500 Women Benefit From Health Campaign
Women in the rural areas of Nepal suffer from poor health often lack even basic general health services. Recently Educate the Children organized a Health Camp for women. The event took place at Kitini Higher Secondary School in Godavari.
The program was organized in collaboration with three local organizations -- Samanta Ko Lagi Jagaran Nepal, the Nahunda Clinic, and Dalit Utpidit Sangh -- as well as the the District Health Office. The main objectives of the camp was to make people aware of general health issues, basic preventive and curative measures and also to provide 500 Women's Group members with essentially free health services.
Students from Kitini who are benefiting from Educate the Children's Higher Study Scholarships volunteered to help run the camp. This year these scholarships have been provided through the generous support of the Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation. The students registered the name and address of the patients, collected the negligible amount (Rs.10) as registration fees, helped gather weight statistics, and ushered the women to their check-ups. The student volunteers were very happy to get involved in such important community work.
All in all it was a very successful camp. Though we didn't come close to meeting the demand for services from the community, nevertheless it was a learning experience for Educate the Children and the Higher Study students. We look forward to working more with these dedicated young men and women in the future.
Here, in their own words, are some of reflections of students who volunteered in the camp.
Partiva Budhathok: Class : 12 ; Faculty: Education
I was involved in helping the patients stand in order for check up. People from the local community were present. The presence of male patients was very negligible. The camp was very effective. The students getting scholarships at our school volunteered in the camp. I have been receiving scholarship by ETC since class 11. ETC has been helping us through various means; it has provided us with scholarships and by such opportunity to volunteer we have been able to brush up our knowledge and be more practical in such programs. I feel satisfied to serve the people in such a voluntarily work. After the completion of the program we requested the people present there to make comments and suggestions and they said that the work was satisfactory. Not only in education but ETC has been inspiring us in different fields to polish up our capabilities. We hope to get involved in more programs like this. We would like the organizations like ETC to develop more and like to thank ETC and other involved organizations for organizing the program.
Menuka Bista: Class : 12; Faculty: Management
I was involved in the camp as a volunteer. In the camp people around were actively participating and it was accomplished as a grand success. In the camp people benefited through dental, general and gynecological health services. The people from different areas like Jharuwarashi, Banegoan, Bisankhu, Godawari came and took the services. People were really very happy to have access to health services. Mostly women who are engaged in the household work benefited from the program. We would like such programs of ETC to be organized in the various needful areas so that children like us can brush up the knowledge on health issues and learn to work in such functions. It is very nice to provide students with such opportunities to volunteer in such functions. I am very grateful to ETC.
Smriti Rawal: Class: 12; Faculty: Education
I am very happy to get the opportunity to volunteer in the health camp. The camp was very effective. Women, men and children from various places benefited from the service. It was a bit difficult in the beginning to settle the line for check up. The people who were suffering from different diseases benefited from the health service and medicines that were provided free of cost. This camp was very helpful to the people those who were having ill health yet could not get treatment due to various reasons. Most people hiding their health problem due to their ignorance received the treatment. Such camp should always be organized in the rural areas where health services are out of reach of the people and for the people those who are ignorant about their health problems due to their illiteracy, they assume that the problems are natural and obvious that doesn't need treatment. I wish to get such opportunities again and again. And would like to thank ETC for providing the opportunity for me to contribute in such programs.
Jyoti Neupane: Class: 12 ; Faculty: Commerce
I mobilized myself as a volunteer. As the camp was focused mainly on the women related health issues, the presence of women was more, but there was a remarkable number of elderly people and children. Those who suffered from various diseases due to the lack of time to go for check up and also due to the lack of enough money got benefit from the camp. Due to the limited time some women could not get the service. I suggest that in the coming days more time should be given to run the program so that all the people present receive the service of the program.
Suraj Ramtel: Class: 12; Faculty : Humanities
I got the opportunity to volunteer in the health camp. I have been receiving scholarship from ETC since class 11 that's why I got the opportunity to volunteer in the camp. There were services for general, dental and gynecological services. There were quite a remarkable number of people present at the camp where women's presence was more then men. The program was satisfactory, the number of people was more than expected form Godawar, Bisankhunarayan and Badikhel VDCs. I had contributed by giving best of my knowledge and skills and doing the activities I was assigned for. In this program ETC was more active. ETC provides the students with the light of education and the students those who are receiving scholarships volunteered in the program. The program has helped us to polish our skills, it has given satisfaction to get involved in such work, I feel proud for being involved in such work. The camp was organized in a very systematic manner. Such programs must be organized frequently in the rural and underdeveloped, poverty-stricken areas of the country where the people suffering from poverty can get the benefit from the program. I am thankful to the organizers.
Women's Group members had this to say about the participation of the students in the camp:
Makhamali Nepali: Naudhara Women's Group, Godawari
The children did a great help in the camp. They helped in writing names and more.
Nirmala Thapa Maga: Rumba Women's Group, Bisankhu
This is a social work. The children have helped a lot. If they had not helped there would be a situation to take help from the outsiders. Because of them it has been easier to register the names. Our daughters have also helped in the camp and are happy to get the help from ETC.
Masini Dudraj: Jwaladevi Women's Group, Bisankhu
The Higher Study Students did a great help. When we reached in the camp the children had come and had settled to register the names. Some were calling the names of the patients at the top of their voice. Without them it would really be difficult to run the camp. I feel like the children have developed the thought that they have to get involved in the social work organized by ETC. My son was also very eager since 4/5 days to volunteer in the camp.