"Nayantara" a Girl Child Sponsorship Programme

Social malice like early marriage, being dropped from education, early motherhood, confinement by male dominance is still a prevalent feature in remote Sunderbans, especially among the vulnerable poor families. Also following the age-old misconception and Superstition the major portion of the Food is given to the Male members and female take the left over as their part. This leads low nourishment/ malnutrition and allied health problems severely.

In order to prevent the trends of social evils here, Sabuj Sangha endeavoured an initiative to empower the adolescent girls by establishing holistic Non-formal educare centres at different remote villages. There besides being mentored in formal education they are also receiving training for Dance and Art & Craft, orientation on health & personal hygiene – all such lessons a girl need to have during adolescence for a brighter tomorrow.

Girls under this initiative belong to extremely marginalised poor & vulnerable families. With the continuing Covid -19 Pandemic, lockdown and the Cyclone Amphan these families are in terrible crisis of livelihood recourses. Within our limited capacity and support from various humanitarian organisations though we could arrange a little amount of Food Materials, Hygiene and Shelter Materials but they need much intense support to restore to normalcy.

Today we are going to share story of such a poor, marginalised family where a young adoloscent girl  Bhabani* who even being beaten by the irony of poverty and nature's whims dares to dream come over all scares and build a stromng future for herself and her family.

17+ years old Bhabani* from remote Kailashpur village in deep Sunderbans of South 24 Parganas now studies in 11^th standard in the closely located Govt. Higher Secondary School. Though attentive to studies yet she is loaded with the circumstances they are facing extreme critical condition with Covid-19 outbreak and Amphan. Her father is a fish trader and also cultivates seasonal vegetable in the small tract of land they have. Thus with a very meagre monthly earning of around INR 2500.00 they sustain in extreme hardship.

Bhabani* has been a member of Sabuj Sangha’s empowerment & grooming initiative since around 3 years. With the training, mentorship has been receiving she has already decided to be self-reliant and probably a Dancer in future.

In the continuing Covid -19 Pandemic and Post Amphan Situation they are facing a deep uncertainty on what to do next….

We need to reach many other such vulnerable adolescent girls falling prey of gender discrimination and subsequent consequences. Support is also required highly for their families too. They need the support to restore their livelihood options and get back to normalcy.

Appeal

Help the vulnerable adolescent girls from poor marginalised families, of coastal and riverine Sunderbans impacted deeply by continuing Covid-19 pandemic situation and Cyclone Amphan, build their own future…. 

Your small help may help the vulnerable adolescent girls from deep remote Sunderbans live a life of dignity and self-reliance. Please come forward... for these girls…who longing to see a see a better tomorrow….

* Name of all individuals altered for maintaining privacy& safety

Amidst worldwide fast spreading Covid-19 all our educational units, also got closed for indefinite period following the govt. order of nationwide lockdown and closure of education institutions. We regret only for this reason we are not able to provide timely reporting.

Also on 20th May, 2000 the severe cyclone Amphan with around 200 Km/ hour gale wind devastated Sunderbans vastly including many of our establishments through which we support to the deprived vulnerable marginalized communities in deep hard to reach Sunderbans.

But we are in consistent touch with all our pupils who mostly belong to financially back trodden families in deep remote Sunderbans. With the opportunities they receive through "Nayantara" a Girl Child Sponsorship Programme they entered the gateway to go ahead with their dreams of becoming self-sustained and create own identity by becoming strong contenders of all future battles and stop all social evils of Girl Child Explication, Early marriage, Trafficking, Drop Outs etc. with the knowledge and skills they receive through the programme

Such a case we are giving today here-

CASE STORY:

Remember Mala*? - The girl who dreams of becoming a MedicalStudent despite the entire crisis she is going through? She is now of 16 years and completed her first level of Pubic Examination Madhyamik Pariksha (10^th level examination) last March, 2020.

You may recall that Mala* along with her two younger siblings (one sister and one brother), Parents (Father- Binoy* and Mother- Kamini*) and Grandmother (Sabita*) stays in a mud house with two isolated rooms thatched with plastic sheets and straw.

The house is located at a lower elevation from the main village road. Thus they often face problems of mobility and waterborne diseases rising from water logging in rainy days.

With continuous lockdown amidst the wide spread of Covid -19 situation their main resource of earning on which the family majorly sustains – An eatery of Fast Food has remained closed since March, 2020. Mala* & her mother used to share hands with Binoy* in running the business. But with the prolonged lockdown they are now without any earnings.

Moreover the house they stay in has been vastly devastated at the severe Amphan cyclone hit on 20^th May, 2020.

You may also recall that Mala’s* mother often falls ill with a chronic mental ailment. Now with times and pressure of responsibilities Binoy* too has become a patient of Heart Disease. Binoy* struggling to manage the two times meals barely from the little cultivation of seasonal vegetables and paddy by hiring small tract of agricultural land. They don’t have their own land to cultivate.

Yet even in this crisis Mala* who joined Nayantara Programme three years back with strong zeal still eagle eyed at her dream to be a Doctor.

Appeal

Cyclone ‘Amphan’ has widely devastated Sunderbans amidst the consistent lockdown for the fast spreading Corona Virus. Yet the little young girls there are steady at their dreams to sae their families and their dreams as well.

Please help Mala* and the girls alike from deep remote Sunderbans who dare to dream to be self-reliant and make their own identity.