Support in North Dinajpur

With the financial support of UNICEF, the North Dinajpur District Department of Health and Family Welfare has taken up a community mobilization program for increasing booth coverage for polio programs in six panchayats of Goalpukur I Block of North Dinajpur district. Center for Knowledge and Skills (CKS) is supporting the program with human resource and technical support. On behalf of CKS, Dr. Prabir Chatterjee is leading the team, with Mr. Lukman of CKS assisting him and six other persons have been engaged in the program so that the program is implemented properly. The program involves one week of active involvement of (a) health personnel in ensuring that the vaccine delivery is done properly and on time; (b) schools and children are mobilized to bring in other children to the  polio booth on Sunday 20, Jan 2013; (c) Awareness is created in community through children's rallies, influencer meetings, involvement of local government officials and elected representatives; (d) Churches and mosques in the area announce about the polio program and ask people to take the children for vaccination to the booth, and not wait for vaccinators to visit their homes; (e) increase visibility of the program through increased announcements through loudspeakers etc. We are happy to share couple of photos from the school rallies organized in two panchayats.

The Arrival Terminal

Megan at breakfast table

Kaytlyn having breakfast

Xenia enjoying breakfast

On 6 Jan, Ms. Xenia, a friend whom I had met in September 2007 over a flight from Frankfurt to Dubai, and then later on got connected through Facebook. She is now a business woman and has come to India and wants to explore few other countries so that she can have more taste of the Asian continent. Megan and Kaytlyn are from Seattle University. They would be staying with me for ten weeks. One of them want to know more about disaster management plans and wants to help in improving upon one of the plans. The other wants to help in providing some ideas for rural economy as she spends the day analyzing more options for rural products in the global market. Interesting concepts ! Welcome ladies.....

By the way, Megan's luggage was lost by Singapore Airlines, and it was delayed by 24 hours, and she got it nearly after 48 hours. She was given 2500 rupees by the airlines in damages and the train fare for going again  to airport to collect the baggage.

Beginning the New Year !

The New Year seem to have a lot for me. Last year I had crossed the number of blogs for the last two years, and hope to cross the previous years in this year. The year started with three travels to Kolkata and one to North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. I was also busy with budgetary revisions for the USAID supported polio eradication program through CORE Group. UNICEF also came forward to support increasing number of children being immunized in polio booths in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. I attended the District Task Force meetings in Howrah and in North Dinajpur. A friend from Germany and two from the United States have come. So, all these is keeping me busy as well. Meanwhile got the sad news of the death of the mother of my close friend, Dr. Erich Weiser, in Germany. 

As the number of activities increases, it also looks like due to busy schedule it may be difficult to be on touch friends through mails and various networks. I need to balance. I need to grow!