Voice of ERDS JUL 2018 - SEP 2018

Since 1982

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able to ERDS Send to:

ERDS, 6 K S Roy Road,

Ground Floor, Room No. 3,

Kolkata: 700001 West Ben-

gal, India By Bank Transfer

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FOR US-BASED DONORS IN

USD: Tax Exemption US-

based donors may make a

tax-deductible gift to ERDS

through India Development

and Relief Fund (IDRF), a

501(c)3 non-profit. To do-

nate online use the PayU-

money link provided on

http://www.erds.in/donate-

now/. To donate by check,

please mail a check payable

to IDRF to the address

mentioned below. Please

include your email ID on

the envelope and write

ERDS in the memo line. Dr.

Vinod Prakash, Founder

President, IDRF; 5821

Mossrock Drive, North Be-

thesda, MD 20852-3238;

Phone: 301-704-0032

Email ID: vinod@idrf.org

Website: www.idrf.org

Improving village life, Transforming

21 students and officials (Chief Rabbi’s Office

and Tzedek London) to visit Bengal in December

PREPARATION FOR A DECEMBER VISIT: Lucy Cohen, the leader of the

‘Ben Azzai’ programme and education and volunteer manager of

Tzedek, with ERDS staff members at Thinagar project, Malda, West

Bengal, India. The ‘Ben Azzai’ programme is under the Office of the

Chief Rabbi, London, UK

Twenty one students and officials from London are expected to visit

Kolkata and the Thinagar project at Malda, West Bengal, India

on 24th December, 2018. This is expected to be done as part of the

‘Ben Azzai’ programme (under the Office of the Chief Rabbi) and

Tzedek. The link to the programme is https://chiefrabbi.org/ben-azzai/

Work for this major visit is in full swing at ERDS’ side. This visit is part

of the students’ educational and religious orientation towards interna-

tional development. It is the understanding of the writer of this article

that as part of the ‘Ben Azzai’ programme preparations were carried

out at least six months in advance. For instance, there were at least

two trips made for preparations by a manager from Tzedek, the or-

ganization with whom the Chief Rabbi's Office in London, UK has re-

portedly tied up for a forthcoming visit to India as part of the ‘Ben Az-

zai’ programme in December this year.

Certificates handed over to 63 flood-affected families at Malda, West Bengal,

[This article with two pictures is in continuation to another article on the same topic that appeared on the

front page of the edition (immediately preceding this) of „Voice of ERDS‟]

ERDS handed over certificates to the heads / concerned representatives of the families marking the re-

building of houses (with support from MCC Kolkata) of sixty three flood-affected families. This was

done in the presence of Madhur Lakra from MCC. It may be recalled that the houses of these families

(that were selected based on certain criteria) were being rebuilt by ERDS directly after the dwelling

structures were washed away, broken or partially destroyed during the floods that had affected Malda

district (West Bengal, India) in August last year.

Of latrines, a tube-well and a submersible pump

With support from MCC, five latrines were constructed at Chengtor and Baje Koronja villages

(WB, India) respectively while one tube-well and one submersible pump were installed at Banipur

and Baje Koronja (WB, India) villages respectively.

Fogla Foundation/Fogla Group supports ERDS

A team from Fogla Foundation / Fogla Group supported ERDS in August by coming to

Boral Jhilmil School, spending time with some students and donating sports equipment.

The students have expressed their enjoyment. (ERDS takes this opportunity to congratu-

late the Foundation/Group and hope that they will continue to support the child education programme.)

Hotel expected to fully recruit / completely absorb first batch of hotel management

students of ERDS

The hotel where the first batch (picture immediately

above) of hotel management students from ERDS [in

collaboration with System of Hotel Management

(SOHM), Kolkata] is currently undergoing training is

expected to absorb the entire batch shortly. This is ex-

pected to be considered as a remarkable feat for a first

batch of its kind for ERDS.

As per feedback reportedly received from a section of

the trainees of the hotel, some of them have been dis-

tributed across various departments of the hotel.

[As per additional information on 16.11.’18, 15 students have already gone from Malda district (West

Bengal, India) and have started working. They are earning about Rs 7000-8000 per month and are re-

portedly happy.

The first batch had gone from Boral and Malda while the second batch had gone from Malda. “We are

preparing the third batch,” says Madhu Basu. This project has reportedly created a flutter.

29 latrines constructed at Pakua

and Gajole,

29 latrines (picture immediately above to the

right) have been constructed by ERDS at Pakua

and Gajole (West Bengal, India) with finan-

cial support from India Development and Re-

lief Fund (IDRF). 71 are yet to be completed

even as funds are awaited for the same.

Seven Activities of SAHAY held in this quarter

Kindly look at the two adjacent photographs.

The following activity areas that were held re-

late to SAHAY:

Badlao* training

Kandari training: six leadership training ses-

sions were completed. Additionally, a Kan-

dari community project comprising the

planting of one guava tree (for one family) –

totalling 100 such trees – was carried out

Udyog training (social and financial educa-

tion) pertaining to making phenyl as part of

entrepreneurship was conducted

Youth Health Corps & WASH (hand wash)

programme

Unmesh art and yoga

Ullas sports

Education resource centre MEETING: A Badlao* meeting in progress

Volunteers of CI / SAHAY gifted

Twenty volunteers from Children Interna-

tional / SAHAY who were selected have been

given gifts from the Boral office. The gifts in-

clude a package comprising rice (25 kg),

pulses (10 kg), a saree costing Rs 1200/-

and some oil. These were given in recognition

for the work done by them in the past.

*Badlao (change) is a movement for gender parity and additionally against addiction. This comprises

holding of rallies and awareness camps in villages. About 55 persons are associated with this.

Three sponsored students

get jobs with Children In-ternational / SAHAY

This is employment news. Three

sponsored students have got jobs

and are working with Children In-

ternational / SAHAY. The students

are:

Rani Khatun working as a WASH

motivator

Sultana Laskar working as an

UDYOG mentor

Manasi Majumdar working as a

Field Officer

(ERDS takes this opportunity to con-

gratulate these new recruits at their

respective workplaces.)

JOBS FOR SPON-

SORED STUDENTS

I: Sultana Laskar, a

sponsored student

who got a job

JOBS FOR SPON-

SORED STU-

DENTS II: Rani

Khatun (standing),

a sponsored stu-

dent who got a job

JOBS FOR SPON-

SORED STUDENTS

III: Manasi Majum-

dar, a sponsored stu-

dent who got a job

Discussion forum held for ‘Yubadal’ (Youth Group) – Child Sponsorship Programme

A discussion forum (picture below) was held on 23.8.’18 under the direction of ERDS (with financial help

of Children International / SAHAY) for a children sponsorship schedule. This was done with 40 mem-

bers of Thinagar project’s ‘Yubadal’ (Youth Group) wherein their work, their subjects for learning, what

their key learnings were, etc. were discussed.

A similar forum (picture below) was held at Khanjapur with 35 different members of ‘Yubadal’ on

24.8.’18. Those who were present at both the fora included Madhu Basu, The Founder and General Sec-

retary of ERDS, Provat Kumar Mitra, Assistant general secretary, Rajkumar Ghosh, Project Manager and

a few staff members. Some of the goals for the forum were related to health, education and jobs.

It became evident that the key learnings that the child sponsorship programme (under the aus-

pices of ‘Yubadal’) threw up were attractive and positive.

These speakers learnt about nearly 30 aspects according to their judgment and intelligence.

Under the direction of ERDS, there are three areas - Boral, Thinagar and Khanjapur - where the

child sponsorship programme is active. A few of the sponsored children from these areas are to-

day working at various areas in various high positions with good income and have taken on family

responsibilities.

ERDS would like to extend gratitude and respect to Children International / SAHAY without whose

DISCUSSION I: A group session in progress at

Khanjapur, West Bengal, India

DISCUSSION II: A group session in progress at one of the cen-

tres of ERDS in West Bengal, India

AT SCHOOL: David and Anne during their Jhilmil

School (Boral, West Bengal, India) visit

David and Anne from London visit ERDS once

again, this time in Sep ‘18

David and Anne (advisors and planners to ERDS from

the UK), paid a visit to Tzedek’s projects in Kolkata

and Boral in September ‘18. They had a meeting at

the Kolkata office and another at Boral with ERDS, staff

members and a youth group. They also met with some

teachers from Jhilmil School. Having seen the new

school, they were delighted and appreciated the new

building. They were very positive and motivated the

teachers. Both took the initiative of raising funds to-

wards the finishing of the new school and thereafter, be

able to send the said funds through Tzedek (the Jewish

community’s response to extreme poverty), London. In-

cidentally, both of them were reportedly born in London.

RALLYING FOR A CAUSE AGAINST TO-

BACCO I: Participants wearing caps and T-

shirts at a rally in Boral on 29.9.’18

Rally about tobacco on the 29th Sep-tember, ’18 at Boral, West Bengal,

India

A rally comprising about 3000 people was

held on 29.9.’18 on behalf of ERDS multi-

project centre at Boral. Invitations were

sent to the CM, municipality councilors and

the MLA. The agenda was related to to-

bacco and the types of addiction so that the

youth could be made aware and they stay

away from these. Several women and chil-

dren also participated in the rally. (More

pictures on the next page)

RALLYING FOR A CAUSE AGAINST TO-

BACCO II: Participants at a rally near the

Boral multi-project office on 29.9.’18.

RALLYING FOR A CAUSE AGAINST TOBACCO III:

Participants (with an ERDS banner) at a rally in Boral

on 29.9.’18.

Appealing again for funds for health centre

This is an appeal – once more – for funds towards the con-

struction of a health centre (a multi-specialty doctors’

clinic, a diagnostic centre and a training centre) for which land

has already been acquired at Balarampur village, 24 Parga-

nas (south), West Bengal, India, under the Bonhoogly

village gram panchayat (part of village administration). In this

connection, all kinds of donation would be gratefully accepted

from kind-hearted individuals or organisations. (Kindly refer to

the last page for details). RALLYING FOR A CAUSE AGAINST

TOBACCO IV: Participants (women,

children, etc) at a rally in Boral on

RALLYING FOR A CAUSE AGAINST

TOBACCO V: Participants with a Jhilmil

School banner at a rally in Boral on

29.9.’18.

World day against Trafficking is held on

July 30th, 2018, in association with

SANLAAP. People trafficking and modern

day slavery is a massive worldwide problem

and ERDS is proud to hold the rally.

Photograph of Krishna Mondal (right),

the leader under whom 52 youths worked to organize the rally at Boral,

West Bengal, India on 29.9.’18

APPEAL TO DONORS

(This is an appeal for child sponsorship.)

Every child has a right to a healthy life. But sadly, the majority of children living under the poverty line

across India are unable to afford more than one meal a day.

We take this opportunity to salute those who are sponsoring children through ERDS.

Please support more children so that they are able to attend school every day and fulfill their dreams. If

you donate INR 800 per month or any amount, you get a 50 per cent tax exemption under Section

80G of the Indian Income Tax Act. US-based donors may make a tax-deductible gift for the same

amount to ERDS through Dr Vinod Prakash of India Development and Relief Fund, a 501(c)3 non-

profit. To donate online using PayUmoney, please follow this link https://www.payumoney.com/

paybypayumoney/#/358659 (Help educate a poor child pursuing quality education by sponsoring text

books and uniforms). To donate by check, please mail a check payable to IDRF to the address mentioned

below. Please include your email ID on the envelope and write ERDS in the memo line.

Dr. Vinod Prakash, Founder President

India Development & Relief Fund

5821 Mossrock Drive, North Bethesda, MD 20852-3238, USA

Phone: 301-704-0032

Email ID: vinod@idrf.org

Website: www.idrf.org

Your contribution of INR 800 per month will ensure that your sponsored child gets education, health and

nourishment. The child’s family and the community will also benefit from your contribution. You will re-

ceive a tax receipt from ERDS / IDRF coupled with photographs and information about the children that

you decide to sponsor. We have set a target of sponsoring 1000 such children. We are waiting

for your contribution.

The break-up for the use of INR 800 per month / INR 9600 per year is as follows:

APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS

ERDS is looking for volunteers from outside India for the extremely poor segments of society.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the volunteers registered with your organization / students of

your university to learn how to work in an NGO that has been active for the past 36 years in

West Bengal - one of the poorest states in India, deal with tribals and indigenous people of India

and gather field experience in the areas of Women & Child Development, Child Education, Child

Sponsorship, Health & Nutrition, Water and Low Cost Sanitation, anti-trafficking, Micro-Credit,

Skill Development Training, International Relationship, Publication And Disaster Management

linked to noble, social causes. The duration of the experience will be three-six months.

Kindly note that while no salary would be paid to the selected volunteers / students, the cost of

boarding at a hotel selected by ERDS and breakfast and dinner in Kolkata, Boral, Thinagar and

Gajole project, would be about USD 70 per day on a twin-sharing basis. All kinds of modern

arrangements (along with latrines) are there for staying and breakfast and dinner. During their

visit to a rural set-up at our project area, the cost for the same would be USD 20 per day.

You can also conduct various kinds of research here.

Additionally, a certificate certifying their work experience in their work sectors / projects in India

would be provided to all volunteers.

Contact erdskol@gmail.com or +91 98316 54430.

THE TEAM of ‘VOICE OF ERDS’

THE TEAM of ‘VOICE OF ERDS’

Contact Address:

Economic Rural Development Society (ERDS)

6, Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Ground Floor,

Room No. 3, Kolkata: 700001, West Bengal, India

http://www.erds.in

Madhu Basu, The Founder and General Secretary

erds4@yahoo.co.in

M: +91 98316 54430

Provat Kumar Mitra, Assistant General Secretary

erds4@yahoo.co.in

M: +91 98305 92741

Anirban Basu, CEO

erds4@yahoo.co.in

M:+91 96743 16777

Editorial Contribution:

Sujoy BOSU, Nepal Sarkar, Subhashish Guha (Project Manager)

We welcome feedback about this edition at erdskol@gmail.com / erds4@yahoo.co.in