A fire broke out at midnight in a hamlet in West Champaran district of Bihar unknown to its resident, burning three houses down to the ground, leaving its poor residents homeless and without any belongings. “We’ve lost everything in the fire; Rs. 10,000 worth cash and jewellery, 50 kgs of wheat, 1.5 quintals...
Sikranti Devi is a rural woman’s role model today. A widow since eight years, and partially blinded, Sikranti has taken life in stride as the head of her household. By becoming a farmer in Jamdih Bardanr, in rural Jharkhand, she earns her livelihood and educates her five children. But her...
The village of Keswar Bigha, Bihar was happy when there were electrical poles installed in their village. They thought they will finally see electricity in their homes, and their children will study under an electrical light. However, much of it remained a dream when the electrical poles were left without...
A fire broke out in a sleepy hamlet of Dumari, Bihar in the middle of an April afternoon when a live electrical wire snapped, burning 250 makeshift houses down to the ground, leaving its poor residents homeless. “I’ve lost everything in the fire; there is no place to live and nothing to...
For thousands of people, mostly men, in rural Bihar, toddy is regarded as the poor man’s beer. Toddy, locally called Tadi, is considered as a natural juice,made from the sap of palm tree. It has been a favourite of villagers who throng toddy-makers in the evening to drink the mildly...
One woman’s insistence for justice has brought change for almost 3,000 people in Bihar. One year ago Community Correspondent, Tanju Devi, had made a video on year-long pension arrears under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) of citizens in Gaunaha, West Champaran district of the state. Even after repeated pleas with the authorities, the...
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has boosted about high women participation in the labour workforce. On the completion of a decade of NREGA, BJP national Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh had said revealed that 2014-15 saw the highest utilisation of funds under NREGA with Rs 48,000 crore utilised, the highest...
Everyday in the morning, Meena Devi, a resident of Bihar would travel three hours to get water. She would carry at least 20 litres of water back to her village Chanandi, which would provide for daily requirements of the household – from drinking to washing. She wasn’t alone in this...
