Learnings from previous programs…
Rural Development Institute (RDI) was founded in 1990 by Dr. H.H. Dr. Swami Rama under Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust as the first operational unit to provide services to the rural communities in Uttarakhand and other Himalayan States. The Institute celebrates its Foundation Day every year on 20th – 21st September. This year’s Foundation Day was very different from previous years. This year, it focussed on to learn from the previous programs by organising online sessions for interaction with the staff who served the organization in the early years.
Over the past 33 years, RDI has implemented over 100 projects in Health, Education, livelihoods and WATSAN as well as Relief and Rehabilitation. Over 250 staff have contributed their time, expertise and skills in various fields and made a difference in millions of people’s lives furthering the organization’s mission. This year, the Institute invited its old staff for online interactions who were part of the initial years of RDI. Over 100 senior executives, employees and supporters participated in this online event. They shared their valuable experience and inspired the current team by the experiments, ideas and results of the past programs. Director RDI Ms. B. Maithili opened the event and highlighted the importance of their association in the development journey of RDI.
Dr. Aruna Bhargava, the first director of the Rural Development Institute and now based in the USA, shared her experiences and explained the difficulties of initial institutional setup. Dr. Bhargava discussed the community challenges and state of health services, particularly in the last decade of the 20th century. She also highlighted the shortage of paramedical, medical and health professionals at the time. However, Dr. Bhargava also highlighted and appreciated community involvement, acceptance and interest in new knowledge and practices. She expressed her emotional connection with team members and community representatives as well as health facility providers.
Mr. Narayan Bahera who is an expert in Public Health presented a detailed presentation on the current state of health, issues and challenges faced by the state of Uttarakhand. He also suggested that the state has the potential to attain the desired results. Ms. Anjali Daryanani also participated in the online session where she shared her father’s vision to promote the education of marginalised communities. Her father, Mr. Bhagwan Daryanani, supported RDI’s educational programs for the children of labourers in the early years. Anjali was delighted to interact with the Flying Birds kids and learn about their educational journey.
Other participants also shared their experiences during their working with RDI and inspired the current team. Most of the staff to date feel that they have learned & demonstrated many things which have changed their personal and professional career. The participants were moved by the confidence shown by the Flying Birds children in the role-play done by them. They also appreciated the role-play done by the MBBS students which focused on women’s issues & challenges. On the occasion, a newsletter was also prepared. Later during the day, the staff enjoyed a group lunch.
On 21st September, new staff visited the native village of H.H. Swami Rama at Toli, Pauri Garhwal and Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Rishikesh. Other staff members visited the RDI working area in Bahadrabad and saw the various activities and a skit on health and wellness prepared by the Peer Educators under the Wipro Cares program.