Category: West Bengal

  • Turnstone Global

    Dr. Kanchan Gaba, current secretary of Turnstone Global lost her vision at a very early age due to Glaucoma. Since then, she has been a student of Calcutta Blind School. During her school days, in the early 80s, she was a student member of The National Association of the Blind. Later, she pursued a Doctorate…

  • Sabuj Sangha

    The Sunderbans are known for its tiger reserves and unique beauty. But what’s also rampant in the area is poverty – no good roads or clean, drinking water, and poor food supplies forcing residents to eat weed grown in the village ponds. We parked the car a kilometer or so before a bridge that connects…

  • How it began at Sabuj Sangha

    Siba Sankar, the founder of Subuj Sangha, was born and brought up in the Sunderbans. Living in a joint family, sharing and giving to people around him comes naturally to him. After his graduation in Zoology from City College in Calcutta, he moved back to his village and started to teach in the nearby school.…

  • Sarada Ramkrishna (Sishu O Mahila) Sevashram

    To reach the village of Morjada, one has to pass through fields of banyan, coconut and hibiscus trees, which seem to give the area a red coat. But hidden behind this beautiful scenery are villages filled with murky water, poor roads, and no electricity. “Girls from this village suffer a lot. I myself did. Tarini…

  • How it began at Sarada Ramkrishna (Sishu O Mahila) Sevashram

    The Late Tarani Chakraborthy, who was the founder and secretary of Sarada Ramakrishna Sevashram, was once upon a time the only educated woman in her village Morjada in South 24 Paraganas district, Kolkata. She belongs to a Bengali Brahmin family and her father used to work at the village temple. The early 60s was a…

  • Society for the Visually Handicapped

    by Rohini Vemuganti Imon was sitting by the window, his mother standing behind him, looking on as I approached SVH. He suddenly started laughing and waving when he saw his special educator, who was with me. Imon is a 6-year-old kid who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. He also has low vision. His mother is a…

  • How it began at Society for the Visually Handicapped

    The late Mr. Shyamal Data, founder of the Kolkata-based Society for the Visually Handicapped, had an eye for adventure. This is what led to the founding of the organization. Following his love for adventure, he went on a Himalayan outdoor adventure camp along with his wife Anuradha Datta (who is also actively involved in the…

  • Giving primary school children a strong foundation

    Located in the distance of 20 kms from where I stayed in central Kolkata, the drive to Towards Future at Dum Dum Park was definitely an experience. A complete contrast to the concrete forest of central Kolkata, this place is rich in greenery, and is well-decorated with street art and ancient buildings. My car halted…

  • How it began at Towards Future

    Supriya Roy, the founder of Towards Future, was actively involved in social service since 1995. Having served as a program manager and even the chief executive officer in various social impact organizations, she says, “This experience and exposure has made me what I am today, and helps me do what I want to do –…

  • These are just some small ways in which Bani Mandir helps the poor

    The impact Bani Mandir makes in the lives of the poor is clear from the stories of the people they have helped. Like Ishita, a class 12th girl who studies in the same village. She is an average student. In her words “I used to fall behind all the students in my class when it…

  • How it began at Bani Mandir

    Bani Mandir was established in the year 1945 by like-minded primary school teachers in and around the village named Khordanahala. Bani Mandir or the ‘temple of knowledge’ was started for the kids residing in the village. It was first a library, set up to inculcate a reading habit in children. In due course, they conducted…

  • This organisation charges patients just Rs. 60 (Rs. 20 in urban areas) for a consultation, diagnosis and a week-long supply of medicine

    My day at RHCF commenced with a visit to their center on Jyotish Roy Road in Kolkata, which is one of three urban centres that they run. This particular centre is situated on the edge of a slum, whose inhabitants cannot afford to pay for doctor’s appointments nor medicines. This center was set up in…

  • How it began at Rural Health Care Foundation

    Rural Health Care Foundation (RHCF) is an NGO that provides affordable and sustainable primary healthcare to low income groups in West Bengal, having reached out to over 10 lakh patients till date. It prides itself on its organisational working model that is scalable, sustainable and can be replicated and applied to different rurally deprived communities…