Rupantar’s work in the area of health has been concentrated in the remote tribal areas of Chattisgarh, with a clinic based in Bagrumnala village of Dhamteri district. Problems of Malaria (Falciparum) and TB were very prevalent and many diseases were linked to malnutrition and lack of basic medical care. Rupantar has trained and supervised community health volunteers in the villages who can take care of upper and lower respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, nutrition and post and ante natal care in their communities. This field program and training was supported with clinic visits by Dr. Binayak Sen and a supply of rational and low cost drugs.

In 1997, Rupantar set up a field pathological laboratory in Bagrumnala, the only one in an area with 50kms radius and trained health volunteers in making slides for examinations of malarial parasites. Further, obstructed labor is a major issue among women in the nearby villages which Rupantar aims to address by appointing a trained nurse to provide basic and timely help to the women.

Through this project AID will be supporting Ghasiyaram and Shantibai, who are trained local village health workers and care takers of the Bagrunnala clinic. Additonally, a trained nurse at the Rupantar clinic will also be supported to address immediately labor problems faced by women.

BioDiversity Conservation program:

Chattisgarh was traditionally known for a rich heritage of indigenous rice seeds that were adapted to different micro-eco systems. Rupantar has concentrated in the collection and dissemination of knowledge about these seeds, through a network of farmers.

ince 1994, Rupantar has also been working to develop modules of chemical free organic agriculture. Farmers were trained in many villages on the variety of rice, their yield, type of organic farming methodologies and preservation of the bio diversity. Rupantar currently leases land from a farmer based in Ghotiadadar and uses this to grow numerous indigenous varieties of rice to get local farmers interested about these rice varieties and their inherent advantages and relationships to local soil. The bio diversity program is presently being supervised by Nakcheda ram and Jagram Markam. The specific activities will include seed propagation, technical advice to farmers and the propagation of some technical inputs like blue green algae as fertilizer etc.

Through this project AID will be supporting the biodiversity program workers.