PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUDATION

(Registered Under Societies Registration Act West Bengal XXVI of 1961. S/1L/32097)

A CHILDRENS & OLDAGE VILLAGE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

Know That Service To These (Poor, Illiterate, Ignorant And Affected) Alone Is The Highest Religion”-

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA.

Regd. & Secretarial Address

2/32, Purbachal, Durgapur-713201, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.

Phone: - +91 343 2552230,

Project Address

Village- Purokonda, P.O.: - Tajpur Purokonda,

P.S.-Barjora, Dist- Bankura, Pin- 722208, West Bengal, India. Phone: - +91 9832239871,

Kolkata Address

2/175, Sree Colony, Regent Estate, Kolkata- 700092, West Bengal, India. Phone: - 91 3355101394, +91 9332611267.

BIO- DATA of Organisation

Name of the Organisation: - PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION (PAF)

Society Reg.No:- S/1L/32097 West Bengal

Country: - India

State: - West Bengal

Date of Establishment: - 13th Aug

Date of Registration: - 20th Sept.2005

Contact Person: - Arindam Banerjee

Avishek Chakraborty.

Bank: - United Bank of India

Branch: - Cokeoven

Account No.:- 319384

MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

  1. Smt.Sima Banerjee, President.
  2. Sri.Sudip Majumder, Vice President.
  3. Sri.Arindam Banerjee, Secretary.
  4. Sri.Sarat Bhattacharjee, Treasurer.
  5. Smt.Shila Banerjee, Member
  6. Smt.Anasua Biswas, Member
  7. Sri Biswaijt Sarkar, Member
  8. Sri. Suchand Karmakar, Member.

Advisors:- Shri Shanti Dutta (Mumbai), Swami Kalikananda Maharaja(Belur Math),Swami Kantakarja Maharaj (Belur Math), Swami Satyabrata Maharaj (Gouriya Math), Shri Kishor Roy (Pune), Shri Kalyan Banerjee (Ireland), Shri Gopal Bhattacharjee (Bankura), Shri Sumanta Biswas(Durgapur), Shri Bivash Das (Purulia), Shri Bimal Krishna Banerjee (Durgapur), Shri Swapan Dey(Kolkata), Shri Reshbehari Patra(Drgapur).

Volunteers: - Avishek Chakraborty, Bunty dey, Debasish Parida, Surojit Kanshabanik, Tarun Halder.

Introduction& Background :- PAF greets you on behalf of orphans, destitute children and shelter less, old persons.

The seed of PAF was sown several years ago. A group of devoted social workers gathered together to form Purbachal Ananda Foundation- a non- profit, voluntary organization. Mr. Arindam Bannerjee, who remains the moving force behind PAF, undertook the main initiative in this effort. Mr. Bannerjee has worked with “Sampark” – A Pune based NGO – for seven years. He was subsequently associated with Parivar Education Society in Thakurpukur, Kolkata. He now devotes his full time and effort in carrying forward the work of PAF. His wife, who holds a Diploma in Social Work, assists him.

A strong and active governing council leads PAF. The members of this council are all well- established and respectable members of society who are united in their common objective of serving the poor, downtrodden and the illiterate to the best of their ability.

The volunteers of PAF have earlier worked on behalf of the Government of West Bengal to arrange literacy camps, free coaching centers and to donate school accessories and books to the needy.

PAF has been donated 1 acre of land at Purakanda village, Bankura district, West Bengal, India by Gouriya Math, through the kind efforts of Swami Satyabrata Maharaj of Gouriya Math and respected Sri. Gopal Bhattacharjee.

It is the objective of PAF to build and run a children’s home for orphan/destitute children in this plot of land at Purakanda village and to provide formal education to deprived local children. Future plans include an old age home, women’s development program, health center and rural development activities.

Project Outline & Objectives: -Let us describe the Bio-Geographical condition of Purakanda Village, Bankura Dist. West Bengal, India. The village is some distance away from Durgapur town and can be reached from Durgapur via Barjora by road. Major portion of the population are dependent on agriculture while the rest are daily wage earners working in different places. The area is dependent on favorable monsoon for a good harvest and farmers have to toil the whole year to raise a crop that is barely enough to feed their family at the best of times. Naturally, education for their children seems like a luxury to most families. A large majority of these families belong to backward castes that have been deprived of formal education for generations. In short, it is a backward area with a population that remains poor, exploited and illiterate, caught in a vicious circle of poverty and lack of education. Even for the few children who are fortunate enough to attend the local government school, the standard of education received is very poor. The school lacks most basic infrastructure and teachers are poorly qualified. Therefore first generation learners, who actually require special help, end up with a sub standard schooling experience and as a result they are unable to break out of their traditional mould of ignorance and backwardness.

PAF’s mission is to educate every child in the area. Merely literacy is not enough. They have to be provided with at least a minimum standard of formal education so that they will be able to stand on their own feet.

The area also has a large number of students who have dropped out of school due to financial constraints. PAF wishes to provide them the chance to get back into the formal education stream with the help of a bridge course according to their age.

Another part of PAF’s mission is to provide an After School Assistance Program to students of the local school so that they can supplement the very rudimentary level of education they receive in class and hopefully reach a level where they can be compared with students of better schools/urban centers.

Last but not the least, in the absence of any kind of social security system, destitute/orphan children are the worst sufferers in this kind of a backward rural community. PAF is in the process of constructing a children’s home for destitute/orphans at Purakonda. The children’s home will take in any child (3 years and upwards) of any sex, community or area and full responsibility will be taken for their upbringing and education up to the age of eighteen and/or till they find gainful employment.

Current Status of Project & Fund Requirement :- I)Children’s Home -PAF has started construction of its children’s home at Purakanda on the land donated by Gauriya Math. One dormitory/dwelling unit has already been constructed (earthen flooring & walls; tin roof). A tube well has been installed and the toilet/sanitary facilities are under construction. PAF has applied for electrical connection but this is still awaited. The project is being supervised by Mr. Arindam Bannerjee (Project- in –Charge). A House Mother has been identified and recruited to look after the inmates. Two local persons will be engaged as watchmen who will also cultivate the land belonging to the Children’s Home, so that the inmates may use the produce for internal consumption.

PAF has initially taken 10 children under its wings (6 girls + 4 boys). These children are in the 3-7 age group. Six of these children are children of sex workers while four of them are street children from Kolkata. If the project progresses satisfactorily, then PAF hopes to care for up to 50 such orphan/destitute children in future.

Till now, PAF has depended entirely on donations from individuals for its work. However, at this stage a heavy inflow of funds is required to complete the infrastructure of the Home and to secure its running expenses. Talks are on with organizations such as the Rotary Club for sponsorships/donations. PAF appeals to all sympathetic individuals and/or organizations for help. We earnestly request you to come and visit the Home at Purakanda – we are sure that you will empathize with PAF’s mission. We need your help and will appreciate any form of assistance in terms of money or essential material, food, clothing, blankets, utensils, furniture etc. PAF will also be grateful if doctors and teachers spare some of their valuable time and provide voluntary service at the Home for the children’s medical treatment and education.

Estimated expenses for upbringing of orphan/destitute children:

@ Rs.12, 000.00 per annum per child for 10 children = Rs.1, 20,000.00 per annum.(This amount is an approximate estimate of food, clothing and medical expenses required per child annually.)

[In addition to the above, we would be immensely grateful for any donations/assistance/sponsorship towards completion of infrastructure at the Home.]

II) Sponsorship for School- Going Children: PAF has identified 50 children of school going age primarily from the “Dom” community of Purakanda and nearby areas, who do not attend school and have not received any formal education. “Dom” is a backward caste that was treated as untouchables in the past and has been uneducated and impoverished for generations. PAF has spoken to the parents of these children as well as to the local panchayet. The families are willing to educate their children but lack the financial means to do so. PAF has undertaken a program to admit these children to the local school and bring them within the formal education stream. PAF will take the responsibility for their education till standard XII. In addition, PAF already has the responsibility of educating the 10 inmates of its Children’s Home [see point (I) above].

Estimated Expenses for PAF’s Educational Sponsorship Schemes:

Number of Children – 60

(10 inmates+50 non- inmates)

Annual expense per child on books

And educational accessories – Rs.2, 000.00

Total (Rupees per year for 60 children)= 1, 20,000.00

III)After School Assistance Program: The local government school has approximately 100 students. PAF has taken approval from the school authorities as well as from the local panchayet to conduct classes in the school building between 5 P.M. – 8 P.M. daily. The idea is to supplement the education provided by the school and to provide the students with a taste of quality teaching, which they do not receive at school. The objective is to raise the standard of the students and to hopefully instill a taste for learning in their minds. The students are also being provided some Tiffin/refreshments by PAF. Currently 2 unpaid volunteers of PAF are conducting the classes but in future it will be essential to recruit at least 10 paid, part-time teachers to carry on the project.

Estimated Expenses for the After School Assistance Program:

Number of Teachers Required- 10

Monthly Salary per Teacher – Rs.1000.00

Total Annual Salary for 10 teachers – Rs.1, 20,000.00………(a)

Educational material @Rs.500.00 per month= Rs.6, 000.00………(b)

Tiffin expenses @ Rs.2.00 per child per day for 240 days per year – 100 children*Rs.2.00*240 days = Rs.48, 000.00… … …c)

Total Annual Expense for the program

(a)+(b)+(c)= Rs.1, 74,000.00

In addition to the above, we require a computer with printer (approximate cost Rs. 20, 000 .00), which can be installed in the school building. The children will get some idea of computer operations and besides the same computer may be used for all educational schemes of PAF. We appeal to any individual/donor agency to sponsor a computer for this noble cause.

IV) Bridge Course: PAF has identified 20 children in the area who were forced to drop out of school at various stages due to financial constraints and whose families are willing to send them back to school if possible. PAF has taken assistance from Cinni – Asha and Tomorrow Foundation to train its volunteers for conducting bridge courses. PAF is looking to provide coaching to these 20 school drop outs, re-admit them to school and bring them back in to the formal education stream.

Estimated Expense of Bridge Course

Number of teacher/volunteer – 1

Monthly salary/stipend – Rs.1200.00

Annual expense towards teacher’s salary – Rs.14, 400.00………(a)

Books & Material for 20 students @Rs.500.00 per year for each student – Rs.10, 000.00………(b)

Total Annual Expense for 20 students [(a)+(b)] = Rs. 24, 400.00

Fund Requirement of PAF for 1 year towards running of Children’s Home and Educational Schemes:

Upbringing of 10 children at the Children’s Home – Rs.1, 20, 000.00

Sponsorship for 60 school going children - Rs.1, 20, 000.00

After School Assistance Program(10 teachers/100 children)- Rs.1, 74,000.00

Bridge Course(1 teacher/20 students) – Rs.24,400.00

Total=Rs.4, 38, 400.00

Our Appeal: We appeal to you/your organization for your support. Please come and visit us at Purakanda. Please feel free to contact our volunteers for any additional information. If you feel our mission is sincere please come forward to stand by our side. We bank on your moral and material support.

PAF is a non-profit voluntary organization, solely dependent on donations/sponsorships/assistance from individuals and organizations. We maintain meticulous accounts of our funds and their application, which are free for your inspection. Being a registered society, we are subject to statutory audit. We are trying to extend IT exemption u/s 80G to our donors/patrons. Our application for exemption under the said scheme is pending with the concerned department.

Please satisfy yourself regarding our sincerity from all angles but please extend your help in our endeavors.

Thank you and hope to receive you at Purakanda.

Arindam Banerjee

Founder Secretary

Purbachal Ananda Foundation

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