Victims of human trafficking battling the painful memories of the abuse at the hands of their former employers can now take heart from a new panacea for their ills.
Jeevak Ayurved Tirol Hospital, an ayurvedic and herbal medicine centre located in the capital’s suburb of Dasmile, has come up with a unique programme to train rescued girls in the art and science of recognising, processing, compound production , marketing and management of herbal plant extracts.
“According to a recent study by the World Health Organisation, the herbal medicine market has grown almost fourfold in the last five years, and the annual demand doubles every year. The field of herbs and herbal remedies could turn out to be a lucrative proposition for the State and these girls too,” said Ajay Kandulna, the co-coordinator.
So far 35 girls from remote villages in Chaibasa, Daltonganj, Sahebganj, Gumla, Khunti and the rural areas of the state capital have registered for the training programme, which is being financed by Dr. Gyan Prakash, the director of Jeevak Ayurveda hospital, from a Government scholarship that he is receiving.
“My aim is to make these girls self-reliant and give them a steady source of income that does not take them far away from their family, and is not dependant on a third person’s whims. The training will teach them to pick and process the herbal plants that freely grow in their areas, and also grow newer herbs for commercial use,” said Dr Prakash.
A Doctorate in Ayurvedic medicine from the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in lucknow, Prakash will teach the girls himself and also monitor their progress periodically so that quality standards are maintained.
“These girls should earn a steady income by working with their own natural resources, relying on their knowledge of their surrounding forests and its hidden wealth.; instead of leaving home for unknown places.” he added.
To this end, the training course is also open for those girls who were planning to go outside the state in search of jobs with ‘agencies’ but were convinced to stay back.
The teaching will begin from May 25, and will follow a strict 9 am to 4 pm schedule every day. The registered girls will be issued identity cards and a basic processing kit for use in the course of their training.
Once the training is complete, the girls will be able to earn up to `10,000 per month, depending on the amount of raw or processed herbs that they will supply to the hospital. “Most rescued girls come back with no money and lot of pain; those who do get paid are fobbed off with paltry amounts like `2000 for two-three years’ work. They will be paid as per their produce,” said Kandulna.
The hospital, in turn, has tied up with a number of major Ayurvedic medicine companies to buy these products. “So far, we have spoken to Himalaya, Zandu, Baidyanath, Dabur and Charak.