Nishtha – Rural Health, Education and Environment Center

The approach is to work alongside the local people for our mutual development and benefit. In this fast moving world in which major changes in the Indian cultural perspective creates conflict and confusion the aim to encourage dialogue and learning through acknowledging individual and group knowledge and desire to live in harmony with each other and nature. The approach is holistic and our philosophy is based on an integrated approach that is inclusive of physical, social and spiritual growth of people and nature.

Nishtha’s founder and manager is Dr. Barbara Nath-Wiser a general practitioner from Vienna, Austria who has been living in Sidhbari since 1984. The health centre is dedicated to the memory of her late husband Krishan Nath Baba, who was a respected spiritual personality in the area and was very concerned about the well-being of the local people.

The primary focus of Nishthas work has been running the daily clinic along with a small in-patient’s facility. The majority of the patients are the very poor from labouring and farming families. Many are widows or elderly people who depend on the clinic for medical care.

It offers consultations and medicines free to the very poor and destitute and at nominal cost prices to those who can afford them. The approach is holistic and patients are diagnosed and treated utilising the disciplines of Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Acupuncture as appropriate for each individual patient. Serious cases are referred to the nearest specialist facility or to the Zonal hospital along with Nishthas vehicle and assistants if needed.

Until recently Nishtha have been seeing up to 50 patients a day but now, due to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme people have money in their pockets, but very little time so there are fewer patients coming for consultations. Instead they go to the local Anganwaris – baby crèches in the villages where they can get pain killers, pregnancy tests and iron and calcium supplements or buy quick fix medications from the local shops. As a result, since 2008 Nishtha has seen a significant drop in the number of patients attending the daily clinic. However, increasing numbers of the patients who come to the clinic are in more desperate need of help than those we had before and many come from further afield. They are increasingly those who could not find help in other facilities or have received confusing or ineffective treatments elsewhere. People come from far and say ‘you are my last hope’. It is therefore the responsibility to give them as much time and attention as Nishtha can to try to help them.

All projects and further information's are listed on the Homepage (Health).

Education is carried out through women’s groups, youth groups and the local school children. Participatory involvement workshops, meetings and events are organised regularly to disseminate information and encourage people to take an active interest in their own health and related issues. Family planning, sex education for young people and information about STDs are primary focus issues. We have also held meetings about the alcohol problem in the village.

Nishtha encourage and provide means for our staff and local people to attend workshops organised by other NGOs or to visit other organisations and interesting places. In this way information on issues such as Women’s health, legal matters, local medicinal herbs, waste re-cycling and useful agricultural practices are brought into the area.

All projects and further information's are listed on the Homepage (Education).

With the school children and youth Nishtha generates awareness of environmental issues such as water, wildlife, erosion, re-forestation, and garbage management through nature clubs and events including talks, skits and active participation.

The clinic staff all actively takes on the responsibility of segregating and disposing of the hospital waste appropriately. Plastic and paper is sent to nearby re-cycling units. Metal and bottles are collected by traders. Only the medical waste is burned or buried. Plastic collection bins have been set up in the village and the children hold monthly rallies to collect all the plastic from the surrounding fields and drains and sort the collected plastic for re-cycling. Local women stitch cloth bags which are screen printed in the centre with slogans encouraging people to reduce their use of plastic.

All projects and further information's are listed on the Homepage (Environment).

Nishtha Trust was set up in 1995 by Dr. Barbara with the help of 3 Trustees: local social activist Mrs. Monica Ghosh, retired reader in Psychology from Shimla university, Dr. Kishwar Shirali and social activist Ms. Abha Bhaiya.

After many years of service to the Trust and active contribution to the work of Nishtha, Kishwar resigned in 2008. The Trust is very grateful for her long-time valuable service and continuing involvement in our programmes.

Ms. Kamla Bhasin, feminist activist and founder of Sangat South Asia was appointed a trustee in August 2009.

In May 2010, Mrs. Ghosh who had served the Trust steadily and with great dedication passed away.

Local resident Mrs. Soniya Sebastian has been her replacement trustee since 2010.

Radhika Saunik who recently moved into the area after a career in librarianship, was appointed a Trustee in May 2012.

Since 2002 the Austrian Service Abroad delegates regularly servers abroad to Nishtha, who serve their service abroad within a 10 Months social programme.

• http://nishtha-hp.org/
• 1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe, Association 1000 Peace Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005, 1073 Seiten, Scalo, 2005