These are the words of Anindita Banerjee Tamta whose heart reached out to 26 children on 17th July 2005 with space for them to come for 2 hours. Her thoughts were, that at least, that would teach them to read and write. Not resort to begging and make the same mistakes as their father and mother. This initiative was called PARIVAR SHIKSHA. Finding the need of catering to health issues we slowly spread our wings in the name of PARIVAR SAHAY and carried out social work like blood donation camps, health camps, Breast cancer detection camps, dental camps, disability camps wherein medical board was set up along with awareness camps on female infanticide initiatives and sexual abuse.
The teaching here was unique as there were no age limits for a standard of class. For example, a ten-year-old kid who doesn’t even know A, B, C was put into KG, so that they could start by picking up the basics. A lot of parents resisted their child going to school, as they were seen as a source of income of around Rs 300 a day.
The children were given a small tiffin of muri and samosa. From 26 children it grew to 105 and then 169 within a year which culminated with an annual function. Within a year a mid-day meal system backed by Hindustan Lever and Brittania was introduced with bread, jam, and biscuits. Meanwhile under the Education Guarantee Scheme PARIVAR SCHOOL could employ more teachers with pay, as the bulk was paid by the government. The school functioned in two shifts: morning and evening.
Anindita Banerjee
Tamta
PARIVAR’s determination to reach out to underprivileged children found new beginnings when their efforts collaborated with police stations that wanted to rehabilitate slum children from engaging in criminal activities. As police stations became extended schools they started outsourcing it to NGOs. PARIVAR got 7 police stations and they had one center. These had provisions for food and study materials like pencils and rubber.
PARIVAR as it has grown, always thought in a new light, to effectively reach the underprivileged. With the government’s: Right to Education scheme, PARIVAR branched out into PARIVAR REMEDIAL SCHOOL. The scheme made it mandatory for all children from 6-14 to enroll themselves in age-specific classes. The result was a ten-year-old who has never seen classes, who does not even know the alphabet had to be with a peer group that’s much more advanced. PARIVAR SHIKSHA planned Remedial Tutorials for these children to guide them with their homework so that they could be on par with their peer group. PARIVAR SHIKSHA also established an emotional connection to restore the pride and dignity of these children which was sadly lacking.
From the beginning, PARIVAR has had the heart to reach out even when circumstances seemed challenging. PARIVAR ventured into the space of abusive relationships where the man is aggressive and abusive and the women and child beat up. It also volunteered to look into the messy affairs of sexual abuse for 14 – 15 year girls who get impregnated on the footpath and then their life follows one meaningless tract of one footpath to another. PARIVAR RAKSHA was formed to take care of these girls, provide them legal aid and guidance. Legal Aid with the accreditation of West Bengal Legal Aid services spread to the community as well. Bridging the gap between the Underprivileged and the legal justice to them.
To open new doors, even when none exist saw PARIVAR step into their initiative PARIVAR NOTUN ASHA. Providing vocational training to those who are not strong in studies, and to prevent them from wasting time. This opened up a new world and hope dawned. It saw the start of tailoring shops, mobile repairing shops, chips production, house-to-house beauticians, and trained bedside attendants. It gave new grounds for the underprivileged to stand on their own two feet.
Despite dealing with the dark side of life PARIVAR has not stopped celebrating. Today, PARIVAR is known and loved for its Flagship Events. Like ‘Batting for the underprivileged’ a fundraising cricket match whose finals were played out at none other than Eden Gardens.
Another stellar program was AMRA KORBO JOY a mega Dance competition for street children. It had Eastern and Western Dance with 60 NGOs participating. A buzzing Sport’s Event at YUVA BHARATI KRIRANGAN saw the participation of 22.000 children. These events not only gave a platform for talent but also showed the world how much-untapped talent and potential lies with our underprivileged. If tapped it can change the future. These events have their share of success stories when one of the boys who came from the footpath, won first prize in the dance competition. Today he is one of the best dancers in Bollywood.
Reaching out never stops at PARIVAR. In an initiative called JOY OF GIVING, on the eve of Durga Puja when a child is buying a dress, she buys one for the people who can’t afford one.
PARIVAR also gives back to the environment with its SWACCHATA PROGRAMME, cleaning ponds, park, Ganga, and the environment.
Today as PARIVAR is busy dressing up lives so that it can touch new horizons PARIVAR has 1036 students, and operate in 7 police stations and 5 Government Aided School and two own centers.
It’s been quite a journey and the journey continues. Recently the government has given land in TILJALA to PARIVAR [ a unit of Bijan Banerjee Memorial Charitable Trust]. PARIVAAR plans to build a shelter home for adolescent girls and a shelter for old-age women.
We are conscious of the changing demographics in a socio-economic scenario around our city area and are committed to growing and adapting ourselves to meet the emerging needs. The Holistic Development of Girl children’s home along with the Old Aged women’s home Project at Kasba will provide comprehensive access to health and social services to the underprivileged girl children and women served not only of our home but will reach further to other children from the poor economic and social background.
The construction will be approximately 21097 sq. ft. for running of this girl children home along with old age women home. It’ll be the most inclusive effort to be a competent center for the underprivileged girl children in all of our communities that need these services.
Through this project, Parivar will serve the disadvantaged girl children with education, nutrition, health, and vocational support and also provide a home for old-aged women.