Developing Communities in South Dinajpur

With support from Caritas India, Social Welfare Institute is supporting the poor for their development in the District of South Dinajpur. This project is headed by Fr. Herman Kindo and Mr. Jayanta Das. The team did an excellent job-- along with over 20 field workers-- in completing the activities in the last year. The Report of the first year for the period covering July 2007 - March 2008 is available by clicking on the link : Annual Report of ICDP. We thank Fr. Herman and Mr. Jayanta for the hardwork and the excellent job they have done for the benefit and development of the poor. Congrats to the entire team.

Neighboring Diocese Plans for Development

The neighboring Diocese of Darjeeling is planning for the development of the people within its operational area (the Hills of Darjeeling and the State of Sikkim), through an exercise called "Diocesan Perspective Plan". This is being done at Pushpika, in Kalimpong. Anuggyalaya, the official organization of the diocese, led by Fr. Valentine Rai, is organizing the entire program. Priests, religious and many lay persons from the diocese are taking part in the program that is scheduled for 10 -11, April 2008. The Bishop Rt. Rev. Stephen Lepcha, in his Keynote Address mentioned that we must move from the known territories of relief and aid to the till now untouched areas of people's rights and empowerment. The full text is available by clicking on : The Bishop's Address.

Fr. I.P. Sarto, the Director of ABCD, the West Bengal Regional Forum, Mr. Sanjay Rozario, the Regional Manager of W. Bengal region, and Puthumai A. Nazarene, Director, Social Welfare Institute, Raiganj are the external facilitators along with Mr. Roshan, Sr. Sabrina and Fr. Michael from Darjeeling to help in the planning.

Reporting CBDP

The Community Based Disaster Preparedness project supported by Catholic Relief Services and Caritas India for the year April 2007 - March 2008 came to an end on 31 March 2007. The project was headed by Ms. Rekha Soren and Ms. Bimala Baru, with Mr. Subhash Topno, Mr. Ansarul Haque, Mr. Prabir, Mr. Bishwanath Soren and Mr. Kalicharan as field Supervisors and a team of over 30 field workers. The Report for the Month of March 08 is available by clicking on this link. We thank all the Staff associate with the Project during the entire year in order to achieve the objectives of the project.

Minister Inaugurates Disaster Preparedness Project

The Hon'ble Minister In-Charge of Civil Defense, Dr. Sreekumar Mukherjee, inaugurated two Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) Projects of Social Welfare Institute, Raiganj. At a inaugural function held at the training center of the organization, D.D.C. at Chotparua, the Minister viewed some mock-drills of the Staff before he addressed the gathering of SWI Staff and people gathered for the occasion. He was welcomed by the CBDP Staff and the Sisters at D.D.C, and was led to the dais by dancing tribal girls. Addressing the gathering in the background of a bus tragedy that killed 20 persons just two days ago in Kolkata, the Minister said, "Most deaths at such times take place in the first five minutes itself. That's why every person must be trained to respond to natural calamities and tragic accidents. CBDP programs are meant to build resilience in the communities in order to help them cope with disasters and respond to them correctly when such occur." He was officially welcomed by the Director Puthumai A. Nazarene. Ms. Rekha Soren and Ms. Bimala Baru, the two Coordinators of the CBDP Projects organized the program splendidly. (in the picture : the Hon'ble Minister and Director, SWI, surrounded by the Staff)

The two Community Based Disaster Preparedness projects are being supported by Caritas India, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF and the Ministry of Civil Defense, Government of West Bengal.

Signing with the UNICEF

Puthumai A. Nazarene, the Director of Social Welfare Institute has signed a Project Cooperation Agreement with the UNICEF, West Bengal State Office for a project on Community Based Disaster Preparedness in Harishchandrapur - II Block of Malda District, 350 k.m. north of Kolkata. The Agreement was signed on 18 March 2008 at the UNICEF office in Kolkata. This project will aim at reducing the vulnerability of the community and building their capacity for promotion and strengthening of support systems that that ensure reduced damages to lives and livelihoods of the people. About 100,000 people will benefit from this project. The program is supported by the Ministry of Civil Defense, Government of West Bengal, and DIP-ECHO.

How Many Days Make A Week?

If you thought the answer is seven, well, think again... not all are sure! I was at our training centre today and personally chatting with the tribal girls who have come for a training program. That is when I met Sujala and Lily two girls in their teens (Lily is the elder among the two) from two different families from Goalpukhor II Block of North Dinajpur District. Since both their families had migrated to India from Bangladesh, and I had been told that they were recent arrivals, I asked them how long are they in India. Sujala being the smarter one, spoke most of the time. She said, it was quite some time back, and that they have land here. "How many months ago?" I asked, and she answered, "I do not know". "Well, how many years back?", I retorted, and she replied, " I do not know." Lily also nodded her head in approval. "How big were you when you came to India?" "We were big." The dialogue continued in the following manner :

Puthumai : "Do you know what day is today?"
The Girls : "Hmmmm... Friday...? No. Saturday"

Puthumai : "That's good. You are right. Do you know how many days make a week?"
The Girls : "No".
Puthumai : "How many days in a month?"
The Girls : "We don't know".
Puthumai : "Do you know if this is a day time or night time". (It was morning 8.00 a.m.)
The Girls : "It is morning".
Puthumai : "Excellent!".

Then I went on explaining to them how many months are there in an year, how many days make a week, and how our calendar is made of, and other things. This is just to give you the taste of the type of persons we are working with. Your support to the education of Lily, Sujala or many other such girls will make a lasting change in the life of the poor. You can make a difference. Make it now.

About Brick-bats!

The brick industry is a back-breaking industry. You can say this safely because, the men and women need to sit or bed to handle the mud, to knead it, shape it and then after drying carry it to the furnace. And all that you get are brick-bats : in the form of abuses, slangs, slurs, poor payment and layoffs as soon as the first rain falls (because, the bricks, before they are taken into the furnace, need to be kept under the sun for drying). Click on the pictures to download large images.

Bricks ready to go into the furnace


Our camera looks into the furnace 10 ft deep


People at the Brick-fields (At the background of the picture with the young girl helping her mother is a temporary house in which people live in crowds, exposing them to various dangers, and the dust from the brick-field affecting their lungs)

Brick by Brick....

Puthumai A. Nazarene traveled with Johannes Becker and Matthias Kunkel, the German Students currently at Social Welfare Institute, for a visit to a brick-making (field) factory close to Raiganj. This was part of sensitizing the German students to some of the realities of the extent of poverty in this part of India. The North Dinajpur district alone has over 100 brick-making fields. Since this is the best time of the year to visit brick fields, we could see the people in full activity. There were many migrant families living within the brick-making fields working over 16 hours a day to earn their living. They live in unhygienic conditions, with no sanitary facilities. The women and girls get easily exposed to sexual exploitation in many of these places. The children have no access to health and education as these fields lie outside the main villages and towns. We thought of sharing some pictures with you in this blog. Let this season of Lent be a time of repentance for all sins of humanity against human persons. And let your hearts open to help these poor, specially the children and young girls and boys at these places.

The Christmas at Sydney

Christmas is the best of all seasons! I have always tried to design new things with every Christmas--from a crib on a boat in water to a mountain of wheat plants to this year's Sydney Harbor. Social Welfare Institute had thousands of people flocking to see the Christmas crib designed in the shape of the Sydney Harbor by my humble self, and was made real by the efforts of Mr. Gurupado Sarkar, an artist friend. I thank all those who encouraged me with kind words. The crib was 26 feet high and 48 feet long covering a space of over 2000 square feet. Though I am uploading it too late, well, never it is too late! enjoy a masterpiece.

Projects on the Card

Social Welfare Institute is planning a new project on promotion and awareness building on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in collaboration with PRIA in the Blocks of Gazole and Bamangola of Malda District. The project is expected to benefit over 60,000 families. Puthumai A. Nazarene, the Director has also held discussions with the UNICEF in the past month, and SWI is expected to bag a project of supporting eight Gram Panchayats in Harishchandrapur II Block of Malda district towards promotion of Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) Program.