When Jeanne Pere, a retired French teacher, first arrived in Bihar's Bodh Gaya almost two decades back, she was so moved by the plight of the poor that she decided to stay back and change things for them.
Pere, who came to India like any other tourist, now visits remote villages in the city regularly to donate medicines and food items to the poor.
On a visit to once such village Dulra on Tuesday, she distributed medicines, five kilos of rice, soaps and toothpastes among the villagers.
Now a social worker, Pere, said she chose to help people in the Dulra village as there is a need to uplift the backward classes of the society.
"This is one village that we have adopted particularly because there are many-many maha-Dalit people and they need big help for health. So we are giving medicines and time to time we are giving them rice, blankets when it is cold, soaps and dental pastes. Every time we are doing our best to satisfy all those who are really in need," said Pere.
This visit by Pere is a weekly affair and through her mobile clinic she hopes to extend help to even those people who are too sick to get up and visit a doctor.
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The village head, Ramavatar Das, said villagers are happy to have someone like mummy ji (mother), as Pere is affectionately referred by all, work for their betterment.
"The work being done by mummy ji is greatly beneficial for all. She comes here every Tuesday to distribute medicines to those who are unwell and cannot visit a doctor. It is a great initiative and everybody is very happy about this," said Das.
Pere was accompanied by a group of foreigners who had donated the supplies.