Raju's (name changed) father is behind bars for a host of crimes. Two of Raju's friends, too, have not met their fathers in a long time because the men have been convicted for several illegal activities. For them, and for 700 others from slums in Kolkata, Schools of the World Kolkata has come forward to impart education so that these children regularly go to schools and can live normal lives.
Schools of the World Kolkata is a trust which has set up two pre-primary and coaching schools in the city. Through these, it aims to elevate the level of education and healthcare of under-privileged children in southern Kolkata, around the Tollygunj area.
The area covers several slums of 94 wards, including Kalabagan, Borobagan, Khas Mahal.
The schools "" the Joyjeet Das Memorial School in south Kolkata and the Ganga Sagar Patshala at Ganga Sagar Island, 6 hours from Kolkata "" accommodate 300 and 400 students respectively.
The schools were set up by Shimanti Das, a teacher, five years ago. She named the school after her son, Joyjeet, who died at the age of 15.
Joyjeet's death left Das shattered and disillusioned. Then one day, she saw a few kids playing in the neighbourhood and knew what she wanted to do.
The Joyjeet Das Memorial School, started with 34 students five years ago, has 132 students for the pre-primary classes today. The four-hour pre-primary classes in the morning readies children for formal schooling, thereafter. About 168 students have been placed in regular government-run schools in the city.
"To make sure that these children, who have started going to regular schools, do not dropout, we run coaching classes to help them with homework," Das said.
"The Joyjeet Das school is close to 1,000 sq ft now, but we have applied for more land in the surrounding areas so we can accommodate more students. Initially, we had to go to the nearby slums to tell them about this school, but now everybody knows about the school and children keep coming to us," Das said.
The school receives funds and donations from several partners and sponsors like Smile Foundation India, HELGO ev "" Hamberg, Germany, and The Alpha Foundation.
"On an average, we need around Rs 12 lakh every year to run this initiative. In addition, the Alpha Foundation sends food for the children," Das said. Teachers at the schools receive salaries between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,500 per month.
Das got land for the Joyjeet Das Memorial School for free from the Shanti Rakha Committee.
