Jhargram

A region in di­stress

Time seems to have stood still in the Jhargram region located only about 170 kilometers from the Calcutta metropole with its millions of inhabitants. These indigenous tribes live far from civilization, are socially ex­cluded, and live far below the poverty level. Most families work in the forests to earn a few rupies for their daily survival by selling natural products, like leaves from the sal tree. Hunger is often dulled by alcohol they brew themselves.

The effects of climate change are also bitterly felt. Harvests regularly dry up, and live­stock die. In summer the sources of drinking water run dry, and people are forced to use water from ponds. As a result, many people suffer from diarrhoea and worm infestation. Tuberculosis and malaria are also widespread, and many people, especially women and children, are undernourished. The prevailing health and nourishment conditions can only be described as catastrophic!

<h3>How we help</h3>
<p>We, together with our local partner, have initiated a project to improve the lack of medical provision and the quality of life. It is applied on four levels. We offer consultations with our Rolling Clinic in 49 villages. We comprehensively inform the waiting patients on topics like hygiene, family planning, and nourishment and also improve the water situation. We show the inhabitants how to apply for government assistance and how to improve their situation themselves.</p>

Project start: November 2023

Number of doctors: two German doctors are generally on site.

Partner: our project partner is Kajla Janakalyan Samity (KJKS), a local non-governmental organization (NGO), which was founded in 1956. KJKS champions the rights of children and marginalized communities and helps them stand up for their rights through a sustainable and comprehensive development approach.  KJKS also applies advocacy at the local governmental level.

Structure: The Rolling-Clinic team drives to a different consultation site every morning and afternoon so that 9 different locations are reached every week.  Public facilities, like community centers and schools, are generally used for the consultations. Local human resources, like nurses and interpreters, cooperate with the German Doctors. We also train healthcare personnel, who assist during the Rolling Clinics.  

Mission sites: 49 villages in the Jhargram region with a total of about 20,000 inhabitants.

Commonest health problems: diarrhoea, tuberculosis, mal- and undernourishment, worm infestation, and malaria.

Project goals:

• Basic medical provision for the needy population
• Health education and advocacy work
• Training of healthcare personnel
• Nourishment security and access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities

Reaching the people with the Rolling Clinic

We already successfully established the principle of providing medical assistance to people living in remote areas in the Philippines. Most people previously simply had no possibility to travel the long distances to reach the closest doctor, often while this always meant losing a day’s salary. Diseases are therefore prolonged, or the people hoping for cures rely on local healers or quacks, who have had no medical training. Women bear children without medical assistance in their huts and forego any kind of pre- or postnatal care. Many still die during delivery.

The Rolling Clinic with a team of German doctors and local colleagues drives to different villages for consultations every morning and afternoon Monday through Friday to reach as many people as possible.

Training health­care personnel

We also train local healthcare personnel, so-called `Community Health Workers’ to strengthen the local healthcare system sustainably. These are generally committed village women who receive basic medical training and actively support the Rolling Clinic. They learn hands-on from the German doctors. They are familiar with the local conditions and secure sus­tainable medical support.

These Community Health Workers carry out important health education in the villages. When specialized treatment is necessary, they refer patients to other medi­cal facilities.

Health education for every­body!

An important key to our sustainable work is medical training and health education to create consciousness about health, nutrition, and hygiene among the population. A committee is created in each of the 49 villages in our project area. These receive specific training, and the acquired knowledge is then passed on to the local population.

Our partner also offers regular training sessions for youth to combat the widespread alcoholism, which is, unfortunately, also already a problem among children in the region. Teenage pregnancy is also a priority. Many women, especially young mothers, are underweight and bear weak babies, whose physical and mental development is endangered.  

Step by step to improved living conditions

It is hardly possible to improve the poor health situation where there is no access to clean water and sanitary facilities. Therefore, we will, together with the local partner and the government, build or renovate drinking-water facilities, public toilets and washing facilities, and wells. These facilities also serve as models for other villages, just like school gardens. We support the village inhabitants in planting and managing gardens with plants which survive better in drought. The village committees have proven responsible for their maintenance.

Since the urgent problem of mal- undernourishment cannot be solved in a day, we also support especially needy groups, like pregnant women, children, and the aged, with food.

Government aid as part of the project

There already exist equivalent government programs for extremely needy individuals and indigenous people in our project region, but the bureaucratic hurdles are too high for many people. Overcoming these is an important step and should, together will all other project components, make our contribution unnecessary sooner or later.

Every second village inhabitant is sick

Our projects are always situated where help is urgently needed and living conditions are difficult. During their visit to our new project region in Jhargram, our team was especially shocked by the extent of poverty and the local problems. ‟Every second village inhabitant is sick or severely ill.ˮ reports our experienced mission doctor, Nathalie Rans. ‟The children’s bellies are swollen due to worm infestation, extreme undernourishment, and the lack of vitamins. Children aged two or three weigh only four to five kilos. The average life expectancy is less than 50 years.ˮ

The remote Jhargram region lies only about 170 kilometers from the metropole of Calcutta with its millions of inhabitants and is surrounded by primeval forests. The indigenous communities of the Santal, Lodha, and Sabar, which are among the especially vulnerable tribes, live here. They suffer from massive poverty, ostracism, a lack of access to education and medical help, and social exclusion. The mud huts with straw roofs offer hardly any light or fresh air. A majority of the inhabitants relieve themselves outside due to a lack of sanitary facilities. Water shortage is one of the most urgent problems in the region!

Many people gather products in the forests that they can sell at the weekly markets or to dealers to provide their families with a modest meal. However, deforestation due to illegal activities is rapidly increasing, and droughts make it difficult to raise animals or food. The forest is becoming an increasingly dangerous place due to elephant attacks.

Many small steps are necessary to sustainably improve the people’s living situation in Jhargram.