SBI's CSR initiative Sammaan working on nutrition, health, hygiene, education in the Mountain Man's village

By Bharat Dogra 

The SBI Foundation, a corporate social responsibility subsidiary of the State Bank of India, has a very well-considered Program called Sammaan which seeks to honor freedom fighters and those engaged in various valiant and noble efforts in more recent times by promoting development initiatives in their native places. It was also very thoughtful of the Sammaan program to take this initiative recently to the village of the famous ‘Mountain Man’ Dashrath Manjhi who has inspired many, many people by opening up a path in the middle of massive mountains. 

Dashrath had been repeatedly voicing the need for better health, education, livelihood opportunities and infra-structure in and around his village (Gehlaur village/panchayat in Gaya district of Bihar) and if he was alive today, he would have been happy to see many-sided constructive initiatives of Sammaan. 

The 18-month Sammaan program (which can be and should be extended) is being implemented with the cooperation of a reputed voluntary organization Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, known as much for its successful development projects as for its capacity development programs for the voluntary sector.

One important aspect of Sammaan relates to education. In a middle-level school of this village the Principal told me happily that with the gift of five computers and a smart inter-active board and projector to the rural school under this program, the learning levels of children have improved. At a class taking place with the help of a projector where students could see the content of their day’s lesson in an interesting visual form, at the same time helped by a teacher, when I asked students about recent changes, they said that learning is certainly more interesting today. As news got around the village that computer skills are being taught and computers are being used in education here, the principal asserted that the presence of students in the school has increased and the bias of many parents here in favor of private schools is now shifting towards a better appreciation of the potential of government schools.

Sammaan has also provided better facilities for cleaner and cooler drinking water. Students are happy with the cooler water and a teacher reported less complaints of stomach upsets in recent times.

The school has become more attractive with wall writing including information about the life of Dashrath Manjhi.

However still some important problems remain for this school such as shortage of class rooms. At present this school has only 3 class rooms. This can be corrected only at the level of improved government funding, it appears. 

Sammaan has extended special attention to the needs of pre-school children. This has taken two forms. Firstly, this program has helped to make significant improvement in anganwadi where pre-school children gather every day. This center has been repaired and improved, and toys as well as educational materials, better sitting facilities have been provided along with wall painting to make this a more colorful and joyful place where children like to come. However the washroom needs some repairs. The water supply under the government’s tap for all homes scheme is very erratic. The process for arranging electricity supply has started but this has not yet reached the anganwadi. The Sammaan project therefore is likely to make more contributions to improving the anganwadi.

The second intervention for pre-school children is in the form of a new school of about two hours daily for them set up very close to where some of the poorest people live so that these children can come here very easily on their own. These children may not have a colorful room but still it is a delightful experience to be with them. I enjoyed every minute of their poems and songs. Clearly the children are very happy with their teacher and school, and when I asked how many would like to skip school and enjoy their sleep longer, not even one hand was raised.

At the time of my visit preparations were on to gift an educational and hygiene kit to all children of this new school.

Sammaan’s intervention in the health sector is mainly in the form of promoting safer and healthier maternity. The role of Anupriya, a nurse with specialization in safer maternity, is much appreciated by women from the poorest households also as she is very helpful in providing timely advice, ensuring timely medicines and nutrition, apart from distributing nutritious food. She accompanies them to the nearest hospital for check-ups as well at the time of delivery. The Sammaan program has also provided an ambulance for 24X7 service for taking women for institutional delivery and care to hospital.

Sammaan has arranged for free sewing classes for women and girls where they can learn this in good surroundings with all equipment provided. This is in the form of three month courses. While most of the 60 girls trained so far, including several from the poorest communities, are able to take up part-time sewing work, a few have started their own shops too, or intend to do so very soon, while some are content to meet their family needs. If orders from ready- made garment dealers can become available, these women said, they can extend their work significantly. Some of them said that if side-by-side thy can pick up some computer literacy as well, this will be very useful for them. Others said that there should so be a course for beauty parlor as well, and it is an indication of the winds of change that such a demand is raised in such a remote village as well.

In the colonies of some of the poorest communities, there is appreciation for the goats provided under this program, with nearly 100 women receiving goats. This help is supported further by a trained pashu sakhi or village-level veterinary doctor providing health care for goats right up to community or hamlet level.

However livelihood and related support can become much stronger if the access of people to various schemes of the government can improve significantly. For this a Gram Seva Kendra (Village Service Center) has been set up very close to the panchayat office. This helps at three levels. Firstly, this disseminates information regarding various government development and welfare schemes among villagers. Secondly, this helps people, particularly from the poorer sections, to fill up forms and other documents for these schemes. Thirdly, as often photo-copies and print-outs are needed while applying for various schemes, this center helps by providing these within the village at a highly concessional rate. With various documents becoming more and more important for accessing such schemes, the facilitating role of such a center can be very helpful particularly as the block office is located at a considerable distance from this village.

In addition this center as well as other team members also help in the dissemination of important messages relating to nutrition, health, hygiene and education. This role in particular can become stronger with more community support, and Sammaan has tried to create community places like a place for healthy exercise where youth can meet and there are plans to set up a library and reading room as well. There have been efforts to create an organization of youth. While the emphasis was rightly more on attracting youth from weaker sections and initially there was encouraging response too, but as several of the enthusiastic youth had to leave as migrant workers due to economic compulsions, this effort could not have the expected success following their departure. 

This effort can be revived, of course, but the recent experience also draws attention to the reality that wider efforts are needed when it comes to effectively tackling the causes of poverty with deeper roots. While the sammaan program has contributed valuable work within its constraints, its experience also brings out the need for wider and more community-based efforts which hopefully can be initiated in an extended phase of the program.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include When the Two Streams Met, Man over Machine, Protecting Earth for Children, and Navjeevan