Santar a SAM child from Mussahar community

Severe and Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is the curse for the children. Govt of India has provision for treating these children under the care of experts through institutional care called NRC. In the district of Ara, Bhojpur of Bihar NRC was set up with the help from an NGO ( Shristi International ). The NRC was ready with all the required infrastructure but where are the SAM children? There were no data on SAM children even with the govt agency. And here comes an NGO (World Vision India) with the detail information on SAM and other malnourished children and helps start the first NRC at Bhojpur with 30 such children where the NGO is working.

Santar, a boy of 3 year old from Babangama Musshar Tola, West Gundi panchayat, Bhojpur Bihar, is from a Musshar community, mahadalit. He stands with support, emaciated, gestures with hand if he wants water, his large big eyes stares at me….. When admitted to NRC he weighed 5 kg. Mother, Batharni Devi looks helpless. NGO team had persevered to see this NRC open. Shristi International was ready with the infra-structure but where are the SAM children? Data was not available with the anganwadi and here was an NGO ready with the mild, moderate and severe data.

Just few days at the NRC and Santar is active….the miracle ingredients are the right food, right knowledge and right care. On the day of my visit he was being fed by the staff.

Later I was informed by the NGO team that as Santar showed very little improvement he was re-admitted in the fourth batch.

Long way ahead…… for us to see him recover………..

                            

Attack on Bodhgaya temple

Today at 5.05 am a multiple bomb blast took place at Bodhgaya around 130 km far from Patna, Bihar and Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami said the blasts were a "terror attack."  In the blast 2 people are injured and little damage has been done to the temple. The television is full of speculation and political party specially BJP is all over the Television with their voices against the Nitish government.
The speculation goes like this:

1. Intelligence was shared with the govt and police on the possible attack on Bodhgaya temple. On 25th June security drill was carried out. But amidst all these 8 serial blast took place.
2. 4 IM persons had done a reccee in September 2012 and this attack could be connected with IM. an analyst said that the module of the attack has IM signature.
3. There could be a connection with the Myanmar disturbance as many of the pilgrimages come from Myanmar.

Bihar is a fragile state with the history of communal wars and weakened Ranbir sena. Bihar has the local expertise on arms and explosion. Bihar is in news due to arrest of terrorists. Bihar has a porous border. If at all it is a terrorist attack then the local operators has a big hand to play.

The police official accepts the fact that there was intelligence alerts and on 25th June they had a security drill too. But amidst all the blast took place. The blast took place not only outside the temple but inside the temple premise too. How did the explosives got inside? One of the official in TV said that Police is responsible for the security out side the temple and the checking at the gate and inside security is managed by temple trust. So again the question arises where is the convergence and coordination between the two?

BJP is asking the govt what did they do with the intelligence alerts? But the irony is BJP was a part of Bihar govt till last month. Politicising this blast would not help the state.
What we need is a robust Risk Management. There should be a convergence of departments at all levels.

Alternatives?????

Last week I was in a slum in Jharkhand to see the work of one of the NGO. The NGO has been doing lots of work on Children's education, health and malnutrition, investing on the youth's skill development, Water and sanitation, economic development of the families. So far so good.
I was in a community of very backward people whose profession is to sweep and clean faeces. NGO is working with them and at the time of visit saw Feeding programme for the malnourished children going on. Mothers came along with their babies for this programme.
While discussing volunteer told, "Sir, this community gives their girl child to marriage at very early age."
I asked her," Has it improved now after the intervention of NGO?"
She said, "Yes, now they give their girl child to marriage at the age of 12 instead of 6 year."
I am standing at the heart of the town which is prosperous.
I saw many dirty children running. I again asked, "Do these children go to school?"
Volunteer smiled and said,"No sir."
Pointing at the nearby school which is one minute walk I asked,"Why do they not go to school when it is in the middle of the slum?"
She said," Sir, problem is this. Both the parents go to work and leave their small babies under the care of bigger siblings. Boys spend time in playing and girls looking after the babies." Pointing at the gathered children she said," Out of these children hardly 10 children go to school". There were around 50 boys and girls.
I turned to the manager of the project and asked him whether he has any plan for these children. The community worker came forward and said, " sir we have started special classes for these children. We have started children clubs and going to set up library for these children." Thank God, first step is taken up.

While discussing the malnutrition among the women and project staff, I realised that the govt initiative and NGO's current initiative will not help address malnutrition. There is issue of sanitation and hygiene, mother's education, children's care, drinking water, food. What does this mean to an NGO when it wants to address the issue like education and malnutrition? What alternative models can be followed? Can they start a parallel institute like Anganwadi center for the children below 3 years? Will advocacy help? What about the open defecation?
I have more questions than the answers.