The Reproductive and Child Health-II programme provided support services to over 11,000 beneficiaries living in slums of Ward 100 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation through activities like immunization camps, community group meetings, and capacity building trainings to increase access to reproductive healthcare, safe motherhood practices, and family planning services. The programme was implemented by INDRANARAYANPUR NAZRUL SMRITI SANGHA in partnership with other organizations and supported by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal.

1. INDRANARAYANPUR NAZRUL SMRITI
SANGHA (INSS)
Annual Report
2010-2011
INDRANARAYANPUR NAZRUL SMRITI SANGHA (INSS)
Vill- Indranarayanpur, PO- Ramnagar Abad, PS- Dholahat
Pin- 743349, Dist- South 24 Paraganas, West Bengal, India
City Office: 50, Aurobinda Nagar, Naktala Road, Kolkata-700 047
Email: inssindia@gmail.com, Web: www.inssindia.org
Contact: 91-9830185170

2. From the Secretarial Desk
Dear friends,
Indranarayanpur Nazrul Smriti Sangha (INSS) is a non-governmental organization working to
provide quality support to the community of Sundarban, the largest delta of the
world, which is always facing disastrous situation in every year. INSS is striving to provide
meaningful opportunities for social and economic development of the poor and deprived
sections of the area, working towards a sustained growth to improve the standard of lives
of the target communities. INSS is trying give preference to Empowerment, Entitlement
and Equity of women, children and other differentially vulnerable groups. The organization
is to ensure a harmonious integration of human live with the natural environs. Over the
years, INSS has moved from being a service delivery organization to one which
successfully impacts course of its actions and practice.
On behalf of Indranarayanpur Nazrul Smriti Sangha (INSS),South 24 Paraganas, I would
like to convey my gratitude to all collaborators, the district administration of South 24
Paraganas, the block level functionaries in the general administration, Health and Family
Welfare Department and the Panchayati Raj Institutions, State Inter Agency Group
(IAG), the employees and well wishers of the organization and over and above the
multitude of the people in our project area who have repose their faith on us and provided
a unique opportunity for working with them. INSS stands committed to the empowerment of
the community. The experiences of working with the community provided us the
opportunity to be with the people in selected blocks of the district. We are and will be with
the people of the district and we have already started to expand our boundaries to reach
out to the poor and downtrodden through interventions in the income generation sector as
well. Overall development of the people in a participative mode is the key to rural
development and INSS stands committed to the cause- the cause of the people at large
and of the women and children in particular. INSS wishes to continue working with
collaborators for the betterment in the quality of life of the people in the district.
Sk. Nazrul Islam
Secretary
i

3.  The Year in Review-Some Highlights : Page 1
 Areas of Operations-Where we work : Page 2
 Progress in 2010-2011- highlights of key programmes : Page 3
 Sector-wise Capacity Building Programmes: Oxfam India & Cord Aid
Netherland-WBVHA : Page 3 to 4
 Reproductive & Child Health-II Programme: MNGO-FNGO Scheme, Health &
Family Welfare Department- GoWB & Ministry of Health & Family Welfare-GoI :
Page 5 to 8
 Basic Health Care & Support Programme: Memisa DGCD Belgium
: Page 9 to 15
 Rain water Harvesting Programme: Sundarban Dev. Board, GoWB: Page 16
 Livelihood support Programme- INSS : Page 17 to 18
 Non Formal Education & Remedial Centres : Page 19
ii

4.  As our Sundarban is a disaster prone delta of the world, the community people, living in
the region , face disastrous situation every year. From the very beginning of INSS, it was
the main focus of the organization. During the period of 2010-2011, INSS made its own
DRR Contingency Plan and established an ware-house for arranging Emergency
contingency Stock for the communities of the region. Oxfam India enriched our Ware-
house contributing their Emergency Contingency stock for Eastern India zone. INSS
continued its DRR related different activities such as Oxfam-RedR Training participation,
Task Force formation, Disaster Management Committee formation and capacity building
training for them and for Self Help Group members of the area. The training programmes
was supported by Cord Aid Netherland and facilitated by West Bengal Voluntary Health
Association (WBVHA).
 To enhance and strengthen the support of reproductive and child health care services of
Health and Family Welfare Dept., Govt. of West Bengal and Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare, Govt. of India at slums of ward no.100 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)
through community participation, the RCH-II programme under MNGO-FNGO Scheme
was being continued by the organization during 2010-2011. INSS conducted different
activities like immunization and ANC/PNC camps on every Wednesday (UID), community
groups ( mothers, adolescents, eligible couples etc.) awareness meetings, capacity
building trainings etc. to provide support services for more than 11096 no. of beneficiaries
of the slums and surroundings by the programme.
 To improve the health care system and development of a coherent and functional
Panchayet and Block health care system with the active involvement of all stakeholders
concerned, INSS continued Basic Health Care & Support Programme in Ramganga GP
area of Pathar Pratima Block, South 24 Paraganas. The programme was supported by
Memisa DGCD Belgium and facilitated by West Bengal Voluntary Health Association
(WBVHA). Capacity building trainings and sharing meetings, Adolescent Health fair and
case building exercises with different community groups, such as, village development
committee (VDC), Village Health Committee (VHC), adolescents groups, SHG, SGSY, PRI
etc. were done to give awareness and update knowledge on basic health care.
 Livelihood Enhancement & Entrepreneurship Programme (LEEP) was being run by INSS
through its different partner organization IDASS in G-Plot GP area of Pathar Pratima Block
and SIDSA in Kumrapara, Raidighi, and Kankandighi GP of Mathurapur -II Block,
Raidighi, South 24 Paraganas. It was maintained and supported by INSS. 30 women
groups were working with different activities by their choices. 3 groups did goatary, 2
groups in poultry, 3 were in fishing net and boat, 3 in ice-cream, 2 in paddy husking and 2
in pisciculture ( Brackish water) in G-Plot area of Pathar Pratima. 7 groups were in zari
embroidery work and 8 groups were in handicrafts in Mathurapur- II. The programme
empowered the families by enhancing their livelihood opportunities.
 To improve access to education and entertainment facilities by the working children of 4
villages at Brajaballavpur Gram Panchayet of Pathar Pratima Block and Dhoblot village of
Sagar Block under Sundarban Region, 4 Non Formal Education centres and remedial
center were run by INSS through its networking partner Biplabi Balak Sangha, Sri
Ramkrishna Sadharan Pathagar Club and Ahalya Smriti Sangha O Pathagar. 224 children
were facilitated by the programme.
1

5. 2

6. Sector-wise capacity Building Programmes: Oxfam India/ Cord Aid
Netherland/INSS
The overall objectives of Sector-wise capacity building training programmes were to build
capacity of the humanitarian workers of INSS in different technical sector of disaster risk
reduction. In this context, INSS attended training programmes of Oxfam India and RedR
India as well as organized trainings for community level Disaster Management Committees
(DMCs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) supported by Cord Aid Netherland and facilitated by
West Bengal Voluntary Health Association. All the programmes were about on practical
applications of DRR in the field of disaster preparedness and response and improvement
of decision-making and better management of DRR.
As an active member of State Inter Agency Group-West Bengal, INSS attended several DRR
based coordination meetings of IAG-WB. The organisation was selected by Oxfam India
and was evaluated by RedR India to be a strategic Partner of Oxfam in humanitarian
services. INSS was assessed on 27th July 2010 by a Two-member team of RedR India.
Through these process, INSS became one of the strategic humanitarian partners of Oxfam
India.
As a strategic partner of Oxfam India, INSS categorized its key humanitarian workers with
different sectors related to disaster risk reduction i.e. WASH, Public Health
Engineering, Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihood, Shelter
Management, Logistics in Emergencies, Gender in Emergencies, Emergency Need
Assessment, Emergency Project management and essentials of humanitarian practices.
INSS received several trainings from RedR India with the support from Oxfam India. It
prepared its Emergency Contingency Plan-ECP, version-1 in Feb’ 2011 and
finally, arranged emergency contingency stock with NFI kits (Tarpaulin sheet, ground
sheets, Oxfam bucket with lids etc.) by the support from Oxfam India.
During the Aila Emergency response period, INSS received several grants from different
INGOs, NNGOs, and corporate agencies, i.e. Oxfam India, Cord Aid Netherland, West
Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA)-Kolkata, Pataka Industries Ltd., Kolkata
etc. In continuation of emergency response, INSS formed five number of Disaster
Management Committees and 5 SHGs in five Gram Panchayet areas of
Sundarban, Pathar Pratima Block, South 24 Paraganas to capacitate them with the
knowledge on disaster preparedness and response. It was supported by Cord Aid
Netherland and facilitated by West Bengal Voluntary Health Association. During 13th to 15th
September 2010, INSS organized a residential Three-day capacity building training
programme for Disaster Management Committee members and Self Help Group members
at its ground floor and first floor training centres.
With all of its participation in capacity building training programmes on effective humanitarian
services, INSS progressively formed a militia of humanitarian response and it is well
documented in its Emergency Contingency Plan, page-20-22, Version No.-1, published on
28th February 2011.
INSS started a pilot programme with a new concept of River Risk Reduction through capacity
building of 300 boatmen of Sundarban and their general insurance with the support from
UNICEF-Kolkata and technical support from Centre for Knowledge and Skills (CKS). The
programme was started from 11th March 2011 and it was continued to the next financial
year of 2011-2012.
3

7. Sl. Topic of Training Date Venue Organizer
01. ENA & Sphere standard 15th – 19th July Konark Yatri RedR- Oxfam
2010 Niwas, Orissa India
02. Shelter Management 26th- 29th Pondicherry RedR- Oxfam
Oct’2010 India
03. Logistics Training 15th – 18th IITD, Joka, RedR-Oxfam
Dec’2010 Kolkata India
04. Gender in Emergencies 17th – 20th IITD, Joka, RedR-Oxfam
Jan’2011 Kolkata India
05. Emergency Contingency 5th – 7th Palm Village RedR-Oxfam
Planning Feb’2011 Resort, Bhasa, 24 India
Pgs.(S),
06. Emergency Food Security & 8th – 11th Monobitan, RedR-Oxfam
Livelihood Feb’2011 Kolkata India
07. DMC Training for DRR- 13th – 15th INSS Training INSS
supported by Cord Aid Sept’2010 Centre-Gr. Floor,
Netherland-WBVHA Ramganga
08. SHG Training for DRR 13th – 15th INSS Training INSS
supported by Cord Aid Sept’2010 Centre, 1st Floor,
Netherland-WBVHA Ramganga
Sk. Golam
Mohammad, DR
R Programme
Supervisor of
INSS
participated in the
Emergency
Shelter
Management
Training
Programme by
Oxfam India-
RedR India in
Pondicherry
4

8. Geographical location of the RCH-II programme is ward no. 100 of Kolkata Municipal
Corporation (KMC). It is a large periphery constituting nearly 30000 populations. The slums
are situated at different areas and in scattered form. All the slums of this area mainly
constitutes community of tribal population, minority population and labour class population.
Health services available in those slums were very poor. No PHC or Sub Centre was in the
area except on DFW supported immunization centre at Ganguly Bagan. People were
totally depended on the nearby Bangur Hospital which nearly 5 km. from there.
Slums of Ward No. 100 (KMC):
•Tollynallah Colony • Garia More Muslim Colony
• Lakshminarayan Colony • Baishnavghata Minibus Stand Colony
• Gasgodown Muslim Colony • Aurobinda Nagar Colony
• Ganguly Bagan Sweeper Colony • Vidyasagar Colony ( One Portion)
Target Beneficiaries:
• Population Covered: 10974 • Male: 5573; Female: 5401
• Eligible Couple: 1580 • SC Population: 994
• Others: 10, 614 • ST Population: 166
Overall goal:
Enhancement and strengthen the support of Reproductive and Child Health Care services at
slums of ward no. 100 of KMC through community participation by which people may
acquire the ability to regulate their fertility, women are able to go through pregnancy and
child birth safely, the outcome of pregnancy is successful in terms of maternal and infant
survival and well being and couples are able to have sexual relations free of fear of
pregnancy and contracting diseases.
Objectives:
 To increase ANC services for all the pregnant women by 22% to 65%
 To increase immunization coverage for children by 80% to 95%
 To enhance the modern methods of Family Planning by 38% to 70%
 To insure institutional delivery by 55% to 75%
To achieve the objective of RCH-Ii programme INSS is jointly working with BAM India (MNGO)
and CINI (RRC). The programme was supported by Department of Health and Family
Welfare (DFW)-Govt.of West Bengal. The aim of RCH-II is to reduce the death of maternity
and child death rate by affording health care services to each pregnant from their early
stage of pregnancy by motivating them to institutional delivery, to develop awareness
amongst the citizen about the utility of child health care, adolescent health
care, STD/HIV/AIDS and adopting Family Planning methods. To achieve the above
mentioned goal and objectives, several activities were conducted by the RCH-II team
including Community Health Volunteers (CHWs), by involving community people through
immunizing mothers and children, Ward Level Sensitization Prog. With health, ICDS
etc, Monthly sharing meeting with ward & borough, Meeting with community
Mothers, Meeting with Elder, Meeting with community leaders and
5

9. club members, Meeting with Adolescents, One day follow-up training of mother’s group, One
day Peer educator training, Outreach camp, Observation of health day, Miking, Street
Drama and folk songs, IECs, IPCs, day to day HH visit etc. the objective of this programme
is also to find out the right way to mitigate the problem.
Strategies undertaken:
 ANC Services: A complete range of safe and reliable reproductive and sexual health
services.
 Safe Motherhood / Institutional Delivery: Percentage of births is being assisted by
skilled attendants
 Family Planning: Individual mainly women has right to exercise their choices of having
baby everybody has to access safe sex measures and should exercise his/her choices in
different methods of contraceptive through Modern Family planning methods.
 Immunization: As the mortality rate of child is one of the major criteria to assess the
development of an area, we are trying to ensure a complete immunization package for
each and every child.
 RTI Referral: Repeated discussions again and again are going on to reveal and
subsequently reported for proper treatment.
RCH-II team dedicated to Ward No. 100 (KMC):
CHW-1
Accountant CHW-2
Coordinator
PHN-1
CHW-3
(Part Time)
CHW-4
6

10. Overall Achievement:
Components Achievements
Sl .
01 Full ANC 78.83%
02 PNC 98.23%
03 Fully Immunized Children 89.58%
(0-1 Yr.)
04 FP Users 72.65%
05 Permanent FP Users 6.96%
06 Institutional Delivery 97.87%
Overall achievements:
 No. of pregnant mothers registered within 12 weeks and three ANC/PNC check up are
increased
 No. of low birth weight children are reduced
 No. of fully immunized children are increased
 No. of Modern Family Planning method users are increased
 Institutional delivery is increased in slums
 Community participation is gradually being increased
 Couples are able to have sexual relations free of fear of pregnancy and contacting
diseases.
Ward No. 100 ( KMC)-West Bengal
7

11. Ward Level RCH Program Sharing at Ramgarh Community Centre and Child Survival Safe Motherhood
programme under RCH program at Naktala Unnayan Samity, 100 no. ward ( KMC)
Discussion with adolescents and mothers on reproductive health issues under RCH-II in 100 no. ward (KMC)
Outreach Support program on every Wednesday and observation of World Health Day under RCH- II
8

12. Adolescent Health:
Adolescent Health Care Programme of BHCS was being provided in Ramganga GP area
through its six different sub-programmes as follows-
Care & Counseling and Sensitization Programme at School:
Facilitation of life-skill education, counseling and sensitization programme of adolescents were
being provided by INSS through its BHCS programme to develop coping and self
management skill that may help them lead a healthy and productive life. During the year
INSS organized 12 Counseling programme and 5 life-skill education programme at
different villages of Ramganga Gram Panchayet area. In this field, INSS built an
institutional relationship with Parivar Seva Santha (PSS) and received technical support
from them to counsel and facilitate adolescents regarding their life-skill education. It was
found that the massive mass of reportable cases of sexual abuse and sexual compulsion
are identifiable through care and counseling. The Adolescent Health Programme under
Basic Health Care & Support is basically for strengthening Govt. health programme related
to adolescent health care. In Pathar Pratima Block, there is an Anwesha Clinic at Block
Hospital. By the adolescent health programme, Anwesha Clinic was introduced to 29.5% of
adolescents. 61.5% of adolescents of Ramganga were provided counseling services
through Anwesha Clinic and INSS-BHCS counseling centres of Ramganga. (Data source:
FGD report by INSS)
Adolescent Counseling at Health Fair by Counselor or Anwesha Clinic and Jogindrapur FP
School by INSS-BHCS Counseling centre
Campaign against Trafficking:
To prevent and combat trafficking in human beings and discourage the demand that
fosters all forms of exploitation of girls and women, that leads to trafficking, INSS
organized four campaigns in Ramganga GP area with local schools and community.
About 500 students more community people participated in the programme was enriched
with awareness regarding human trafficking. Wall-writing was also done by adolescents
to generate awareness among community level. It was found that 63% of the community
people including adolescents were known about human trafficking and they believed that
it was for poverty and sexual exploitation. (Data source: FGD report by INSS)
9

13. Campaign against trafficking at Jogindrapur, Ramganga GP, Pathar Pratima
Advocacy Lobbying linkage with Govt. (KSY):
India by way of a large group of various population, houses one adolescent out of five persons.
Thus a common of the blooming generation (21%) falls in the age group 10-19 years. The
sizable adolescence populace only serves to show up the significance of this part
indicative of the prospect of the country. unluckily adolescence issues have not received
due awareness in terms of health- both mental & physical. furthermore attentions to the
stability of this group in the form of self-employment or some income generation aspects
are yet to be considered. In this regard, INSS, organized an advocacy programme with
Govt. officials i.e. BDO, CDPO etc. on 20th November 2010 under the programme ‘Basic
Health Care & Support’ which was supported by Memisa DGCD Belgium and facilitated by
West Bengal Voluntary Health Association. The advocacy programme was done to
develop Develop interest based groups of adolescent girls, increase self-reliance through
interest based vocational training and awareness generation of the girls on reproductive
health issues so as to bring about positive changes in the status of the existing
reproductive health.
Advocacy programme
at Ramganga: Jt. BDO
of Ramganga Pathar
Pratima Block and
Pradhan Ramganga GP
are present there.
10

14. Adolescent Health Fair & Performance Event conducted by Adolescents :
In Sundarban as like as other parts of West Bengal where sex education is considered as non-
discussable subject, BHCS team of District level Health forum thought to organize
Adolescent Health fair as well as adolescent events to generate sex education and
awareness on good-health. The team thought that it should be both mentally and
physically healthy adolescents in our society, so that, they could be the important human
resource of our nation. As an active member of South 24 Paraganas District Health Forum,
INSS started to organize an Adolescent Health Fair to give more importance to adolescent
health and generate awareness on sex education before marriage among community level.
The fair was started from 29th to 31st December 2010. The Health Fair programme was of
three days. 1st day of the programme was on the issue of Gramin Mela and the next two
days on the issues of adolescents. There was 16 stalls in the Fair on different issues
related to health. All the stalls were invited from different like minded NGOs and ANM,
ICDS etc. The Fair started from 10 a.m. and ended within about12 p.m. in every day. The
programme schedule and the programmes were conducted by adolescents. An advisory
team was there to guide them. INSS-BHCS team members were in the that advisory team.
Ramganga Gram Panchayet took the responsibility to support all types of supervisions
simultaneously with INSS management. There were sports, debate, discussions, lecture,
motivational speaking by world’s first Bengali motivational speaker- Mr. Matin Devnath,
Drama, dance, recitations etc. related to health issues.
Adolescent Health Fair at Ramganga on 29th to 31 December 2010
11

15. Basic Health Care:
Under Basic Health Care of Basic Health Care & Support Programme four different sub-
programmes were as follows:
Capacity Building training of programme staff:
To run the Basic Health Care & Support Programme well at community level and document
it, INSS organized four times of staff training programmes on all the issues of sub-
programmes under the BHCS. The first three day training was done from 27th to 29th
April’2010 and the next three times were for one day programme gradually on 8th May, 11th
August and 7th December 2010. All the staff training programme were based on Block
Health Forum. By the efforts, BHCS team were enriched to provide health services to
community. The training programme was facilitated by Health Forum.
Staff Capacity Building Programme at INSS
Mass Awareness Camp:
Mass awareness campaigns were organized for reaching the general public with basic
information on adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, Mother & Child health, basic health etc., for
articulating the general philosophy behind the overall programme. The mass awareness
campaign aimed at a loosely segmented target population. It was important that a
campaign was recognized by the general population as a cohesive programme no matter
which way of the mass campaign was used. Total 30 no. of campaigns were organized
round the year. It was found that 76% of the community were known to HIV/AIDS. ( Data
source: FGD Report of INSS)
Mass Awareness
Programme at
Gobindapur, Ramganga, Pa
thar Pratima
12

16. Outreach Support:
INSS provided outreach support through four Sub Centres of Ramganga GP area by the
heartiest efforts of its BHCS team members. Social Mobilisers and Health Facilitators were
involved in this activities. They supported ANM and 2nd ANM to their community health
services at the Centres. 11 Social Mobilisers and 5 Health Facilitators were in this work.
Every Wednesday they supported Sub Centres by supporting child
weight, height, immunization and ANC card writing etc.
Outreach Support at D. Gobindapur Village by BHCS Health Facilitator & Social Mobilizer
Village Development Fund:
The aim of the BHCS Village Development Fund was to provide villagers with the means to
develop basic health care and health system to their locality and to improve their well-
being. Total 11 Village Health Committees (VHCs) were formed in 11 sansads of
Ramganga GP area and were supported to create Bank Savings Accounts separately to
each VHC. Village Health Committee took responsibilities to solve any minor problem of
their villages. They served for drinking water, sanitation, health, hygiene improvement etc
in their locality. They were guided to sustain their committee even after completion of
BHCS programme.
Tube-well repairing
by Village Health
Committee at
Jogindrapur village
of Ramganga GP
13

17. Malnutrition:
Deworming camps and Medical Check-up with medicine support:
With the prevailing ‘misconceptions’ and attitudes of people in the area regarding essential
aspects of health and nutrition, INSS decided to have a concrete initiative with monthly
follow up of health check ups, Deworming camps and health talks. Medical check-up
programmes were done by Dr. Taraknath Mukherjee, child Specialist from WBVHA, and
Dr. Montulal Maity, medical officer of block hospital. Medicines were supported by BHCS
programme for the medical check up programme and for Deworming camps medicines
were supported by Sub Centres and block hospital. Total 10 deworming camps were
organized at different Sub centre level and 4 medical Check up programmes were done.
Medical Check-Up and Deworming Camp in Ramganga GP and Dakshin Shibpur
Kitchen Gardening:
Kitchen gardens have an established tradition and offer great potential for improving household
food security and alleviating micronutrient deficiencies. Gardening can enhance food
security in several ways, most importantly through: 1) direct access to a diversity of
nutritionally-rich foods, 2) increased purchasing power from savings on food bills and
income from sales of garden products, and 3) fall-back food provision during seasonal lean
periods. Kitchen Gardens are important sources of protein, fat, iron and vitamins. Green
leafy vegetables and yellow- or orange-coloured fruits provide essential vitamins and
minerals, particularly foliate, and vitamins A, E and C. Vegetables and fruits are a vital
component of a healthy diet and should be eaten as part of every meal. They are
especially important in small children's diets to ensure normal growth and intellectual
development.
Kitchen Gardening at Sagarmadhabpur
village of Ramganga
14

18. Special Day Observation- Children’s Day:
It is a special day for children. Children took active part in the programme at Devichak village of
Ramganga Gram Panchayet and Ramganga GP Office. They are over joyed and
participated in rallies and awareness generation programme at GP Office. They were
distributed chocolates, biscuits, cake to one and all. Children happily received them &
enjoyed well. Children's day in India falls on 14th November every year with a great
celebrity. It is celebrated on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehruji who love and was loved by
children. As a tribute to his love for children Pandit Nehru is also regarded as the Country’s
special child to have been the India’s first Prime Minister after his long struggle for
Independence to India.
Children’s Day Celebration in Ramganga
Water & Sanitation: Health, hygiene, sanitation education camp:
To strengthen basic health of the community, BHCS team tried to scatter awareness on
health, hygiene education to the community in order to change their malpractices of
maintaining health hygiene. Total 12 no. of programmes were organized and about 400 of
female and adolescents participated in those programmes. They were suggested that they
should wash their hands properly, they should wash their cooking utensils. They should
clean their surroundings, so that, viruses or germ could not be germinated in the area to
cause any disease among their bodies including children.
Health hygiene programmes at GP office and Ramganga village
15

19. Rain Water Harvesting Programme:
Through the Rain Water Harvesting Programme INSS has been established is to save rain
water to tanks. The objectives of the programme were to provide water for agriculture and
community development programs could be achieved through rain water harvesting.
Ministry of Sundarban Affairs and INSS through community involvement in the
development of rainwater harvesting programme was involved at G-Plot Gram Panchayet
area of Pathar Pratima Block under Sundarban. 65 tanks were established for collecting
rainwater and using it for various type of cultivation to create a livelihood support to the
family.
This type of water tank is a very important natural component here. Many plants occur here
naturally. Plants tolerating water logging like elephant ear, Marsilea minuta L, Bacopa
monnieri, etc. can be planted near water. A little above that where water does not come up
directly, vegetables like Centella asiatica, Oxalis corniculata, Hygrophylla sp., etc.can be
grown. Azolla can be cast in the soil and pond water as the food for fish and duck.
Duck and chicken can be raised to provide nutrition. Duckweed and azolla can be raised in
small pots to feed them. Chicken can be fed with household waste also.
Rain Water harvesting Programme supported by Sundarban Development Board, Govt. of WB
16

20. Livelihood Support Programme:
Observance in outlook the surroundings of huge exploitations, need of education
awareness, social and economic status as well as poverty etc., INSS tried to involve
with and reached to 150 families through livelihood initiative with its previous
programme of Trickle Up by its own source of income. However specific
programme has also been taken up. Through promotion of collectivity, united
action and drive for initiative INSS has revived a sense of ownership and inertia for
innovativeness among women. Major works done in this area are SHG
promotion, micro enterprise promotion, agriculture development and Natural
resource management. Major achievements through these activities are as under.
INSS worked its livelihood support through Livelihood Enhancement & Entrepreneurship
Programme (LEEP) in the area of Pathar Pratima & Mathurapur-II with its networking
partner IDASS & SIDSA. As the livelihood of Sundarban is held back due to the difficulties
faced by the population as they depend on fishing traditionally. The mechanization in
fishing industry and pollution in delta water due to various environmental factors has
created environmental hazards like soil erosion and siltation of river beds has caused
depletion of fish, loss of fish productivity. Fishing, which is the main occupation in the delta
is today faced by many problems and resulted in severe poverty of the people.
Deprivations with the poverty have ended with a social and cultural fact in the area.
Repeated occurrence of natural calamities like cyclone and flood makes thing worse. The
worst to suffer are the aged fisher folk, women and the children and other vulnerable
groups. The project aims at creating an enabling environment in lives of the fisher folk
community residing at delta.
 previous100 self help groups were supported.
 Groups are maintaining their bank account and lending.
 30 poorest of the poor families are chosen and supported for poultry.
 Income from agriculture raised by 5000 rupees a year for the intervened families.
IGP Program through SHG members in
G-Plot, Pathar Pratima Block
17

21. “Her single step to change her life”
Archana Sardar is a mother of four children, living with her husband at the
remote area of G-plot. Until a few months ago, daily survival was tough for
his family of six. After that her husband who worked in a fishing Trawler as a
fisherman, was chronically ill and unable to continue his job. So with this
little income, the family battled the odds daily for almost a year.
Since April 2009, Archana had been seeing women around her join a INSS
SHG that called itself Gangasagar, but she remained skeptical and
obstinately refused to join the SHG Group when asked her to come for
meetings. Like many others, She thought herself that she was uncertain
what a few women could accomplish by sitting around in groups
She does not doubt it now. When the family condition becomes unbearable she
finally joined Gangasarar Self Help Group. All the women supported her in
getting a loan amount of Rs.30 thousands for brackish water fishery . She
got the loan in the month of November 2009. She started her fishery
programme with the help of her husband. With in a six months she had
repaid half of the loan amount. She is now doing well enough to repay her
loan 3000 per month and also all the needs of her family. Her husband is
getting proper treatment and her children are at school. She says that
because she now understands the importance of education, she has even
got her daughter enrolled for the private School. Archana, who refused to
attend SHG meetings once, is now the one who takes the initiative to
organize them!
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22. Non Formal Education (NFE) & Remedial Centres:
Three NFE and remedial centres were run by INSS in Pathar Pratima and Sagar Block of
South 24 Paraganas. Two centres were in Brajaballavpur, Pathar Pratima and one centre
in Dhoblot , Sagar block. They were for the development of children. In this area, many
households are landless laboures and many are small and marginal farmers. The remedial
and NFE centres were directly with children to address the child rights. It was done to
extend supports towards the children who are vulnerable to join as the child labour force.
INSS was providing this services through its local network partner CBOs of the area.
The poor economic status of the people of this area affected directly the innocent children of
the region. The children here have no time to pursue studies or do they have the time a
leisurely life. Rather, their precious time is more ’gainfully’ employed in various activities to
help them bring home an extra income. It is a most common sight to see little
children, some barely out of their infanthood, engaged in various kinds of labour – carrying
loads on their heads; fishing; separating tiger prawns –spawns from ordinary prawns while
standing knee deep in the coastal waters for hours to an end!
It was with a determination to return their childhood to these children; to introduce them to the
joys of learning; and to ease their tender shoulders from the burden of labour – that INSS
launched its child labour elimination program with a vengeance.
INSS was aimed at mainstreaming out-of-school child laboures of the area into formal schools
and provide educational orientation to children who were vulnerable to join the child labour
force in the area.
Mainstreaming the Dropout Children to School
History taken from TdH School programme
NFE AND REMIDIAL CENTRE
“My school is like an Encyclopedia”
Ten year old Bharati Mondal is a scheduled caste children from Rakshas khali village of
Brajaballavpur GP in the district of South 24 Parganas. Her father is a Rickshaw van
puller and her mother is a maid servant .They has two brothers and one sister.
Sometimes her mother catches tiger prawn seedlings nearby river Karzon creak. Bharati
helps her mother in doing the work of maid servant as well as tiger prawn seedlings. For
their extreme poverty, many times Bharati has to go to sleep only having one meal
during the day. After releasing her intellectual ability, her father decided to give her
education.
Eventually Bharati’s parents came with a ray of hope to get her admitted to REMEDIAL
CENTRE conducted by INSS. These centers are organized years after year with the
goal to screen the dropout children to send them in mainstream of education. At the
interview, Bharati proved her intelligence and answered almost all the questions that
came her way.
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