One winter morning, a District Branch Red Cross team led by vice-chairman Sushma Bilung, secretary Suranjika Behera and joint secretary AR Khan visited a place called Kuajharan in Harichandanpur block of the district. It was like any other visit to distribute blankets, towels, soaps, sanitization kits and buckets to the poor.
Kuajharan is a tribal forest village inhabited by Juanga tribes. The team distributed materials to the elderly and the destitute. That day the team noticed a young boy who was physically challenged. His name was Sananda Juang and the team came to know that Sananda Juang (22) had lost both his parents and was living with his 17 years old younger sister Prabina Juang.
The District Red Cross team visited Sananda's house, a small but a beautiful house. Prabina had traditionally plastered the house and decorated it with motifs. There were two rooms one being used for living and cooking and the other for storing food grains. Prabina was a school dropout after 9th standard as no one was there to support her. Similar was the condition for Sananda. But the two siblings were successfully struggling to make their ends meet and were happy.
The team appraised the facts to the Collector cum Chairman IRCS district branch Ashish Thakare, who generously supported with a sum of Rs 30,000 to support the livelihood of the two orphan siblings. The team counselled Prabina once again to complete her schooling.
In the follow-up visit, the team found that the siblings had started a grocery shop in their house at Kuajharan and they looked self-reliant.
It may be noted that the Keonjhar district Red Cross branch team visits unreached population to support them in various ways. From January 2022 to January 2023, the branch spent Rs 20, 07, 000 for livelihood of and health treatment assistance to 146 needy poor people and for study assistance of Rs 2,75,000 to 17 poor needy students of the district.