Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

  A maternal and infant health project has been one of the consistent efforts AMDA has carried out in Bodhgaya, Bihar which is known to be the poorest state in India. While numerous villages are in its vicinity, local residents are faced with a dire economic situation. The villagers have been hit hard by a high unemployment rate, and there are only limited job opportunities available that are predominantly daily labour work. All of this has taken a toll on them, making their life chronically unstable.  

Danpur, a village located six kilometres from the central Bodhgaya, is one such example. In the dry season, the villagers need to draw water from the well in the adjacent village since their local water source constantly gets dried up. In October 2018, AMDA was consulted about the problem by Mr. Rajesh who heads Ecoles de la Terre Welfare Society, a Bodhgaya based charity organization that runs a school in the locality as Danpur is the closest village from the place where AMDA’s affiliated organization, Japan India Friendship Medical Trust, is currently trying to set up its hub.

The following month, AMDA President Dr. Suganami along with Mr.Rajesh and former AMDA Peace Clinic staff Ms. Vedha (who now runs Vedha Mother Teresa Welfare Trust) visited the village to assess the situation.

In the middle of a vast field where ten or more single-storey mudbrick houses are lined up, the residents leash cattle to trees for milking. Asked how they were making ends meet, the villagers said many of them do not own their own property and have to rent a plot of land for farming. In fact, half of what they earn is used to pay the rent and a lot of them make a living from daily labour jobs as well.

While a well is essential for daily chores such as laundry and wash, not mention for bathing and drinking, the villagers couldn’t afford building a new one.

 

After the assessment, AMDA decided to build a new bore well in the realm of Global Partnership for Sustainable Peace (GPSP) - AMDA’s international humanitarian framework aimed at realizing a peaceful world. The project falls under the “Livelihood Support” category of the framework.

The new bore well will be set along the river, bearing in mind that the used water needs to be drained. If it weren’t for such a location, puddles could spawn mosquitoes to cause mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as malaria or dengue fever. The construction will be proceeded with the help of the said organizations led by Mr. Rajesh and Ms. Vedha. The estimated number of beneficiaries would be 135 people from 25 households in Danpur plus the residents in nearby villages.
 

Before starting the project, a discussion was held with the villagers in regards to the maintenance and management of the well. As a result, it was decided that the village leader would take the lead and the village would be responsible for the well.

The bore well is capable of supplying water for both home and agricultural purposes. For home use, people can use water for free, whereas for agriculture, whoever uses it needs to pay a fee. This system makes it more sustainable. While people generate income from selling their produce that was cultivated using the well water, the collected fees can be used for its maintenance.

“10 years ago, we still had enough water in the well even in the dry season. But now, since we do not have enough rainfall in the rainy season, it leads the well to dry up by the time the next dry season arrives. We sometimes have a problem securing drinking water, too. And this is why we are very happy to have the new well. I cannot begin to tell you how thankful we have been to your support," the village leader said.
 

Last but not least, much of the credit goes to our kind donors in Japan (SHINTSU Co., Ltd. and SHINTSU SP) who have continued to offer support to this project. It could not have made possible without their strong wish to provide clean water to economically challenged people in the region.