DHADAK MOHIM 2011: TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT – PART XIV (30th September 2011)

NO PROPER RECEIPT GIVEN FOR DONATIONS

It is known universally that whenever a donation is made to any Charitable Trust, one gets a proper receipt from the respective Trust... however, the heights of height of Maitri is that a donation of Rs. 500 /- made by Yogesh Manikpure from Pune through me, was given a receipt by Chandrakant Jagdale that was meant as acknowledgement of Rs. 700 /- that was charged from each volunteer for their Accommodation, Travelling, Food and Insurance...

Now, what will you say about the Trust which has been collecting donations from so many concerned individuals in the name of serving the poor tribal villagers in the Melghat Region since so many years? 14 years of existence and the respective employee mentioned above doesn’t even know such a basic thing as to which receipt is to be given for DONATIONS received by the Trust?

The above mentioned individual donated the money because he believed in me and has been following my work... since he couldn’t send medicines he made sure that this money is well utilized to buy medicines for the needy villagers... however, even he has been cheated by the Trust and Dhadak Mohim!

The receipt that was provided is provided for the whole world to see what and how the management is all about...

(... to be continued...)

DHADAK MOHIM 2011: TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT – PART XIII

STRANGE: ONLY ONE THERMOMETER PER BASE CAMP SERVING FOUR VILLAGES

One wonders whether one should laugh, cry or get angry at the way things were on the grounds of Dhadak Mohim 2011... Especially since the Trust have been conducting such yearly medical camps in the Melghat Region since the last 14 years! One was made to think about all the mismanagement which was so openly visible to a naked eye...

Was the management really serious about conducting such yearly medical camps year after year with so many glaring glitches and flaws in the name of serving the poor tribal villagers? Did the doctors on the panel along with the management ever discuss the list of all the important and mandatory items before the start of the Dhadak Mohim? Or was the management so over confident that no one would notice or make a note of all the glitches and flaws because since the last 14 years no one has ever pointed out all these things...

Going by the way the Dhadak Mohim 2011 was conducted, all the above seems oh so evident... it showed that the Trust was interested only in making money (money raised by charging volunteers Rs. 700/- each for 10-day-camp, donations and contributions and free medicines contributed by various individuals) and not conduct the medical camp to serve the poor tribal villagers... serving the poor was just to show to the world otherwise with such total mismanagement one wonders what exactly they wanted to achieve in the first place? One also wonders what the doctors on the panel had to say about all the missing elements – First Aid Kit, Thermometer, Bandages, Dettol, Medicines, Protein Supplements, Presence of a qualified doctor in every batch etc etc. Why the doctors on the panel had pointed out or had demanded what their requirements was for every base camp... was counselling the only agenda of the volunteers as per Dr. Ajit Roy?

Certainly, it showed how carelessly the Trust and the management conducting yearly Dhadak Mohim had managed to show to the whole world how one can achieve Total Mismanagement with such improper planning. Imagine, every Base Camp had 8 to 10 volunteers serving four villages and just ONE THERMOMETER!!! Why the volunteers were not given FOUR thermometers by the management? How were the volunteers supposed to record the temperature of the patients???

I am truly appalled at the whole situation on the grounds of Dhadak Mohim 2011...

(... to be continued...)

DHADAK MOHIM 2011: TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT – PART XII

THE MOST ESSENTIAL “FIRST AID KIT” WAS MISSING ALTOGETHER FROM ALL THE BASE CAMPS

14 years of conducting Yearly Medical Camps – Dhadak Mohim is the claim of the Trust and one should ask them as to what kind of management it was on the real grounds!!!

One will be surprised and even to a layman the most evident and most essential “First Aid Kit” was missing altogether in all the Base Camps... surely, the management had never thought that someone would ever point out such a big blunder... First Aid Kit is the most mandatory for even a small event and here 35 villages were at stake with as many as 94 volunteers per batch... who were asked to serve the poor tribal villagers without First Aid Kit... now what will one say about such a management where in even the two doctors didn’t bothered to provide one kit per Base Camp, if not Four kits per Base Camp to serve four villages???

Total Mismanagement seems to be the Major Highlight of Dhadak Mohim 2011! Certainly it seemed that for the management it was a child’s play to conduct such yearly camp:

WITHOUT:-

First Aid Kit;

Enough Stock of Medicines;

Stock of Protein Supplements;

Qualified Doctors to lead the Base Camps;

Dettol Antiseptic Lotion;

Sufficient Number of Volunteers per batch;

Toilets for Girl Volunteers;

Safe Drinking Water;

I really don’t know what to say for such a careless and callous attitude of the management to conduct such camps... please tell me the world, what can you expect from such camps?

(... to be continued...)

DHADAK MOHIM 2011: TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT – PART XI

HUGE WASTAGE OF VEGETABLES DAILY @ Rs. 540/-

One can say even with a blind eye that it was mismanagement at its best! Since it was not the Trust’s money in feeding the volunteers (they charged each volunteer Rs. 700/- to serve as a volunteer – how gross one can get?), the management really did not care at all about huge wastage of vegetables. Daily in most of the camps, vegetables to the tune of 2 to 3 kilos had to be thrown out because vegetables were dumped at various Base Camps every fourth or fifth day... it surely reflected the callous attitude of the management to waste so much (9 Base Camps x 2 to 3 kgs = 18 to 27 kgs wastage of vegetables every day)... if one calculates the average in terms of rupees... Rs. 20 to 30/- a kg x 27 = Rs. 540/- Daily... x 30 Days = Rs. 16,200 /-

I was very upset about the whole thing and used to ask other volunteers why they dump so much of vegetable once a week? Why the management couldn’t provide us daily supply of fresh vegetables? Volunteers who paid Rs. 700/- were fed vegetables that used to get stale after a day... what and why the management was so careless and callous with their mismanagement? Have they been conducting Dhadak Mohim in such a fashion since the last 14 years? All these wastage when they were serving the so-called malnourished region of Melghat... how careless and callous it was of the management not to think the basic things of conducting a camp?

Each volunteer deserved a proper accommodation, safe drinking water, toilets facilities and proper fresh food because they have paid their parents’ hard earned money and that too, for serving as volunteers... but none of the above was provided... food which was often eaten by rats was part of the scenario that is so disgusting to even think of. And since it was not their money, they carelessly allowed such wastage to go unnoticed by one and all. I wonder why they could not supply fresh vegetables on a daily basis to check the wastage... well, it showed that the management was not at all bothered about the volunteers and wastage once the volunteers had paid the 700 rupees...

Maybe for some people who are supporting the Total Mismanagement of Dhadak Mohim still think that such things are childish... but wastage of food where the poor villagers cannot even afford to buy vegetables, the management had carelessly allowed such huge wastage on a daily basis... I am appalled and totally disillusioned apart from being sad about the whole mismanagement...

(... to be continued...)

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART X

After the TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM and ILL-TREATMENT to volunteers who were doing good work on ground, MAITRI's employee MADHU MANE invites me to DHARNI through Dr. Priyadarsh Ture (I have to let the world know DR. how things are progressing) to say and finish off things... that in other words means DEAL.

I am writing not to make DEAL about what happened but I am writing because I care for the POOR & want the WORLD to know... how the POOR are exploited!

When things are good on grounds, I have written everything as it is... so when things are wrong, I am writing everything as it is...

Please read the links below:

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/06/meet-young-docu-filmmaker-ajay-saklani.html

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-old-world-of-india-melghat-district.html

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-old-world-of-india-melghat-district_22.html

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-old-world-of-india-melghat-district.html

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-old-world-of-india-melghat-district_07.html


(... to be continued...)

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART IX

SHORT SUPPLIES OF MEDICINES, NO PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS STOCK WITH THE MANAGMENT

MELGHAT MAITRI has been serving the Melghat Region since the last 14 years and one wonders what kind of management it was during the DHADAK MOHIM 2011? I along with all the volunteers at Paankhalya Base Camp was surprised because there was no stock of “Protein Supplements” at all... I was surprised to see only one packet of Protein Supplement was given to one malnourished child for just one day... when I enquired from Suresh Sabale (a medical student from Pune), the Group Leader, he said – ‘What to do... I have asked and requested them many a times but they have not send the stock.’

This was something very serious and shows the callous and careless attitude of the management for they were serving the Melghat Region where the so-called malnutrition deaths are known and they didn’t had the most important Protein Supplement in their stock... so one wonders is MALNUTRITION DEATHS in Melghat a DEMONIC MYTH created by the MEDIA, Government officials, Leaders and NGOs serving there? At the Orientation at arrival we were told by Dr. Ajit Roy that deaths are mainly due to pneumonia and medicines not reaching the villagers. Malnutrition deaths are rare in this region... and so very true it was because while serving the four villages – Paankhalya, Gambhiri, Nagodhana and Khaparkheda, we got only 6 cases of malnutrition among infants... each village comprised of more than 100 to 150 families in average. So the reality of malnutrition deaths in Melghat Region is media hyped. I requested Suresh to keep asking for Protein Supplement... we begged for full four days with the management but it seemed they were just not hearing our plea... There were major shortfalls of medicines that the camp didn’t have... Suresh left after his 10 days but the Protein Supplements did not arrived.

DETTOL was another antiseptic lotion that was totally missing in almost every base camps... imagine the management just wanted us to treat the villagers without cleaning their wounds or boils... after four long days of repeated requests and begging, finally Ram Phad arrived with 6 small bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide and very humbly gave us three and another three to Priyanka Kumari, Group Leader of Khaari Base Camp...which was not sufficient to divide for four villages to cater. When I asked about the Protein Supplements... he said – ‘aayega aaj kal mein (will come in a day or two)’ – I was furious about their careless attitude and finally I told Ram, “Please send 20 packets of Protein Supplement even if you have to buy it and I shall pay the amount.” That very night, late at night Rajaram came with 20 packets... and so also a good stock of medicines.

The reason being I had told Group Leader Shambhaji (MSW student from Satara) that if the medicines and Protein Supplements will not arrive today, tomorrow I will ask every volunteer to stay at the camp and not enter villages with proper and all medicines to serve the poor villagers. I am sure the message was conveyed to the management and hence that day everything arrived. One really wonders as to why the management had not stocked the required medicines in respective base camps when the camp was almost one month old? Why there was such a major shortfall of all the required medicines? That night Rajaram revealed that every camp is facing the shortfall.

The same night, Dr. Ture also arrived and we had a good interactive session with him. I told him everything about the shortfall of medicines, dettol, and there was no stock of bandages for dressing... Dr. Ture assured me that the very next day the shortfall will arrive and I am indeed grateful to him because for two consecutive days, he sent us good stock of Protein Supplements and other required medicines after I asked Satyajit to prepare a list of deficiencies. I really don’t know if other 8 Base Camps were as lucky as our Base Camp to get a good stock of medicines.

However, after those two good days (thanks to Dr. Ture), the stock never arrived again till I was there (1^st September) and the shortfall continued as we were serving the sick in four villagers to cut a sorry figure in front of the villagers when we didn’t have the required medicines for patients. Can you believe that once the volunteers were dropped at the respective Base Camps, we were on our own... no one to really ask what you need? What are the problems you are facing? Is everything alright? There was no Daily Stock Taking of Medicines from the Management... there was no follow up by them... there was no one, one could really project one’s helplessness...

Concerned citizen from various parts of India were kind enough to send me medicines... Sanjiv Chhabria - Mumbai, Uma Iyer - Noida, Rohit Chhabria & Tarana Masand – Mumbai, Vijay Beleri – Mumbai and Dr. Anandita Jaiswal Malik – Raipur had sent us medicines worth Rs. 25-30,000 in total... this stock surely came in handy and arrived timely to serve the villagers. The management has failed miserably for the fact that non-availability of required medicines not being given to volunteers to serve the poor villagers shows how well the MISMANAGEMENT was at work.

And on 30^th August when I projected the problems, Dr. Ajit Roy said – ‘You all are here to counsel the villagers about medicines. You are not here to make them dependent by giving them medicines.’ Volunteers were aghast to hear this from a Dr. Who told nothing about ‘Counselling’ at our arrival.... a mere 20 minutes Orientation about Diarrhea and Pneumonia and Dr. Roy declares all of us as doctors... the approach to serve the poor at Dhadak Mohim 2011 with improper orientation, no statistical records of malnourished children in respective village, short supply of medicines, no stock of Protein Supplements, no Dettol and the points I have discussed so far since 2^nd September about Total Mismanagement has surely opened my and other volunteers eyes...

Responsible citizen who chipped in with donations and medicines are angry about all the mismanagement... I really wonder why they didn’t try their level best to rectify their flaws when it was projected to them! WHY? This BIG WHY will haunt everyone who was connected with DHADAK MOHIM!

(... to be continued...)

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART VIII

YASHWANTRAO CHAVAN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK JAKATWADI, SATARA’S MSW STUDENTS TAKES ON THE MANAGEMENT BEFORE LEAVING DHADAK MOHIM

Unhappy volunteers who came in to serve the malnourished infants of tribal villagers in Melghat Region realized how the mismanagement at Dhadak Mohim 2011 has misled them with gory pictures of malnourished children during their drive at various colleges to ask volunteers to come and serve at the mohim. 35 MSW students from Yashwantrao Chavan School of Social Work Jakatwadi, Satara... who were serving at various camps were united in demanding the management as to why they were misled and the whole mohim had total mismanagement – from accommodation, no safe drinking water, no toilets facilities for girl volunteers, no bathroom for girl volunteers to take bath, short supply of medicines and improper orientation... before leaving the camps on 6^th September at Dharni Base Camp.

This picture is posted in Dhadak Mohim's blog... www.dhadakmohim.wordpress.com

The management comprising of Dr. Ajit Roy, Ram Phad and Rajaram did accepted there were flaws and noted down all the points pointed out by various students. They promised that they will make sure such things will not happen ever in future Dhadak Mohim... however initially the management insisted to girl students that they should have adjusted a little to live in village atmosphere. To which most of the girls came on strongly and said, “Why should we adjust... we came to serve the villagers and not to adjust because there were no safe drinking water supply, no toilets and bathroom facilities for girls and on top of everything we paid Rs. 700/- for what... and how can you ask us to generate awareness about ‘Health & Hygiene’ and teach the villagers to adopt such practice when you have made us to go out in open for nature’s call?’ The management didn’t have any answers to all these questions as per students.

While travelling back to Satara and in college, the 35 MSW students did discuss at great length about their experiences at Dhadak Mohim in train... majority of volunteers were surprised that there were more NEGATIVE POINTS than any POSITIVE POINTS during their 15 days’ ordeal at various camps. All the students are making sure that when they will file their respective reports, they will write in detail about all the mismanagement for the Dean to take great notice about their ground experiences.

All these while Dr. Ajit Roy have been calling various volunteers over phone and telling them that Johnny D has not done the right thing by writing everything in the blog... volunteers demanded from Dr. Roy – ‘What Johnny D has written is not wrong and he is writing the truth.’ Dr. Roy even confessed and agreed that there were mismanagement to one of the volunteers over phone.

I really wonder as to who will trust Dhadak Mohim in future? And I am glad the students of Yashwantrao Chavan School of Social Work Jakatwadi, Satara have revealed more about the total mismanagement at DHADAK MOHIM 2011!

(... to be continued...)

मैं हूँ गरीब तो क्या?

(The poem is inspired by my recent 
experience @ Dhadak Mohim)


मैं जीता हूँ अपनी ही छोटी सी दुनियाँ में...

जहाँ खाने के नाम में दो रोटी बस है मेरे लिए

मैं जीता हूँ...

जहाँ बिमारियों व दुखों से मेरी ज़िन्दगी भरी है

मैं जीता हूँ...

जहाँ भीख मांगने से मर जाना बेहतर समझा जाता है

मैं जीता हूँ...

जहाँ प्रकृति को देवता का दर्ज़ा दिया गया है पूर्वजों ने     

मैं जीता हूँ...

मैंने कभी दुनिया से नहीं कहा कि मेरी मदद करो

मैं जीता हूँ...

जहाँ मेहनत करना ज़िन्दगी का दूसरा नाम है

मैं जीता हूँ...

मैं नहीं जानता क्यों दूसरों को छोटा समझा जाता है

मैं जीता हूँ...

लेकिन दुनियाँ फिर भी मेरा शोषण करती है क्यों?

मैं जीता हूँ...

मुझे कृपा करके मेरे हाल पर छोड़ दो, मैं सुख से जीना चाहता हूँ

मैं जीता हूँ...

अमीर मेरी दुनियाँ में आकर सब तहस-नहस कर देते हैं क्यों?

मैं जीता हूँ...

मैंने कब किसी को कोई नुकसान पहुँचाया है

मैं जीता हूँ...

मेरी ज़िन्दगी मुझे छोड़कर सभी को अमीर बना देती है

मैं जीता हूँ...

पर ये वहसी दुनियावाले मुझे हर पल मारने में लगे रहते हैं 

मैं हूँ गरीब तो क्या हुआ...

धन्य है भगवन का जिसने मुझे गरीब पैदा किया!!! 

हाँ, मैं गरीब हूँ...

पर मैं दुनियाँवालों को कुछ न कुछ अपनी ज़िन्दगी में देता ही रहता हूँ!

--- स्वरचित ---

१० सितम्बर २०११  

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART VII

VOLUNTEERS CONFIRM TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT & SHORT TERM VISION ON FACEBOOK CHAT...

Raosaheb Khandare (Medical Intern @ JJ Govt Medical College Mumbai)

·      Hey Johnny,sorry for replyin u late. Anyways been there in melghat for 15days at dhodra base camp n yes i m completely agree with ur observation!

Rutuja Shirole (Volunteer @ Khaari Base Camp)

·         thank u!..bt coulnt really make a huge diffrnce!

Rutuja Shirole

• ppl need awareness badly!!!

Rutuja Shirole

·         really!

·         i do agree

·         rs.700 fr wt?

·         no toilts...

Rutuja Shirole

·         my actual purpose ws ...to feel d ppl..!

·         n i tried my best to intract wid dem

·         bt dint reli luv d concept of HELPING dem!

·         dey cnt help dem nly in 3months

Rutuja Shirole

·         n i too..ws scared to giv childrn medicines..

·         bt most of dem wer treatd on PCM nly

·         cough cold fever ..

·         skin dis. n al

Priyanka Kumari (Group Leader of Khaari Base Camp for more than 1 month, dedicated soul)

·         ya

·         y u felt that

·         whatever u hav posted on ur blog

·         Johnny

·         m partially convinced

·         bt

Priyanka Kumari

i said i got whatever u hav written bt nt fully convinced

·         Missmanagement is there,,,coz of lack of man power

Palak Jha (volunteer from Agra @ Khaari Base Camp, she left her 7 months son to serve the poor villagers at Melghat)

·         maine abhi blog padha....i am speechless..

·         ye log aisa kaise kar sakte hai???

Meenal Tatpati (she was supposed to join as volunteer but couldn’t)

·         sorry to hear about Dhadak Mohim. I really felt it was a good platform. I can understand the need for doctors in the remote Melghat villages even more now since a little girl from my subject tribal village very near Pune fell violently ill about two weeks ago. The mismanagement needs to be reported to the authorities concerned with Dhadak Mohim though. And thanks for letting us know. I hope something good continues in Melghat. Good luck for your work!

Mahesh Puri (Medical Intern at JJ Govt Medical College Mumbai)


I m feelin vry sad 2 hear abt Pankhalya camp whr i ws cmp leader whn mohim strtd.N i ws told,it won't b closd in whole mohim under evn rough circumstances!

(... to be continued...)

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART VI

MAITRI SHUTS DHADAK MOHIM’S PAANKHALAYA BASE CAMP w.e.f 7^th SEPT 2011

The short term vision was evident with the total mismanagement @ Dhadak Mohim this year... 14 years of experience conducting such yearly camps in Melghat Region of Vidarbha, MAITRI has done many good works in the region... so one wonders what went wrong this year? Why there was total mismanagement when they should have been flawless? Why they had only short term vision instead of long term vision to better lives of the poor Korku tribal villagers? Why they had to shut down Dhadak Mohim’s Paankhalaya Village Base Camp with effect from 7^th September? Why were good volunteers blamed and accused in front of everyone by the management representative Chandrakant Jagdale?

All the ‘WHYs’ shows how the management has failed and almost everyone has confirmed in their own ways about the mismanagement... Group Leader Priyanka Kumari of Khaari Base Camp confirmed and agreed during our chat on Facebook about the mismanagement because of lack of manpower... (chat conversation is given below):

Priyanka Kumari (Group Leader of Khaari Base Camp for more than 1 month, dedicated soul)

·         ya

·         y u felt that

·         whatever u hav posted on ur blog

·         Johnny

·         m partially convinced

·         bt

Priyanka Kumari

i said i got whatever u hav written bt nt fully convinced

·         Missmanagement is there,,,coz of lack of man power

When the Mohim was planned and scheduled from July 20 to October 16^th... so why was the Base Camp at Paankhalya shut down abruptly with an excuse that they don’t have volunteers? What will happen to all the villagers of the four villages – Paankhalya, Nagodhana, Khaparkheda and Gambhiri? It shows that the 89 days Mohim was not at all planned properly otherwise how come they don’t have volunteers to serve them at the above mentioned base? This is one more BIG Question that shows their mismanagement...

I feel so sad about all that had happened in the name of serving the poor... I am sad, very-very sad!

(... to be continued...)

TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT @ DHADAK MOHIM – PART V

REACTION FROM THE WORLD ABOUT THE MISMANAGEMENT

Cathy Ritlaw said...

Oh, no, so very sorry! At least you have the courage to speak up and perhaps change things. Thank you.

September 3, 2011 1:23 AM

Johnny D said...

Catherine grateful for your kind support... I am very-very sad about the whole thing and most of the volunteers who were serving or had served in previous batches feel the same way but since they have come from respective colleges, they just cannot say anything...

The love and respect the villagers gave us are being betrayed in the name of help and that saddens me more than anything else... hope the scenario changes for better from the next batch and the management will take good care with full stock of medicines...

Cuidate :)

September 3, 2011 10:03 AM

Sanjiv said...

Johnny,

People like this need to be held accountable. It is rather unfortunate that in the name of serving others, that people abuse the position they are placed in. 

I was amongst one that sent medications out of concern, and am extremely disappointed to hear that there is such gross mismanagement. Again, just to reiterate, these people need to be held accountable, and I would strongly urge you to take some action. I am more than willing to assist you in your efforts.

Cheers,
Sanjiv

September 4, 2011 6:47 PM

Johnny D said...

Sanjiv you can imagine what I must have felt after the whole experience, giving my precious time, raise donations, raise medicines from all over India and also ask my friends to be part of the camp as volunteers and to be treated by the management in the most callous manner... I am more sad than angry because the love the villagers gave us... without knowing the reality... is hard to replace or pay back.

However, I am also glad that I came to know the reality soon and to make them accountable and the world to know, I am writing all my experience and the flaws of the management. I am extremely sorry Sanjiv but all the medicines which came in from individuals were used for the villagers to become alright... so I am grateful to you all who had send us medicines... so please don't feel otherwise. It is my duty to make the world know how the management has failed miserably and cheated everyone - the villagers, the volunteers, and the world...

If you can, please send this information to the media, so that they are exposed about all that has happened in the name of serving the poor villagers. My heart really boils when poor are exploited in such a fashion Sanjiv... I do hope you understand my plight for being treated by the management in such a manner... every volunteer feels cheated after realizing what the whole game was...

Grateful to you for all your kind support. Acchaka!

Cuidate :)

September 4, 2011 8:31 PM

Ajay Saklani said...

Dear Johnny,

Sorry for responding late to your article. I read the article in details and I understand that there were miss management during the Dhadak Mohim programme, BUT the problems are not as big as you have stated in your article. Working in 47 villages (much more than 16 villages in last camp) wasn't that easy task. Your expectations according to this article were much more than it should have been.
While working in this region of Melghat, if you are expecting a packaged mineral water, that won't be possible. 
You have also written about Rs. 700/- being charged from volunteers for 10 days. I won't be able to comment on this as I'm not aware of how much donations Melghat Mitra is getting.
Whatever I came to know during my work in Melghat is that they do not receive momentary support/funding from any individual or organization, rather they ask them to visit the region and then decide how can they support the tribals without donation money.

September 4, 2011 9:31 PM

Johnny D said...

Ajay thank you so much for enlightening me and the world about the inefficiency and mismanagement... while I was on ground, you were not. As stated by you 47 villages, sorry that the management once again has misled everyone, including you. The camp was held only in 30 villages and not 47 as confirmed by Chandrakant Jagdale in 9 batches because they didn't get enough volunteers because they were charging Rs. 700/- from each one... the Dictionary meaning: "In general terms, volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving." If volunteers get sick drinking well water, who is responsible Ajay? If the volunteers get sick, tell me how will they serve the poor? No toilet facilities for the ladies and the management wanted the volunteers to generate awareness about Health & Hygiene... isn't this a hypocritical approach? Chandrakant himself told us that after an article was published in Pune newspapers, a business donated Rs. 25,000 and later another 1.25 lakhs... many of my friends too contributed money who couldn't send medicines... I am surprised that you say that the problems are not BIG after going through all the points of inefficiency and mismanagement... will you please enlighten all of us as to what according to you is THE BIG PROBLEM? I will be grateful to you, really...

September 5, 2011 1:03 AM

Priyanka Borpujari said...

Dear Johnny, nice to connect back with you again, albeit through this bitter post :-( I am extremely sad to hear this, considering that I have been telling people a lot about 'Dhadak Mohim'. But I tell you what: I do hope that the people who sent in money and medicines do not lose their hope in helping. Of course this was terrible, but there are a lot others too who are doing great work, and I fear that this one bad incident would scar the memories of donors for the rest of their lives. All the best with all that you are doing. Proud of you. 

priyanka borpujari
www.priyanka-borpujari.blogspot.com

September 5, 2011 12:54 AM

Johnny D said...

Priyanka acchaka and grateful for your kind support... most of the donors and volunteers do feel cheated for contributing with good intentions and serving the poor... the experience on ground has been very-very sad and I hate when people cheat the poor villagers for no fault of theirs... cuidate :)

September 5, 2011 1:07 AM

Priyanka Borpujari said...

Okay Johnny, I have read what Ajay has written in here, and guess i would like to ponder on some of the points more openly. 

In a village, one cannot expect a separate 'ladies' toilet. I think every time the volunteers are told that this will be a complete village experience. Forget toilets: there are hardly any toilets in most villages.

This should NOT be seen as serving the poor -- like, we the 'servers' are doing something great and thus look down on those in the villages. In fact, my idea of volunteerism is to stay with the villagers and live like them!

Instead of bothering about mismanagement, perhaps you and your friends could help out with that? I mean, not everyone have managerial skills, no? 

To me, the biggest problem is that we consider ourselves as too great souls who are doing others a favour. Hell, we are doing it for ourselves, and we complain when we are attempts have some other motive. That is the way I see it.

I cannot comment on the Rs 700 taken, for I need to know more.

Please Johnny, continue your good work, but let us all not jump into conclusions? It is veryyyy easy to do that and to point fingers. Let's remember that volunteers go in with their own will, and so did you. If we really want to help, we should live one day completely like a man who is trying hard to feed his dying children. Let's keep Mumbai outside when we leave Mumbai. All the best.

September 5, 2011 1:29 AM

Johnny D said...

Priyanka, I am not pointing a finger here because I have held Melghat Maitri in a very high pedestal before my experience @ Dhadak Mohim... and I sincerely request Ajay Saklani and you to realize and understand this FACT in the first place!

Along with Ajay, I had even gone to Mumbai to talk with JJ GMC students to request them to join Dhadak Mohim... I raised donations for them; I raised medicines worth 25 – 30,000 rupees in a short time; and I even raised volunteers for them and provided my service because I believed in them. I didn’t go for my personal benefits there because I have dedicated my life to serve the poor villagers in Vidarbha. So before writing – ‘Jumping to conclusion’ you should have thought about all these factors.

Secondly, is it my fault if so many flaws of the management are seen right in the front of your eyes? Will you keep your mouth SHUT like the world and turn a BLIND EYE?

Thirdly, it was MISMANAGEMENT at its BEST after conducting such camps since the last 14 years? They should have been flawless by 14th year, instead of so many flaws.

Fourthly, yes, separate Ladies Toilet is out of the question in villages but tell me how will you generate awareness of ‘Health & Hygiene’ if you are living their unhygienic life style? Will the villagers listen to you? One has to practice what one preaches or expect others to follow. What if poisonous snakes had bit lady volunteers? Obviously, since they made us to sign that in case of any casualties, the individual is responsible and not the Trust. So the management were smart enough to include this clause.

Fifth, only if Ajay and you had been on the grounds, would your eyes pop up with all the mismanagement and ground realities. Does one have to BEG for ‘Protein Supplements’ to be given to malnourished patients? They didn’t have STOCK, can you believe this? Two batches had to BEG them and it is only when I told Ram Phad that please send 20 Packets of ‘Protein Supplements’ and I shall pay the amount, it arrived late night... this essential supplement was missing and not available with them when they are serving in the region of malnutrition deaths?

Sixth, DETTOL the most essential antiseptic to clean the boils / injuries before applying the medicines was not at all given to any camps, WHY? In spite of repeated requests, only after four days, it was provided and that too not enough to distribute in four batches of one camp? This when I came to know that one volunteer from Pune by the name SARANG revealed they have enough stock of DETTOL. So why were the Base Camps deprived of the most essential antiseptic liquid?

There were many flaws that you and the world will read in coming days... and then may I suggest you to jump into your conclusion... the ground realities surely has opened my eyes.

September 5, 2011 10:09 AM

Catherine Ritlaw said...

Without honest, caring and organized people at the top, any organization will fail. Workers must have the support of the leaders, or all will fall apart.

September 3, 2011 9:22 PM

Anonymous said...

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

~ Unknown

September 3, 2011 10:13 PM

Johnny D said...

Acchaka ('Thank you' in Korku dialect) Catherine and you have rightly said...

Unknown acchaka for the inspiring poem... really appreciate your kind support and yes, i may quit only when death invites me in its arms... not otherwise!

cuidate :)

September 3, 2011 11:04 PM

Anonymous said...

Johnny my boy, my advice not only to you but to all the kind-hearted people out there who wish to contribute for some noble cause (God bless you all for that!), next time make sure you folks investigate first to find out the NGOs are genuine or fraudulent, trust me these days there are more fraudulent NGOs than the genuine ones, especially in India (sorry to say that!)! What you’re doing right now by writing about your bad experiences with them you’re already helping in fighting against the fraudulent NGOs. I think it’s about time that we should think about fighting this so-called-NGOs-making money by concealing their true colours. I cannot imagine 14 years in the business!! Come let us all uproot such NGOs so that the genuine ones can do their good work without these fraudulent NGOs putting dark patches on them. Keep writing my boy it’s worth the risks you folks took being their volunteers. May God bless you always!

September 4, 2011 11:04 PM

Johnny D said...

Acchaka ('Thank you' in Korku dialect) and grateful for your kind support and blessings Sir...

Sai Baba bless you always! - Cuidate :)

September 5, 2011 1:01 AM