The Nalanda community programme
The Nalanda community development programme is located in the
southeastern part of Bihar State. World Vision reaches a population
of more than 38,750 in 43 villages. World Vision's partnership with
Nalanda started in 2007, and is envisaged to continue until 2022,
when the community will be equipped with the resources and skills
to continue with its own development. In the past year, significant
improvements were made in the current focus areas of health and
education.
Issues covered: Education and
health
Updates on World Vision's work
Health
- Insecticide-treated nets were distributed to 5600 families with
children to protect them from malaria-carrying mosquitoes and
improve their health.
- In the past year, 1540 children received medical checkups and
serious cases were referred for further treatment.
Education
- 485 high school students were supported with a bicycle each to
help them continue their education. Because of long walking
distances to school, these children would not be able to continue
their education without a bicycle.
- 91 per cent of Nalanda children are now going to school, and
programmes are under way to improve enrolment at intermediate and
secondary school levels.
Life on
the ground in Nalanda
Struggling widow becomes business woman
One of Ratan Devi's daughters with one of
the family's buffalo.
Forty-year-old Ratan Devi was left a widow and single parent to
four children ten years ago when her husband passed away.
Struggling to provide for her children, she worked as a labourer on
farms. Her income was so low that the family often ate only one
meal a day. The acute poverty and hunger made her lose hope. "In
this crucial situation, World Vision emerged as a ray of hope in
our life," said Ratan. She became a member of a self-help savings
group and obtained a small loan to purchase a buffalo, which would
provide milk to sell. Sometime later, Rata bought two more buffalo.
Together, the three buffalo produce 15-18 litres of milk per day,
more than enough to keep the children well-nourished. By selling
surplus milk, Ratan can send her children to school. She offers her
gratitude to World Vision for the support and for giving the family
hope for the future.
India at a glance
India is the world's second most populous country and the
seventh largest country by area. Since the I980s, India has been
making unprecedented progress in its own history, but there are
still wide disparities in access to healthcare, education and
infrastructure. The number of poor living below NZ$2 a day has
increased from 421 million in 1981 to 456 million in 2005.
