Sarada Kalyan Bhandar

Sarada Kalyan Bhandar (SKB) aims to bring about, through education, an improvement in the lives of the children of landless farmers, brick kiln workers, coolies and daily laborers in and around Midnapore, West Bengal. Established in 1984, SKB has been functioning as an after hours school program (which has over the years provided children with essentials like clothing and nutrition in addition to education). This is designed to motivate the children on the benefits of education while simultaneously instilling in them a sense of pride and identity.

SKB works for

• Needy meritorious students through Higher Education Project (492 students currently enrolled).
• Needy children through Child Welfare Project (462 children) and Girl Child Efficiency Promoting Scheme (11 girl children).
• Women through Women Efficiency Promoting Scheme (13 women).
• The backward community through Health Care Mission and Literacy Drive Program (10 villages).

The Child Welfare Project was instituted in 1989 as a response to the disastrous pass rates at the school exams in the area. Initially the project started in an open paddy field and was situated for a while under either its auspices or under the roofs of villagers. The school was also at the mercy of the vagaries of nature, the scorching sun interspersed with torrential rain that could hamper the enthusiasm of the most passionate student. But the hard work put in by SKB paid off, the project is now a proper institution which has shown record performances not only in terms of exam results (pass rates have improved from 33% to 98% over the lifetime of the project) but also the all round development of the children who are benefited by the project.

Work An Hour 2005 will support the construction of the first floor of the Child Welfare Project building for SKB.