. emphasised the active participation and role of the Anganwadi Workers as they form the
backbone of the program and are imperative to its successful execution.
The program is divided into 2 types of activities:
• Outdoor Games
• Indoor Activities including Drawing Session
These activities help in the acquisition and development of social, emotional, physical and
cognitive skills. All the necessary games and other play materials required for the smooth
functioning of the program have been supplied by us to the Anganwadi centres.
Before expanding the program to cover new villages our village coordinators and other staff
members along with the second volunteer from Inter’Lude conducted a thorough evaluation of
the project which was then running in 4 villages.
This project is running successfully under regular monitoring by the village coordinators. It has
been observed that, in the four villages where the program was started in January, the children
have shown a very visible change. At the beginning they did not know how to draw but now
they can express themselves pictorially and also solve puzzle games. They are now much more
active, energetic and the daily attendance in all the Anganwadis has remarkably improved since
the program started.
SUPPORT TO PRIMARY EDUCATION
BABUA SCHOOL
Bihar’s primary education system is in a very sorry state plagued by lack of human resources,
abysmally low teacher-student ratio and poor teaching standards. With the aim to address this
problem we have started our own Informal schools called Babua schools (children are lovingly
addressed as ‘Babua’ in the local language) at Masuribar and Dema to provide holistic
elementary education to non school-going rural children.
We provide all-round development of young children through free primary education and co-
curricular activities like Yoga training. Total number of students enrolled is 135 and average
attendance is as high as 84%. Students’ satisfaction with our qualitative education is reflected in
their steadily growing average attendance, from 70% in the first three months of the program to
84% at the end of the year.
Table 15: Enrollment and Average Attendance in our Bamboo Schools
Sl. No Village Number of Students
Enrolled
Average Attendance
1 Dema 105 88
2 Masuribar 30 25
23

24. Total 135 113
SUPPORT TO RURAL SCHOOLS
We continue to give study and play materials in rural schools. Our support faculty in Dema and
Gopalkhera are taking extra lessons for weak students, staying back after class to teach them
and take regular tests to examine the students’ progress.
YOGA CLASSES
Our Yoga training sessions are an integral component of our holistic child development
activities. The classes are conducted in the villages for poor, underprivileged children on a
regular basis. It is greatly satisfying to see 508 children learning Yoga with much sincerity and
enthusiasm.
Table 16: Children learning Yoga
Sl. No Village Number of Children
Learning Yoga
1 Simariya 50
2 Lohjhara 113
3 Gopalkhera 100
4 Dema 95
5 JP Nagar 25
6 Mansidih 90
7 Trilokapur 20
24

25. 8 Kadal 15
Total 508
NON-FORMAL EDUCATION (NFE)
This year we have added an important element to our NFE classes; newspaper reading. These
participatory sessions not only enable the students to grasp reading and learning skills better
but also inform them about important events and news. The old newspapers are regularly used
by the students to make paper packets for which they have been provided proper training.
Besides, throughout this year NFE students have had the opportunity to learn some interesting
and useful vocations like Mushroom cultivation and Rakhi-making.
30 NFE students from Karhara, Dema, Banahi and J.P.Nagar have made and sold candles with
our financial, raw material and marketing support.
25

26. Table 17: NFE students involved in candle-making
Sl. No Village Number of women
in a group
1 Karhara 5
2 Dema 15
3 Banahi 6
4 J.P.Nagar 4
Total 30
ENVIRONMENT
BODHGAYA CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, HYGIENE AND SANITATION PROGRAM
26

27. We continued with our school competitions on environmental hygiene and sanitation
awareness this year, conducting drawing and speech competitions among young and
enthusiastic students.
We have been giving shape to our aim of beautifying the town through environment-friendly
means by planting 176 trees along the entire stretch of road in front of our office cum OPD.
Again, we have continued with our efforts to discourage the indiscriminate use of plastics
through the distribution of bio-degradable alternatives, Jute Bags. We have successfully
distributed 5530 Jute bags amongst our patients, students, and other beneficiaries in Bodhgaya
and in the villages. Our initiative has been much appreciated by locals and tourists alike.
SOLAR ELECTRICITY
We successfully scaled-up our program to cover 8 remote villages-Bhupnagar, Dema, Mansidih,
Lohjhara, Banahi, Simariya and Karhara. In 2013 we had sent 4 rural women to undertake 6
months training in Solar Engineering at Barefoot College, Rajasthan. After 2 months one of them,
Sarita Devi had to leave her training mid-way and return home for personal reasons. The other
three, Phoolmanti Devi, Lakshmi Devi and Pooja Devi, went on to successfully complete the
course. Unfortunately, Phoolmanti Devi’s husband was imprisoned on criminal charges around
this time and she, for security reasons, had to leave Bihar. Thereafter, she joined Barefoot
college as an instructor and is continuing there.
In order to look for cost-effective solar sets so as to reach out to maximum number of needy
population we installed solar sets which cost INR 5072 ($ 82). We provided the sets to
interested households highly subsidised rate, INR 2000 ($ 32). This is a one-time payment and
the beneficiaries will not be charged monthly maintenance amount. Our plan to install 220 solar
sets purchased from Barefoot College, in villages of Kadal, Barsuddi and Chando, was delayed
27

28. due to the numerous governmental agencies and procedures involved in the inter-State
transportation of the Solar sets. We are expected to receive them by the first week of January,
2015 and install them, along with 50 pieces of the cost-effective solar sets, in January and
February. These will be installed by our new Solar Engineers Lakshmi Devi and Pooja Devi.
Table 18: Number of households where solar sets were installed
Sl. No Village Number of
Households where
Solar sets were
installed
1 Simariya 5
2 Dema 45
3 Lohjhara 5
4 Mansidih 22
5 Karhara 1
6 Bhupnagar 33
7 Banahi 1
Total 112
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Our water management and replenishment program, Rainwater Harvesting is also continuing
from previous year. 113 rural households (250% increase from 2013 figures (32 households))
across 9 villages are now availing Rainwater Harvesting facilities. Besides, schools at Dema,
Lohjhara, Gopalkhera, Rampur and Kanchanpur have also installed the system.
Table 19: Number of Households that have installed Rainwater harvesting system
Sl. No
Villages Number of
Households
1 Dema 53
2 Chando 11
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29. 3 Karhara 8
4 Banahi 5
5 Lohjhara 18
6 Karhara 6
7 Trilokapur 1
8 Gopalkhera 6
9 J.P. Nagar 5
Total 113
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SMALL MONEY BIG CHANGE
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30. Under our community-planned, community-managed program several rural development
projects were undertaken successfully. In Bhupnagar, the villagers demanded that we make a
community toilet for them. However, due to bad road conditions our truck laden with
construction materials could not enter the remote village and our plans had to be stalled. With
the active participation of the community, we first repaired the road in order to resolve the
problem of inaccessibility. Thereafter, the construction of the community toilet was started and
is now on its road to completion.
Apart from Bhupnagar community toilets are under construction at Banahi, Kadal and Chando.
These toilets are a result of our efforts to reduce the practice of open defecation as also an
attempt towards the protection of women’s privacy and safety, which are often at risk due to the
unavailability of proper toilets in the villages.
In Dema we have dug a pond which is being used by the villagers for multiple purposes like
washing, cleaning, watering kitchen gardens and irrigating agricultural lands, etc.
A canal has been constructed in Chando for irrigation purposes. The farmers, who had to
previously depend on the vagaries of nature for cultivating their crops, now, have a certain
water supply system.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Computer classes Rakhi training
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31. Female e-rickshaw drivers Women making candles
Mushroom cultivation training Paper packets made by NFE students
Vocational Training program intends to enable the poor and vulnerable, especially
underprivileged women and youth, to acquire vocational skills that would provide them with a
sustainable livelihood opportunities. This year we have successfully conducted several training
and workshops in diverse, interesting and useful vocations; Mushroom Cultivation, Rakhi and
Paper-packet making. These vocations were chosen according to their economic viability and
market demand.
Vocational training on Mushroom cultivation was organised for our beneficiaries in Bihar and
Jharkhand and attended by 45 and 22 enthusiastic participants, respectively. Candle-making
workshop was organised in Jharkhand with partner organisation, Udaan exclusively for
disabled people.
40 women including NFE students and motivators, participated in the workshop on Rakhi-
making organised in Bodhgaya prior to the Rakhi ceremony (ceremony in which sisters tie
bands around brother’s wrist to celebrate the bonding between them). A woman from Chando
and another from Karhara were followed-up and encouraged to make Rakhis and sell them in
the market. The cost of raw materials and marketing was borne by our organisation.
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32. Two batches of underprivileged youth have successfully completed our free computer course,
and a third batch with 50 students is currently undergoing the training. The feedback of our
pass-out students has been very encouraging and gratifying.
19 youths were rigorously trained in Yoga and physical fitness at a week-long workshop in July
with the objective to teach our rural children and also provide employment opportunities to
these young dynamic participants.
While all the vocations taught to our beneficiaries have been received well, the one deemed to
be ground-breaking is our initiative to train women in e-Rickshaw driving. With the objective to
empower poor women with sustainable livelihood skills we impart the necessary training to
enterprising targeted beneficiaries and hire them as drivers of our organisation’s three e-
Rickshaws. In less than 6 months we have empowered 4 women through our unique initiative.
This has caught the attention of the media and has been much appreciated by Gaya’s District
Magistrate and Bihar’s ex-Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar.
KITCHEN GARDEN
Our efforts to combat malnutrition and improve the socio-economic status of the rural poor
have successfully continued from previous year. 3818 rural households have grown kitchen
gardens in their backyards with the seasonal seeds and plants that we have been distributing
throughout the year. Apart from reaching out to village households this year this program has
gone a step further and launched Nurseries in 11 villages (Dema, Lohjhara, Banahi, Gopalkhera,
Kadal, Bhupnagar, Simariya, Trilokapur, Karhara, JP Nagar, Masuribar and Chando).
Table 20: Number of Households benefitting from our Kitchen Garden program
Sl. No Village Number of Households
growing Kitchen Gardens
1 Banahi 210
2 Dema 482
3 Gopalkhera 209
4 Lohjhara 263
5 Bandha 115
6 Nawatari 125
7 Kadal 91
8 Barsuddi 61
9 Bhupnagar 130
10 Trilokapur 81
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33. 11 Karhara 322
12 Simariya 179
13 Chando 313
14 Sripur 90
15 Masuribar 254
16 J.P. Nagar 140
17 Kharati 97
18 Mansidih 244
19 Rampur 36
20 Patients at OPD 376
Total 3818
OTHER IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
FIELD WORK AND PROJECT STUDY BY MAGADH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
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34. We selected 13 bright final year post-graduate students of Rural Management and Development
program, Magadh university to conduct field work for their projects at our operational villages,
taking as case study one of our ongoing programs. As part of their project work they conducted
socio-economic survey in all 18 operational villages under the guidance and supervision of our
able staff members. The students have been issued certificates by our organisation for their
participation.
STAFF ORIENTATION
As Karuna-Shechen, India stepped into the 13th
year of its incessant humanitarian services in
Gaya district of Bihar the organisation conducted a one-day Workshop on Expectation
Management and Program Activities-2014 for its entire staff. The basic objective of the
workshop was to update the existing staff and inform the newly recruited ones about the
organisation and its current activities and future endeavours. A second intention was to conduct
a detailed discussion on expectation of the staff and make them rational.
VOLUNTEERS
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35. We had 2 volunteers from France, Sebastien and Jennifer, to help us with our new program,
Role of Play in the Life of a Child. Edith had come to spread laughter and happiness among our
patients through her mime and acting skills. We have another volunteer, Sacha, who is using his
Water Management expertise to test the quality of drinking water in our operational villages in
Bihar. He is expected to provide feasible solution to improve the water quality. Quentine, the
fifth volunteer is capturing our program activities with the help of his photography skills and
teaching the basics of photography to our staff members.
LOCAL PARTNERS IN JHARKHAND
In Jharkhand we are partnering with three local organisations- Udaan, Dhad Disham Vikas
Sangh and Cause for Change. Udaan is an NGO working exclusively for the empowerment of
the disabled. Dhad Disham Vikas Sangh, a CBO and our local partner working for better
livelihood opportunities of tribal communities. Cause for Change, an NGO which collects
unused medicines from households and redistributes them among the needy populations
through medical camps is our third local partner. We are supporting these dedicated
organisations financially and otherwise and collaborating with them to reach maximum
possible target beneficiaries.
TEAM BUILDING EXERCISE
We dedicate the last Sunday of a year to team building exercise by organising picnic for all the
staff members, motivators and their families.
FINANCE
Expenses incurred in the year 2014 are shown below:
Table 21: Annual Expenses
Sector Annual Expenses 2014 (in
USD)
Health 184,033
Education 40,005
Environment 22,522
Social Programs 54,889
Program Support 23,393
Administrative and Functioning
Expenses
63,495
Equipment 58,259
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36. Contingencies 8,661
Total India 2014 455,258
UPCOMING ACTIVITES
• To provide our OPD and Mobile Clinic services in Jharkhand six days a week
• Introducing Play Van in Jharkhand
• Adding West Singhbhum as a new area of operation in Jharkhand
• Kitchen Garden to be extended to 6000 households in Bihar and Jharkhand
• Solar Lights to be installed in 270 households in Bihar.
ANNEX- CASE STUDY
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT- THE STORY OF OUR 3 FEMALE E-RICKSHAW DRIVERS
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37. Karuna-Shechen India has taken a unique and bold initiative towards women empowerment by
training poor women as e-Rickshaw drivers and providing them with the environment-friendly
vehicles. As our three e-rickshaw drivers take to the streets with confidence we ask them how
Karuna-Shechen has changed their lives.
Baby Devi, Sugiya Devi and Shobha Devi belong to disadvantaged communities from the
backward village of Parhanda, near Bodhgaya.
Sugiya Devi was a landless farmer who toiled day and night in order to earn two square meals
for 3 children, ailing husband and other family members. She was leading a life of hardship
trying to provide education to her children and medical treatment to her husband. Mr Uday
Prasad, her husband was working as a wall painter in Delhi until he met with an accident and
was confined to bed. When she heard from a villager about our program to train and employ
women as e-rickshaw drivers she immediately knew it was her calling. For the next one and half
months she had to undertake rigorous driving classes arranged and financed by Karuna-
Shechen. Thereafter she started driving on the roads of Bodhgaya. Sugiya Devi says that initially
she would feel a bit nervous and would have to face taunt and ridicule from male rickshaw
drivers. But now she can not only drive confidently but also feel proud to be able to challenge a
traditionally male-profession. When asked about her experience in dealing with the foreign
tourists she quips, “Initially, I would be a bit nervous but now it is fine. If I am unable to
understand what a foreign passenger wants to convey I seek the help of the locals. Besides, by
now I have managed to pick up some English words.”Her foreign passengers appreciate her
courageous efforts and many take pictures of her.
Along with Sugiya Devi two other women, Baby Devi and Shobha Devi, have been imparted the
same vocational training by Karuna-Shechen.
Baby Devi, a 29 year old and mother of three is a class 8 passout. She was previously based in
Surat, Gujrat where her husband works. After tolerating 8 years of domestic violence at the
hands of her drunkard husband Baby Devi returned to her own village in Bihar with her
children and started searching for work in order to support them. As soon as she heard of
Karuna-Shechen’s new program she jumped at the opportunity. Having trained for 2 months in
June-July along with Sugiya Devi and Shobha Devi, Baby Devi is now an expert and confident e-
rickshaw driver. Her steady income has enabled her to not only fulfil the basic needs of her
impoverished family but also to get a Life Insurance for herself. Unlike previous years Baby Devi
can now afford to buy a INR 300 warm shawl to combat the winters this time. She says that
Karuna-Shechen has given her more than she could ask for. Sharing her most memorable
experience, she narrates the incident when Bihar’s ex-Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar and
Gaya’s District Magistrate, Mr Sanjay Agarwal rode her e-rickshaw in appreciation of Karuna-
Shechen’s unique initiative.
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38. Shobha Devi is a 29 year old woman with 2 sons. Her husband used to work as labourer but
after he broke his leg in an accident four years back he is unable to work and the onus of
supporting their family has been on Shobha Devi ever since. She says that Karuna-Shechen has
gifted her and her family new lease of life. With the money she has earned as an e-rickshaw
driver Shobha Devi has bought INR 2000 worth of woollens for her family, something which
was beyond her means before.
The three female e-rickshaw drivers earn around INR 300-500 daily.
All three express heartfelt gratefulness to Karuna-Shechen for giving them a new lease of life,
restoring their self-esteem and boosting confidence levels. Shobha Devi says that the
organisation has helped her gain a daring entry into a male bastion.
Straight out from the confines of their homes these women, the first female e-rickshaw drivers
of Bihar, are inspiring many more to join the tribe.
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