Team News Riveting
For numerous tribal families and their daughters from Rowghat and nearby areas, SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes in areas surrounding its Mines have turned out to be a blessing. For many of these families, the doors have been opened for a bright future.
Adoption of tribal girls from interior areas for their higher education in the field of nursing is one among the several schemes run by BSP for the benefit of tribal folk living in far-flung villages spread over the region surrounding Rowhat Mines. As part of SAIL-BSP’s Mines CSR activities, 20 tribal girls from the vicinity of Rowghat are adopted every year by BSP for them to pursue Nursing. Some students are admitted to Apollo College in Anjora, Durg while others are admitted in P.G. College of Nursing, Hospital Sector, Bhilai. The tribal girls hailing from the buffer villages of Rowghat mining area are provided free education, lodging and boarding, dresses and stationary. So far 181 students have been covered under the free nursing education scheme of Mines-Rowghat CSR initiatives.
We spoke to some of the girls pursuing their BSc Nursing at P.G. College of Nursing. Sumanti Kumeti from Narayanpur’s Binjli village never knew the prospects of taking up Science. The opportunities for pursuing a career in Nursing were explained by BSP officials to Sumanti and her family. Employees in BSP’s Mines-CSR department visited her home in Rowghat area, convinced her parents and brought her along with other tribal girls to join the B.Sc. Nursing course in P.G. College of Nursing, Bhilai.
Housing a total of 340 students in two courses spread over 4 years, the P.G. College has at present around 50 students who are beneficiaries of SAIL-BSP’s CSR Scheme for girls from interior areas near Rowghat. Initially timid and apprehensive, the girls soon acclimatise themselves with the ambient atmosphere congenial for studying as well as a safe and secure hostel life. Sumanti is one among such tribal girls who now look forward to a bright future ahead.
Dipika Ramteke did her schooling in Antagarh and shares that CSR department of SAIL-BSP motivated and brought awareness in her as well her elder sister, who has also done a Nursing course. We are now residing and studying in an institution we could not dream of because of BSP’s initiative, she says. Sukhmati Netam, a former student of the school run by Ramakrishna Mission in Narayanpur, too is grateful to BSP for giving her this opportunity. Her father resides in Abujhmar and is a farmer by profession.
Reema Dugga from Narayanpur is also glad she got a chance to pursue her higher studies in Bhilai. Neha Jaiswal, also a resident of Narayanpur states that moving ahead of the railway crossing in her area was once unthinkable. We have now got this golden opportunity to study further, she said, thanking BSP officials for helping and guiding her and her elder sister to fulfil their dreams. After passing out from college, her elder sister used to work as a Nurse in Bacheli. We get ample facilities for studies, hostel accommodation as well as medical treatment by the BSP management, she says.
Sarita Usendi, who finished her B.Sc. Nursing course in 2018 has undergone internship in Rajnandgaon, Kondagaon and District hospital, Bijapur. I want to do M.Sc and PhD. in the Nursing stream, she says. Saraswati Dugga from Khadka village of Narayanpur passed out last year and is currently undergoing internship at JLN Hospital and RC. There is ample opportunity to learn everything during our internship, she said. I’ve worked in the Surgery, Medicine and Covid ward. My dream is to study in AIIMS and do a government job, she added.
Reeta Kumeti from Mehka in Narayanpur states that she never even dreamt that she could study Nursing and serve in the District hospital at Narayanpur. Some of my life’s best times were spent at the PG College of Nursing, Bhilai. Currently posted in the Covid ward at Narayanpur, she shares that her community benefitted immensely due to BSP’s support.
These Nursing students are pursuing their studies under the guidance of Principal Dr. Abhilekha Biswal and Vice-Principal Dr. Sreelatha Pillai. With an appropriate atmosphere for learning, professional teachers and a plethora of extra-curricular activities like preparation of charts, rangoli to participating in national-level conferences, the hostel warden Ms. Sushma Manik vouches for the excellent set-up for the girls. Students who pass out from here are undergoing Internships in SAIL-Bhilai’s JLN Hospital and RC and some are serving as Nurses in Narayanpur area, she says.
