Name: Shambulinga
Father’s Name:Sharanappa
Age: 40 years
Village: Talmadagi
Taluk: Chitgupppa
District: Bidar

Family Background:
Shambulinga lives in Talmadagi village of Chitgupppa taluk. His family consists of three members, including one child. They are a poor household and depend on daily wage labour for survival. During a visit under the Navajeevana Program, ORBIT field staff identified that he was suffering from a mental illness. He believed he was affected by black magic.

Symptoms of the Illness:
• Lack of sleep
• Isolating himself
• Not doing any work
• Not eating food
• Wandering aimlessly

ORBIT Organization’s Intervention:
In 2020, during a Navajeevana Program survey, ORBIT discovered that Shambulinga had been taken to many places for treatment based on superstitious beliefs, but nothing helped. Field worker Arun Kumar explained that his condition was a mental illness a disorder of the brain and that free treatment was available at government hospitals. After multiple Counselling sessions, he agreed to visit the DMHP camp and began taking medication regularly. With continuous treatment, he showed significant improvement, started interacting with others, showed interest in work, and now sleeps well. He has recovered by nearly 70%. Under the Navajeevana Program, he was also given two goats. Through proper care, he now owns four goats and is managing well. He and his family have expressed heartfelt gratitude to ORBIT for their support.