Initially after months of field survey and aptitude
assessment of the target beneficiaries some suitable trade areas were
identified in which selected youth were to get trained.
With some entrepreneurial training skills it was expected that the beneficiaries
would become job creators and and all of them would then be able to lead
their lives with dignity.
Unfortunately, not a single project could
take off the ground because the youth could not be motivated to attend
even a single meeting and so
Disha could not pursue it's goal further.
.
Simultaneously, a literacy program was being conducted. This
was running very well .Then it was decided to provide children with a
safe , hygienic, loving , healthy and educational environment where
they would remain close to their roots yet develop mainstream life
skills and entrepreneurial skills essential to lead their lives with
dignity.
Disha, thus, evolved into the present form of a residential school
where children from a radius of 100 Km are admitted by a lottery system .
There is no advertising required. Parents bring their children after
hearing how content and proud other parents are with their
performance of their children.
- Since 1993 Disha has directly impacted the lives of hundreds of
girls, boys and women. Indirectly it has impacted the lives of thousands
of people in the surrounding areas of I.I.T. Kharagpur within a radius of
100 Km . Disha is located within the I.I.T. Kharagpur campus on a six acre
lot leased to the Jyoti Development Trust under the aegis of which it
operates.
- Provided games equipment like football shoes and ball to the
youth of the village youth club.
- Provided the material required and
coordinated the activities of the village youth to get a road
constructed in the neighboring village.
- Conducted sewing classes for
the village women some of whom are using this talent to add to the
family income.
- Provided water to the nearby villages during summer
when the water table ran low.
- Set up a house maid service for the
tribal girls and widows to work in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi
etc.
- Operated a Bakery , first and only one run by rural women only.
- Set
up a cashew de-shelling unit ,one of it's kind in West Bengal run mainly
by rural women.
- Provided protection to women to safeguard them against physical
and mental abuse and taught them preventive measures to defend
themselves.
- Helped some rural women to acquire their rights to property.
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