JAN SEVA
Every eighth urban child in India in the age-group of 0-6 years stays in slums.*
The Jan Seva crèche run by SICW addresses the needs and challenges of these children.
For five years, SICW ran the Jan Seva Community Centre in Kalikapur where the crèche was a refuge for 200 children from slum homes marked non- hygienic living spaces, space shortage and domestic violence. The crèche provided mid-day meals, daily preschool lessons, uniforms and free medical care.
In November 2005, bulldozers razed this abode of love to the ground to make way for a road.
A number of people said that this was the end. Not SICW.
The members set about negotiating for a new plot in lieu of the old, design, plan sanction and resources and came across a golden heart in the form of Amicale Luxembourg who agreed to fund the entire expense of the Jan Seva Community Centre for five years till 2015.
And that is how the new Jan Seva Centre was created in January 2012. As a modern facility providing health, primary education, vocational training, adult education, computer programmes, creche for children with special needs and support system requirements of the immediate slum areas spanning Tiljala and Kasba.
*‘Slums in India – A statistical compendium 2011' published by the Union government.
Area Profile
Kasba is a poor suburb of Kolkata with a population of around 50,000, increasing rapidly by the day. The habitat is very disparate - beautiful buildings alongside slums cropping up on any bit of wasteland available. These self constructed shanty homes are inhabited by poor families looking desperately for employment and survival
Project profile
A community development project providing assistance to these underprivileged women and children, living under extremely subhuman conditions
Project description
A new three storeyed complex has been constructed in Hatisur, Kasba to help these unfortunate people improve their living standards and encourage them to utilise the benefits gained from the programmes provided
Each floor of the building has accommodation for the various programmes providing assistance to the underprivileged and needy.
Given alongside are programme placements according to the floors:
Ground Floor
is being used for children with Special Needs.
With the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, SICW has opened an outdoor assessment unit for the people in the surrounding area as no such facility exists there to date. Parents, residing in the area, have to travel a distance of over 25 Km to avail of any expert advice and support system from the IICP which is situated on the other end of town.
First Floor
accommodates:
a) A creche programme for 200 children belonging to the 2-6 year age group. This project operates five days a week providing education, nutrition and healthcare.
b) A clinic - A separate doctor's chamber with waiting room to cater to the medical needs of the creche children and also women and children of the surrounding area.
Second Floor
is being used for:
a) An adult literacy course for young girls and women teaching thirty students at a time, in groups of fifteen, three days a week. The women study English. Bengali and Arithmetic in 30-minute periods, keeping in mind the attention span of the students.
b) Computer Training Course for thirty young girls and boys a time, who will earn a recognised diploma on completion of the course. The course involves initial introduction to the English language and digital calculations, followed by instruction in office management and data entry. Computerised accounting, desktop publishing and hardware and networking will be optional subjects after the students master the basics.
c) Vocational training project for women and girls to encourage them towards empowerment through self employment. The programme trains them in making handcrafted, quality items. The programme, with flexible timings – five days a week - is open to all women/girls eager to assist their own families financially.
All projects, assisting the beneficiaries, is being provided free of cost.