"That society is best organized where every member is able to lead full and free life. Human is by nature good and that evil rests in society and all evils are not economic origin. In the conditions which surround him/her and if these are removed, their goodness will emerge and progress will be achieved. Change is the way of life. Human being is not mere body and mind, he is also spirit. We need some certainty, some view that will make sense of life and give to it an intelligent and winning goal."
Commited to comprehensive community development through targeted initiatives
Our strategic objectives are designed to foster sustainable growth, empowerment, and social justice across all layers of the community.
A group of youth from a small village viz. Kantalfully in the southern portion of Bengal, under the leadership of Esahaque Mollah, united together and formed a club and stood against the social odds.
They initiated social awareness events, adult education centres and many other socially relevant ventures with a hope to make the people conscious of their role and responsibility in the society.
This local initiative later evolved into an organization viz. Seba Sangha. It obtained registration under West Bengal Societies Registration Act in the year 1973 and registration under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Government of India in the year 1985.
Over the years the organization has developed into a truly development organization providing much wanted socio-economic opportunities to the people of the backward regions of the district of South 24 Parganas and Jalpaiguri of West Bengal. Seba Sangha is covering two districts of the state of West Bengal i.e. South 24 Parganas and Jalpaiguri.
Covering 26 villages of Falta and Budge Budge II Block with a population of 50,000. Formed 67 Self Help Groups (SHGs) and 17 Mahila Mondals.
Working in Kumargram and Madarihat blocks covering 65,694 people in 16 villages and four tea gardens.
The efforts of Seba Sangha is supported and assisted by a number of government, non-government as well as foreign donor agencies.
Creating lasting impact through targeted interventions
Seba Sangha is running two crisis centers for the hi-risk girls and women of tea gardens under the project supported by SANLAAP. The project aims at prevention of trafficking.
Two centers are run by two in-charges wherein the girls and young women regularly attend and take part in discussion on various issues, learn read and write and also attend vocation training for alternative income generation opportunity. There are two outreach workers who regularly gather various information regarding trafficking in the project areas and also keep close contact with local administration to solve the problems. Regular meeting with other stakeholders, Panchayat (Gram Sansad Level), Block level and youth groups are organized to combat against the problem with a joint effort.
Like the previous years, this year also Seba Sangha organized campaign for awareness generation regarding Environment with the people of Kumargram block under financial support of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India through School of Fundamental Research.
The programme was titled as ‘Bio-Diversity Conservation’. The programme continued from January to March 2009. The programme included workshop, meeting, rally, drama and campaign against use of chemical in agriculture and promotion of vermin compost sit and draw competition among the children, exhibition, Padayatra, seed bank, plantation and awareness regarding bio-diversity conservation. The Project-in-Charge of Seba Sangha North Bengal Initiative, the Ex-MLA Mr. Salib Toppo, the Panchayet Pradhan and the local school teachers took part in the programme along with the local people and the children of the education centres of Seba Sangha. Through this campaign the people have come to know about the issue of bio-diversity, process of environment pollution both in macro and micro level. They are now managing the household garbage in proper place and are eager to know about new technology to avoid and reduce pollution. They are also benefited by utilizing vermin compost process and methods. The message for ‘Keeping the Environment Clean to keep the nature healthy’ was displayed through charts, posters, slogans, photographs and drama in the project area.
Seba Sangha has started Special Schools (Rehabilitation cum Welfare Centre) for Child Labour in Jalpaiguri. Seba Sangha is working with the child labour in Madarihat Block under support of Ministry of Labour, Govt. of India through Jalpaiguri District National Child Labour Project Society.
Two child labour centres are running in two different areas in the district of Jalpaiguri. One is at Mujnai Tea Garden (which is closed since a considerable time) and the other is at Rangoli Bajna both in Madarihat block. In these two centres more than 100 children are attending coaching centre with provision of nutrition supplement and educational and recreational materials.
The situation of both the areas i.e. Mujnai tea garden and Rangoli Bazna is beyond any expression. The tea garden had been closed since a considerable time and reopened just a couple of months back. The tea garden labourer families are still suffering from starvation and the children are suffering from trauma of starvation and hardworking like manual stone crashing. These children are deprived from all sorts of facilities. Seba Sangha is now working with these children to recover their faith on live and living.
Seba Sangha organised 10 days long Block level Annual sports programme. Two days programme was organized in each of the five different Gram Panchayat under Kumargram Block in Jalpaiguri district with the financial support from Department of Sports and Youth Services, Govt. of West Bengal.
Block Development Officer-Kumargram, Sovapati of Kumargrame Panchayat Samity, other Gram Panchayat Pradhans, Ex-Member of Legislative Assembly and other distinguished persons were present in the final meet and distributed prizes to the winners and runners.
On the 24th March, 2009 we observed the World TB Day at Satis Chandra Memorial Public Health Center at Burul under the district of South 24 Parganas. We, the enlisted NGOs mainly Seba Sangha, Chakparan Kantakhali Sailabala Memorial Welfare Society, Chakgopal COSMOS Welfare Society and Mohanpur Adarsha Panchanan Club celebrated this day jointly.
There were 70 participants present in the programme from different sectors including NGO, youth clubs, community people, health workers and cured and under treatment patients.
The MOTC of Budge Budge I & II blocks was present and delivered his speech with elaborate articulation regarding the disease TB. He also discussed about the disease, its carriers, its way of spreading up and attacking the people. He presented the history of NTCP and RNTCP in brief. He concluded with an appeal to the audience to become aware about TB, not to hate the TB patient, and to receive the RNTCP-DOT service provided by the Govt.
Being accredited by the Ministry of Micro-Small & Minimum Enterprises, Government of India through Khadi and Village Industries Commission, West Bengal Unit, Seba Sangha organized the first training course for the selected participants in its organization’s campus at Kantalfully.
A total number of 34 participants underwent the residential training course on Entrepreneurship Development Programme. A group of 11 experts facilitated the training course.
Evaluation: Participants mentioned that the course was well designed. They understood issues of time management, internalization of entrepreneur competencies, risk taking behavior, and establishment of enterprise. The issue of Quality management, Designing & Packaging and Managing the enterprise purchasing, inventory/material & Manpower Management was very interesting to most of the participants.
During this year 2008-09 Seba Sangha participated six Gram Shree Mela with their various jute products for demonstration and sale in the States of Orissa, Chhatrishgar and West Bengal organised by different reputed NGOs in those States.
To improve the water and sanitation status of the target group of Kumargram block under the district of Jalpaiguri towards socio-economic betterment, it was understood that the number of community latrines constructed earlier were less than the total requirement.
Another 28 community latrines can fulfil the requirement of the acute poverty stricken families. Another 10 dug wells with hand pump will develop the health and sanitation status.
Implementation Strategy: (a) Latrines will be made available in 9 villages of Kumargram block for 5376 poor BPL people. (b) Safe drinking water will be made available covering 2000 population. (c) Formation of project implementation committee. (d) Capacity building of selected members.
The Consulate General of Japan has sanctioned the project in October 2009 that covers construction of 28 community latrines and 10 dug-wells and the project work has been started and is in progress.
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