SADHANA SUCHETONAR INTEGRATED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT – situated at Lalkuthi, Bhadreswar, Hooghly. 27 Kilometers north of Kolkata.
We started the project in the year 2007. We started visiting the area and then surveyed. The survey report revealed the total number of families living there is 205 and the population is 1019, among them 95% is Hindu and 5% Muslim.
That the adult illiteracy, alcoholism, weak conjugal relationship, poor and unstable economic conditions are enforcing the moral degradation and bringing all sorts of tension and evils into their lives. In this cycle the positive values are weakened and the process of dehumanization is gaining ground faster each day.
All the people of this area are employed in unorganized sector on “no work –no pay” basis. Types of work are land laborer, hawking in the train, construction work, earth cutting etc. The females are engaged in house cleaning and sales of vegetables from door to door.
Lal means red and Kuthi means house. About 35 years back the area was a red light area but that has been changed long back. The name of the project “Sadhana Suchetanar” means an intense mental practice to achieve goodness. So our immediate target was to add values in their life.
In the year 2008-09 we started activities in Lalkuthi. At present the following activities are
carried out there.
- A tutorial hall has been built bit by bit where a Balwadi (nursery class) runs with 20
children and 1 instructor. 6 days in a week for 2.30 hours a day from 7 to 9.30 a.m. - A tutorial is carried in the morning for two hours for 35 students reading from class 1 to
class 6. 6 days in a week with 6 teachers. - Brotochary (Bengali folk dance and rhyme) 35 children one instructor
- Dance class with 8 children and one instructor.
- The health promotion activities like awareness about hygiene, family planning, nutrition are
discussed and periodical health checks up, monitoring health of pregnant and lactating
women are done. We provide them nutritional supplements and ensure their
immunisation schedule. - The community infrastructure has improved by introducing drinking water tube well and
electricity for every family. - The women Self Help Groups have been introduced.
