KOLKATA is famous for so much – its historical importance as the first capital of British India, rich literature, street food and celebrated cinema to name just some of the things that bring people from around the world to this city in the eastern state of West Bengal. NGOs are another feature that Kolkata can be proud to call one of its greatest strengths. NGOs in Kolkata are groundbreaking organizations that are famous worldwide. From the barriers broken by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in treating the poor and disadvantaged to the groundbreaking work of Calcutta Rescue, NGOs in Kolkata are making great strides in helping people.
Here are 10 NGOs in Kolkata serving the poor and disadvantaged:
Dreamer Trust
Dreamer Trust feeds the poor and destitute on the streets of Kolkata for just ₹1 a plate. The NGO prepares fresh and nutritious meals each morning, drives its yellow food truck around North 24 Parganas and stops when there are people on the streets desperate for food to eat. Hunger and starvation are debilitating conditions and Dreamer Trust is working to fight hunger through its ₹1 thali meals. The reason the NGO sells its food for ₹1 rather than giving it out for free is so that people can feel a sense of self-respect at not getting hand outs but in purchasing their food. Since 2020, the NGO has served 300,000+ nutritious meals. To support Dreamer Trust:
Missing Link Trust
Missing Link Trust is another one of the groundbreaking NGOs in Kolkata that prevents the trafficking of girls for sexual exploitation and rehabilitates victims in the high-risk Sundarbans region. The NGO runs an education program called Missing Awareness and Safety School program (MASSp) to help girls learn about the dangers of trafficking, how to spot criminals and who to reach out to for help. Since 2020, Missing Link Trust has educated 1.75 lakh children in 620 schools and rehabilitated victims of rape and trafficking by giving them education and skills training to help them rebuild their lives and have brighter futures. To support Missing Link Trust:
Garbage Free India
Garbage Free India is one of the NGOs in Kolkata that is making progress in educating citizens on keeping the streets of India clean and free of garbage. Founded in 2013, Garbage Free India works toward environmental cleanliness by helping people practice proper waste management right at the source – in the household. The NGO has diverted 200,000+ kg of waste from landfills, reduced 1,000+ kg of waste from going to landfills and impacted 30,000 people through its programs to equip people with the knowledge and resources to make responsible decisions for the planet. To support Garbage Free India:
Nanritam
Nanritam is an NGO that serves people in rural West Bengal who are suffering from eye diseases and have no access to medical treatment or hospitals. Without proper medical care, people suffer from infections that turn into serious conditions such as cataracts and even blindness. Nanritam established the Lokeswarananda Eye Foundation hospital that caters to 200,000 patients each year, since 2008. The organization provides free surgeries, medication, procedures and medical attention that prevents blindness and needless suffering for people in the Puralia district of West Bengal. To support Nanritam:
Calcutta Rescue
Calcutta Rescue is one of the NGOs in Kolkata that has had tremendous success in uplifting the most disadvantaged people through education and medical care. The NGO was founded in the 1990s by a British physician named Dr. Jack Preger MBE who started to give homeless people living under bridges medical care and treatment. The NGO now serves 30,000 people living in abject poverty with medical aid, educational facilities in slums, toilet construction, water purification to remove arsenic from drinking water and a handicrafts project to empower the disadvantaged and preserve local culture. To support Calcutta Rescue:
Parivaar Education Society
Parivaar Education Society is among the NGOs in Kolkata that aims to equip and empower the most disadvantaged communities through education for children. Parivaar Education Society runs two residential educational institutions for children where 1,800 boys and girls are receiving an education and the chance to improve their futures. The NGO also provides nutritious meals to 50,000 tribal children, has more than 100 ambulances to care for patients in need, runs around 16 mobile health clinics and has treated almost 4 lakh patients with ophthalmological care and surgeries. To support Parivaar Education Society:
Support Parivaar Education Society
Hope Kolkata Foundation
Hope Kolkata Foundation is an NGO for street children, slum children, child labourers, child beggars and children who are homeless, uneducated and suffering from health problems. One of the transformative NGOs in Kolkata, Hope Kolkata Foundation believes in meeting the needs of children to give them opportunities to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of the next generation. Part of the global The Hope Foundation, the NGO provides them with education, healthcare, age-appropriate activities and skills training to equip them for future jobs and integration into mainstream society. To support Hope Kolkata Foundation:
Support Hope Kolkata Foundation
Tomorrow’s Foundation
Tomorrow’s Foundation is one of the education and livelihood NGOs in Kolkata that has impacted the lives of 2.5 million people. The NGO runs education programs to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills to primary school students, children with disabilities and out-of-school children in rural and urban West Bengal. The organization educates children in Santhali and Bengali and also guides teachers on effective teaching methodologies. Tomorrow’s Foundation also provides vocational skills training for youth to prepare them for future jobs. These programs uplift children from underprivileged families with hope. To support Tomorrow’s Foundation:
Paint It Red
Paint It Red is one of the NGOs in Kolkata tackling the issue of period stigma. The taboo against discussing or even acknowledging menstruation as a normal fact of life is what leads to girls being forced to restrict their behavior at home, drop out of school and use household objects instead of period products. Paint It Red has reached tens of thousands of people through its awareness campaign and workshops and distributed more than 80,000 sanitary pads to underprivileged girls who cannot access or afford them. The NGO aims to normalize menstruation through its initiatives. To support Paint It Red:
Mission Smile
Mission Smile is one of the medical NGOs in Kolkata that works with cleft lip children and adults. The organization provides free medical care, treatment and surgeries to people with cleft lip, cleft palate and facial deformities. Since 2002, Mission Smile has been doing just this – giving people smiles for the first time in their lives. The NGO found that every 15 minutes, a child is born with cleft lip/palate. For them, Mission Smile has conducted 48,000+ surgeries in 21 centers to give them the confidence and abilities to integrate into mainstream life. To support Mission Smile:
Support these NGOs in Kolkata
Called the City of Joy, Kolkata has charitable organizations that are carrying out groundbreaking work for the poor and underprivileged. NGOs in Kolkata have been serving people for decades and as they continue to uplift and empower people, these organizations need your support to reach more people in need of all that is needed to have safe and secure lives.
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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