The overall aim of PRAYAS is to provide meaningful and viable opportunities to poor and deprived sections of rural societies, so as to enhance their social and economic level leading to a life with dignity and self-respect.
Towards achieving the overall aims, PRAYAS undertakes a number of projects in the various sectors of Education, Health Care, Water & Sanitation, Income Generation and Awareness/Capacity building and have separate objectives of each of such sectors.

Vision
PRAYAS envisages a society free from the perils of religion, caste, creed or class, where people live in peaceful coexistence with nature, utilizing nature’s resources to meet only their needs; and where people are healthy, educated and prosperous in physical, mental and materials terms.

Mission
PRAYAS shall strive towards providing opportunities for social and economic advancement of the poor and underprivileged sections of the society. The organization shall always strive for the empowerment of women and development of children as guiding forces to build a stronger and self-sufficient society.

The peninsular block of Shyampur forked between the rivers Roopnarayan, Hooghly and Damodar is perhaps one of the most deprived regions in South Bengal. The poverty stricken people live miserably here and their plight extends by the activities of anti social elements.

The handful of youth who managed to venture out and wiggle out of the system was frustrated with what is happening in those villages. They wanted to do something for their motherland, albeit the hidden dangers and threats involved. Thus was started the PRAYAS in 1988, basically as a meeting ground for the like-minded youth of the society. The founder of the society is L. K. Das, a genial young person.
Since then, PRAYAS has been relentlessly pursuing a goal of a just society where children receive best of education, support and opportunities to grow into responsible citizens of ‘morrow. As the years grew, as people started basing their confidence on the activists of the PRAYAS, the organization grew from strength to strength as a small but leading NGO undertaking comprehensive development work in the region. Today, PRAYAS is undertaking a range of projects aimed at overall development of the society with its majority marginal and underprivileged members. In the year 2009, the activities of PRAYAS spread to rural areas of North Bengal (Jalpaiguri district).