Girl's group training - Alokita project, 2023-24. Photograph provided by Nishtha
ALOKITA NARRATIVE REPORT: 2024-25
ALOKITA: AN ENLIGHTENED PROJECT BRINGING ABOUT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE FOR GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN LIVING IN THE SUNDERBANS
At the heart of the Alokita project is the hope that in providing disadvantaged school aged girls and young women with support to continue or complete their education that they can avoid harms including early marriage, hard physical labour, child labour, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Nishtha views the education of girls and young women as a way of achieving greater economic prosperity for impoverished families living in the Sunderbans, and including better choices, and greater economic independence for women.
In 2023 BODHI Australia funding made it possible for Nishtha to reach out to 11 new and hard to reach rural villages, under three blocks, in the Sunderbans, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Donor funds were used to support 150 secondary and 50 senior secondary female students to continue or complete their education.
Over the course of the year it became evident that Nishtha’s educational outreach in those communities was as comprehensive as it was courageous.
Nishtha's Alokita project is unique, in that it engages whole of community approaches, at multiple levels, in order to support the continued education of girls and young women. The drive is to create family, social and community structures that are cohesive and that foster an environment of safety, pride, encouragement and greater gender equality.
Nishtha's dedicated and experienced team of workers ensure that all girls and young women continue to attend school. They are swift to respond if any girl or young woman does not attend. Failure to present at school results in a visit to the family home, and where together with the family, Nishtha troubleshoot what is at the basis of the students non attendance. From there, and with support of the family, Nishtha works to create solutions that will facilitate the students' return to education.
Nishtha recognises the importance of working with the parents of girls and young women, and where both the mothers but especially the fathers hold the key to their daughters success. Parents are engaged in a series of workshops that seek to educate them about the importance of supporting their daughters schooling and to raise awareness of the importance of prioritising their daughters future through education.
Nishtha also invites the participation of community leaders and representatives to engage in community awareness initiatives that speaks to the risks of early marriage, school drop outs and child labour. They encourage communities to challenge social and community norms that put women and girls at risk and instead, encourages them to adopt protective strategies that creates an environment that is safer for girls and women living in their communities.
Nishtha has always been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for women's equality. They celebrate the achievements of girls and women, and draw attention through their ongoing advocacy to the importance of girls and women to have a right to be seen, to be heard, and to flourish. It's a long road but they tirelessly continue to put one foot in front of the other, and will continue to walk that journey until their destination is reached. A destination where all girls and women can reach their potential and be who they were always meant to be.
To read more about the Alokita project (1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024) and the amazing work and achievements undertaken by the team at Nishtha please click on the PDF below (alokita-bodhi_report_april-2023_march_2024.pdf) for the complete project report as submitted by Nishtha.
At the heart of the Alokita project is the hope that in providing disadvantaged school aged girls and young women with support to continue or complete their education that they can avoid harms including early marriage, hard physical labour, child labour, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Nishtha views the education of girls and young women as a way of achieving greater economic prosperity for impoverished families living in the Sunderbans, and including better choices, and greater economic independence for women.
In 2023 BODHI Australia funding made it possible for Nishtha to reach out to 11 new and hard to reach rural villages, under three blocks, in the Sunderbans, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Donor funds were used to support 150 secondary and 50 senior secondary female students to continue or complete their education.
Over the course of the year it became evident that Nishtha’s educational outreach in those communities was as comprehensive as it was courageous.
Nishtha's Alokita project is unique, in that it engages whole of community approaches, at multiple levels, in order to support the continued education of girls and young women. The drive is to create family, social and community structures that are cohesive and that foster an environment of safety, pride, encouragement and greater gender equality.
Nishtha's dedicated and experienced team of workers ensure that all girls and young women continue to attend school. They are swift to respond if any girl or young woman does not attend. Failure to present at school results in a visit to the family home, and where together with the family, Nishtha troubleshoot what is at the basis of the students non attendance. From there, and with support of the family, Nishtha works to create solutions that will facilitate the students' return to education.
Nishtha recognises the importance of working with the parents of girls and young women, and where both the mothers but especially the fathers hold the key to their daughters success. Parents are engaged in a series of workshops that seek to educate them about the importance of supporting their daughters schooling and to raise awareness of the importance of prioritising their daughters future through education.
Nishtha also invites the participation of community leaders and representatives to engage in community awareness initiatives that speaks to the risks of early marriage, school drop outs and child labour. They encourage communities to challenge social and community norms that put women and girls at risk and instead, encourages them to adopt protective strategies that creates an environment that is safer for girls and women living in their communities.
Nishtha has always been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for women's equality. They celebrate the achievements of girls and women, and draw attention through their ongoing advocacy to the importance of girls and women to have a right to be seen, to be heard, and to flourish. It's a long road but they tirelessly continue to put one foot in front of the other, and will continue to walk that journey until their destination is reached. A destination where all girls and women can reach their potential and be who they were always meant to be.
To read more about the Alokita project (1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024) and the amazing work and achievements undertaken by the team at Nishtha please click on the PDF below (alokita-bodhi_report_april-2023_march_2024.pdf) for the complete project report as submitted by Nishtha.
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HISTORY
In 2022 Nishtha was recommended to BODHI Australia by Suddhaka, of the Karuna Trust, based in London, England as an organisation BODHI Australia might want to consider forging a working partnership with.
The BODHI Australia Executive Committee reached the decision (in early 2023) to support Nishtha after several video conferences, including with Akashamitra (from the Karuna Trust), who visits them regularly. Nishtha has FCRA status.
BODHI Australia has long recognised the systemic, political, economic and social disadvantages experienced by girls and women across the world; a project therefore with Nishtha, with a focus on the empowerment of girls and young women was well within BODHI Australia's mandate to improve the socioeconomic well being of girls and young women in developing countries.
NISHTHA
Established in 1975 "Nishtha" meaning "dedication" (in Bengali) is a non-government organisation founded by women, for women. Its focus is largely centered on the empowerment of women by promoting equal opportunity, equal rights, and equal dignity for girls and women.
Nishtha strives to usher in a world free of discrimination on the basis of sex, class, caste, creed, religion or colour. Nishtha works from a set of values that guide their policy and practice. These values are based on gender equity, child protection, human rights and the right to financial independence for all girls and women. Nishtha works across caste; their programmes reach out to girls and young women in the lower castes, Dalits and including “tribals”.
Nishtha presently works in more than 300 villages in 6 blocks in rural district near Kolkata.
More about Nishtha vision can be found here: www.nishtha.org.in/vision.php
A video about Nishtha's work is here (youtube) www.karuna.org/projects/nishta
This video published in The Guardian does not mention Nishtha, but it does report on conditions in the Sundarbans, and it also mentions early marriage of girls. It is called "Sex trafficking: the fight to recover India’s stolen children". See:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2023/jun/13/sex-trafficking-the-fight-to-recover-indias-stolen-children
In 2022 Nishtha was recommended to BODHI Australia by Suddhaka, of the Karuna Trust, based in London, England as an organisation BODHI Australia might want to consider forging a working partnership with.
The BODHI Australia Executive Committee reached the decision (in early 2023) to support Nishtha after several video conferences, including with Akashamitra (from the Karuna Trust), who visits them regularly. Nishtha has FCRA status.
BODHI Australia has long recognised the systemic, political, economic and social disadvantages experienced by girls and women across the world; a project therefore with Nishtha, with a focus on the empowerment of girls and young women was well within BODHI Australia's mandate to improve the socioeconomic well being of girls and young women in developing countries.
NISHTHA
Established in 1975 "Nishtha" meaning "dedication" (in Bengali) is a non-government organisation founded by women, for women. Its focus is largely centered on the empowerment of women by promoting equal opportunity, equal rights, and equal dignity for girls and women.
Nishtha strives to usher in a world free of discrimination on the basis of sex, class, caste, creed, religion or colour. Nishtha works from a set of values that guide their policy and practice. These values are based on gender equity, child protection, human rights and the right to financial independence for all girls and women. Nishtha works across caste; their programmes reach out to girls and young women in the lower castes, Dalits and including “tribals”.
Nishtha presently works in more than 300 villages in 6 blocks in rural district near Kolkata.
More about Nishtha vision can be found here: www.nishtha.org.in/vision.php
A video about Nishtha's work is here (youtube) www.karuna.org/projects/nishta
This video published in The Guardian does not mention Nishtha, but it does report on conditions in the Sundarbans, and it also mentions early marriage of girls. It is called "Sex trafficking: the fight to recover India’s stolen children". See:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2023/jun/13/sex-trafficking-the-fight-to-recover-indias-stolen-children
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