Attendees

Rajan, Swati, Shankar, Jayant, Ashish, Gagan, Bash, Amlan, Anitha, Kumar

Item 1:

Amlan presented the site visit report for Utthan & Kalighat projects. Utthan is in Santhal area of W. Bengal and means Upliftment; while Kalighat project is located in Calcutta and caters to Children from Slumps and Red Light areas.

Utthan:

Caters to 3 or 4 villages

Debraj and Bappa run the project. Debbraj is a Phd in history from U.K. Habib transports people on a moped type vehicle. Normally people travel on foot. The project headquarters is a two room shed with a loft. They are planning to convert this to a school.

Issues: (1) The indigenous people are being exploited by outsiders who are cheating them of their land. (2) Querying is a mainstay even though it is illegal in this area.

The goal of the project is to increase awareness about health, safety standards for quarrying, pollution from quarrying and to increase literacy.

At present there are three teachers providing primary education in 3 villages; but health care is needed too. Words from the Santhal Vernacular are used to teach alphabet. Santhal language and literature is being taught in Bengali script.

The project has local support and children are enthusiastic about learning. The nearest good school is 10 KMs away. There is absence of politics. Villages and Villagers support each other; they are isolated but happy people.

Kalighat:

The name of the project is “Tomorrow’s Foundation”.

Goals: To give a basic education to children from red light area. Place them in govt. schools and for those that don’t make it they are guided through an open school.

The project uses a local govt. school facilities in the evening.

First batch of students will be taking the open school exam next year. They study for about 12 hours or so a day. They are provided with lunch, uniform and are given a stipend. For many of them home is sleeping in a taxi. Lots of families are packed in a very small room. The few hours spent at home has a lot of negative effect on them. Vocational training is also imparted to them. Some excel in art work such as card and painting making. Teachers are young and enthusiastic and teach for a small stipend. The children need a lot of counseling and are given counseling by a psychologist. Medical and dental checkups are provided to the kids on a regular basis.

Item 2:

Swati presented additional site visit details for Utthan, and then gave a site visit report on Street to School (Same as Kalighat project), and CMS. For additional details please visit the web page – http://www.ashanet.org/la/Projects/Calcutta/index.html as well as others that can be found at http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/projects.html.

Item 3:

Kumar presented some additional funding requests from CMS for a bldg and training school for girls. A vote took place and got a unanimous “Yes”. It was proposed that Asha-Seattle fund the entire sum and then look at moving it to a SAC project.

And that’s all that I have in my notes. Please add more in case I’ve missed something.

Gagan