ANNUAL

REPORT

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(2015-2016)By South Kolkata Hamari Muskan

ANNUAL REPORT: A word by Founder Secretary-cum-Director, Mrs Srabani Sarkar-Neogi:

What an eventful year this has been!

We must congratulate South Kolkata Hamari Muskan’s (SKHM) children, youth and staff for pursuing a path of self-development and resilience-building in a stellar manner. This was yet another year when SKHM managed to bring down its record of two percent drop-out rate to zero.

This year, we witnessed a rise in community participation—especially of youths and mothers—in SKHM

programmes. This was also the year when community leaders participated in our meetings wholeheartedly extending their support. Our outreach programme went well beyond our target number.

In 2015-2016 South Kolkata Hamari Muskan saw several firsts—regular, biannual examinations; monthly education council meetings; weekly computer training (BASICS) programme; a full-fledged volunteer programme with participants from prestigious Kolkata colleges; several skill-building workshops; and weekly spoken-English classes; continuation of Hnashi Khushi Crafts Programme for SKHM mothers; capacity-building classes for SKHM Educationists.

We are still buoyed by the success of SKHM psychological intervention programme. Not only have our students reaped its benefits, but members of our youth group, too, have requested us to extend the programme into the next year.

Next on our list of agendas is the further training of SKHM Educationists and staff. With the deadline of Goal 2025 looming over us—when our administrative team hands over the day-care centre-cum-crèche (Centre) reins to the Centre staff and members of the community—the thrust of our programmes will inevitably turn towards staff capacity-building.

In the meantime we will continue our interventions with the rising number of SKHM children, youths and parents at the Bowbazaar Centre, while extending our operations into newer territories—namely the Shonagachi red light area. And, we will try to get yet

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another Centre started in Bowbazaar where we can shift our Youth and Mothers’ Programme.

So wish us luck and please be with us, as we move toward the Phase-II of our journey.

Yours Faithfully,Srabani Sarkar Neogi

SKHM: INTRODUCTIONSouth Kolkata Hamari Muskan (SKHM) began with 16 children—aged between 3-1/2 years to 6 years—in Bowbazaar red light area (Central Kolkata) on March 4, 2010. SKHM’s core objective was to build confidence and resilience among children and enable them to access basic child rights to education, protection, and health. SKHM was—and will continue to be—a rights-based organization which believes in creating enabling environments where the most-vulnerable and at-risk children, youth and women can are equipped to access a dignified and safe life. The programme objective is to work with children, youth and women at individual and group-levels, to help them deal and thrive within adverse environments.

OUR VISION:A world that is peaceful, safe and free from all forms of violence; where every

woman and child can achieve their full potential

OUR MISSION:To empower vulnerable women and children to live lives to their utmost potential

with dignity and respect

SKHM TARGET GROUPS Children (below 18 years) —part of SKHM’s day-care centre-cum-crèche Youth (Above 18 years)—part of SKHM’s Community Youth Group Parents’ Group—Mothers and guardians of SKHM’s children

INTERVENTION AREAS & PROGRAMMES

EDUCATION PROGRAMME:

Non-formal education for children below six years via Montessori-trained Educationist & ICDS Specialists

Working with local government schools and admitting students after they get to be six years

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Maintaining record of school-going children (attendance, class participation, etc.) Acting as a liaison between guardians and school authorities throughout school

life Formal educational support (via SKHM Educationists) at the Centre after school

hours (help with tests, class work, home work, etc.) Taking care of expenses (text books, text copies, graph and map sheets,

stationeries, examination fees, outing fees, etc.) as and when required Providing extra tuitions (via private school teachers) to senior students (as and

when required) Home Visits to ensure that children are going to school and coming to the Centre

to keep up with formal lessons and with life and skill building exercises

PSYCHOLOGICAL (THERAPEUTIC) INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES:

Via Play and Art-based Therapy methods for children below six years

Via Play and Art-based Therapy and Group Counselling for children between six and 11 years

Via Art-based Therapy and Group or individual counselling for children between 11 and 18 years

Via Art-based Therapy and Group or individual counselling for youths and mothers beyond 18 years

Added medical help via certified (reputable)

psychiatrist if child seeks the support and if mother / family approves of the need

Providing monetary support to fund sessions (as and when required)

LIVELIHOOD & SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:

1. Computer skill training (for SKHM students and SKHM youth group members)

2. Driving classes (SKHM students and SKHM youth group members)

3. Self-defence training a. Karate classes

(SKHM students)

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b. Kick-boxing classes (SKHM students)

4. Creativity classes Drama classes (SKHM students)Creative writing classes (SKHM students)Photography classes (SKHM students)Music Class (SKHM students)

5. Spoken English classes (SKHM students and SKHM youth group members)6. Story writing & story-telling sessions (SKHM students and mothers’ group)7. Cricket coaching (SKHM children)

NUTRITION PROGRAMME:

Evening Meal (between 5:30-6:00pm) for all SKHM children

Dinner (10:00pm) for those who stay in the SKHM Night Crèche

OTHERS:

Acting as liaison between health care & medical officials (Calcutta Medical College) and community members (as and when required)

Protecting SKHM children during times of emergencies—community violence, attacks and political agitations

Outreach within the community to spread awareness about right to education, safety and non-violence of women and children in the community

Awareness and Advocacy Programmes among local community, police, government officials, like-minded NGOs, social development activists

Liaison with like-minded NGOs / Networks to spread awareness regarding instances of child trafficking, marriage and second-generation prostitution

LOCUS OF PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION:All of SKHM’s interventions are done at its day-care centre-cum-crèche (henceforth

to be referred to as the Centre).

The Centre starts from 10:30am in the morning and stays open till 11:00pm in the night.

It is in the Premchand Boral Street, right in the middle of the Bowbazaar red light area.

The Centre is also in a middle of a very congested area where “space” is a luxury. Children who are a part of the SKHM Centre stay 5-10 minutes from it.

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The Centre is a two-roomed space (one room on the ground floor and another, a floor above).

There are two staircases that lead to it: the steep one used by staff and seniors and a less steep one by young students.

It has two toilets for the children and staff. The Centre is run and managed by an

Administrative Head, three Care Givers, five Educationists (including one trained Montessori teacher) and one Youth Group Leader.

It stays closed on Sundays while Saturdays are half-days (open till 5:00pm).

Two special tutors come in twice and thrice weekly for conducting special classes (mathematics, science and English).

The Centre’s team is an all-women one apart from one Youth Group leader who is a man—and from the community.

Seventy percent of the Centre staff stays five-minutes away from the Centre.

Seventy percent of the Centre staff is community members.

The Centre comprises multi-purpose rooms which double up as a study area; counselling area; classroom, computer training classroom, drama classroom, music classroom, fine arts classroom,

spoken English classroom, kick-boxing space, tuition classroom, story-making and telling class room; as well as a meeting place for the SKHM youth group members and the mothers’ group.

The youngest children (below six years of age) come into the Centre at 1:00pm. Some come in earlier (at 11:00am).

The youngest children (below six years of age) stay at the Centre till 6:00pm. After Centre-hours they are escorted to their homes by Caregivers.

Most senior children are in the Centre by 4:30pm—if they go to school. On holidays, or on days when they are not in school (due to illnesses / or when

their parents ask them to complete household chores and not go to schools), the senior children are in at the Centre by 12:00pm.

The senior children (above six years of age) continue beyond 6:00pm. Some of them stay till 8:30pm. When they leave they are either

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escorted back to their homes or are allowed to go only if their guardian comes to get them.

Between 4:30pm and 5:00pm, students eat their evening meal (divided into two batches: juniors and seniors)

The formal study period (special or otherwise) starts from 5:00pm. Play period starts post-8:00pm for middle school students.

After 8:30pm the Centre doubles up as a Night Creche for at-risk / vulnerable

children—along with the senior-most children—who use this time to do their home work / study further / practise music / paint or draw / relax after back-to-back classes (at school and then at the Centre).

Around 9:30pm the children eat dinner. The meals are cooked within the Centre by Care Givers. Around 10:30pm they start packing up their school bags. 11:00pm, the Centre closes for the day.

The Centre is a no-photography zone. Volunteers are either “cleared for duty” by their respective colleges or by

organisations they represent if they wish to teach at the Centre It is also a Wi-Fi zone—students do not have access to the internet unless there’s

a teacher present. It is also as much a mother’s space as it is of her child. Outsiders seeking to visit the Centre need to take prior permission from

the administrative office.

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OUR YEAR AT A GLANCE: EDUCATION PROGRAMME (2015-2016)0 per cent drop put rate among SKHM students

Despite Migrating to other red light areas, guardians have not withdrawn former SKHM students from schools. SKHM’s Outreach Programme has proved to be effective in curbing drop-out rates among former residents of Prem Chand Boral Street as well as convincing current students—and their families—the effectiveness of formal education, especially in building a better life.

SKHM Students going to government-run, public schools: 74 15 in Lee Memorial School 3 in Bhagabati Balika Vidyalaya 3 in Bowbazaar High School 35 in Girindra Balika Vidyalaya 3 at Swamiji Vidyapeeth Primary School 7 in Mitra Institution for Boys & Main 3 students at Raj Rajeshwari Free Women Adult High School 4 Victoria Memorial School 1 in Kiddis Corner School

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Picture 1: STUDY PERIOD

Picture 2: MEAL AT NIGHT CRECHE

This year too, all of the students at SKHM Centre managed to pass to their next class with the exception of two students.

See Annexure for full list of students in Government-run Schools

ICDSResidential Schools

Drop-out rate, etc.

OUR YEAR AT A GLANCE: Therapy Programme—CASE STUDY

Case Study: Nirmala Age: 5 years

Sneha was a girl from Murshidabad, younger of two sisters—“the slow one”—according to her parents, who, thus, decided not to send her to school. Sneha became a goatherd. Sneha was married off to a boy when she was 13-years-old.

At 14, she gave birth to a baby girl and was promptly sent back because of her “crime”. Back at

her ancestral home, she returned to her life as a goatherd. Her parents refused to take responsibility for feeding her daughter and her. Eventually, Sneha met a local boy who promised her “steady income” if she agreed to migrate to West Bengal’s capital city—allegedly where money was aplenty. So, Sneha took her baby and was off to Kolkata where making money was easier. In Kolkata she was brought to Bowbazaar’s Premchand Boral Street where she was bought by a pimp. Though she begged to be released, Sneha was imprisoned in a chamber for months while she faced systematic rape and torture till she gave in and became a prostitute.

By the time Sneha was a practicing prostitute, Nirmala was three years old. As soon as she learnt to walk, a naturally curious and effervescent child, Nirmala roamed Premchand Boral Street’s several by-lanes by herself. Anticipating the worse for her female and vulnerable child—and Nirmala’s tendency to trust strangers—Sneha opted to put Nirmala at South Kolkata Hamari Muskan (SKHM) Centre at 4 years.

When she first came to the centre, Nirmala could barely talk. Not used to being cooped up in a room with children close to her age for better part of a day, there was restlessness

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about her—bordering on aggressiveness—which made it difficult for SKHM Caregivers and SKHM Educationists to take care of her.

Illiterate and uneasy with “set rules” she showed reluctance to communicate and comply with requests. Most days she had to be dragged by her mother to the centre. Once there, Nirmala took pleasure in protesting every SKHM routine and manifested a delinquent behaviour—mostly in her interactions with other children who she would try to bully.

Nirmala started to show signs of positive change right after going through the first sessions of play therapy. At the beginning, she would keep every toy for herself and show signs of aggression.

However, the patience of Councillor, Educationists, Caregivers and co-students won and Nirmala’s trust towards people began to develop, slowly. She started to sit through classes without interrupting. She started to show interest in picking up the slate—at first to doodle, then to write alphabets. Soon, she was identifying shapes, memorising nursery rhymes and then singing—all group activities that she “loathed”.

She began to show affection towards Caregivers who fed her, gave her water when she was thirsty, and accompanied her till the bathroom. Four to five months down the line—SKHM’s triumphant moment came when on a Saturday (an off-day for children as young as Nirmala) when she came in by herself, declared it to be a “non-holiday” for her, and sat with a slate. Because she was especially vulnerable, with a tendency to “interact” with her mother’s clients (previously, she went to the extent of asking money from them for food, snacks—a habit she has now abandoned), SKHM decided to allow Nirmala access to the centre even on Saturdays, to keep her away from her mother’s profession and clients. Because there are no formal classes for children as young as her on Saturdays, Nirmala plays, draws, sings and eats there. Or on certain days she simply sleeps.

The cherry on the pie (for SKHM Centre’s team) was at the 2015 Annual Sports Day, when the usually garrulous girl quietly walked up to the “dais” to accept three prizes—for drawing, go-as-you-like and for best behaviour—the first time for her. Her (gap-toothed) smile was beautiful and said it all.

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PSYCHOTHERAPY INTERVENTION(At a glance)

Play Therapy 92 sessions (with 2 groups)

Art-based Therapy 46 sessions(with 2 groups)

Group Counselling 46 sessions(with 2 groups)

Individual Counselling: One

special case

20 sessions

SKHM Youth Group Counselling (Group)

11 sessions

SKHM Mothers’ Group Counselling

11 sessions

SKHM Fathers’ Group Counselling

6 sessions

SOUTH KOLKATA HAMARI MUSKAN PROGRAMME LIST: 2015-2016

WORKING DAYS 279

HOLIDAYS 85

Programme for SKHM Students / Youths

Programme Details

Number of Classes / Sessions

Spoken English ClassesSKHM Students

43

SKHM Youths22

Value Education Classes SKHM Students 24

Story-telling SessionsSKHM Students

(For children below 13 years)27

Story-Making Sessions

SKHM Students (Sessions are held every day with

different groups of children—below 13 years. The output is the number of

“stories” that a group makes from start to finish.)

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Computer Skill Training Sessions

SKHM Students (Below 18 years)

48

SKHM youth group members (Above 18 years) 48

Driving Classes(via Khanna Motor

Training School)

Around 20 sessions were held every month with separate group of youths,

each group comprising 5 members20

Self-defence Training(Part of Life & Skill

Development Programme)

Karate classes(SKHM students)

44

Kick-boxing classes(SKHM students)

19

Muay Thai Workshop(SKHM students)

4

Creativity classes(Part of Life & Skill

Development Programme)

Drama classes (SKHM children)52

Creative writing classes (SKHM children)

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Fine Arts / Painting / Mixed Medium Arts Classes

43

Photography Classes 17Music 44

Guitar Lessons 45Dance Movement Therapy Classes 21

Ujaan Wall Magazine

Ujaan is the SKHM magazine that is run by different sets of students at

SKHM. The organisation tries to bring out 1 magazine per month.

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Sports Training(Via Devang Gandhi

Cricket Academy)Two boys of Classes VI & VII are

part of the training workshop43

SOUTH KOLKATA HAMARI MUSKAN OUTREACH & HOME VISIT LIST

Effort Outcome

Outreach(Contact made with new / freshly-arrived

community members)

1652 days of outreach achieved(4 staff made 4 separate visits to the

community every day)

Home Visits(Keeping contact with community

members / SKHM Students / guardians )63 days of home visits undertaken

Children Reached(via outreach programme)

127 new children made contact with

Mothers Reached(via outreach programme)

32 new mothers made contact with

Fathers Reached(via outreach programme)

20 new fathers made contact with

Youths Reached(via outreach programme)

65 new (above 18 years) youths made contact with

SOUTH KOLKATA HAMARI MUSKAN: Mothers’ group programme

Meeting of Mothers (Group Counselling Sessions)

8 sessions

Hnashi Khushi Programme for Mothers(A voluntary crafts and hobby

programme for the WIP & mothers of SKHM students)

27 sessions

SOUTH KOLKATA HAMARI MUSKAN: Youth group programme(Began from May 2015)

Meeting of Youths(Group Counselling Sessions)

11 sessions

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Driving Classes 20 classes per month

Computer Classes 48 sessions

SNAPSHOTS

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Annual Sports Day 2015:The SKHM Annual Sports Day (held at the

Centre) was celebrated in style over a period of two days. Events included Go As You Like, Spoon Race, Maths Race, and a

Sack Race. Participants, and winners, were divided into

three categories: Children – (below 6)

Middle Group – (above 6) Adults – (Classes VI to X)

South Kolkata Hamari Muskan’s Rabindra Jayanti Programme proved to be a

tremendous success. Held in May 2015, it saw the

participation of all students from ages 5 years to 18 year-

old; boys and girls.

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September 2015: A teacher at St Thomas, Brother Mac, in association with Sanved

organised a Dance programme on the occasion

of his book release. The event was attended by

SKHM students

November 2015: SKHM Senior Students attended GOLPO MELA organised by

Seagull Foundation for the Arts. The day-long event was a huge hit among the

SKHM children where they performed a dance recital.

South Kolkata Hamari Muskan is grateful to

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January 2016: The senior girls of the SKHM family were invited to an Artists Fair in Alipore in January where they learnt to

work with mixed material like wood, clay and paper.

MISSING PROJECT:

In 2016, the girls of SKHM participated in Leena Kejriwal’s Missing Project. The girls doubled up as photographers, theme creators, voice over and graffiti artists, and went around Kolkata streets to highlight the plight of thousands of adolescent girls—much like them—who are trafficked from their homes.

The projects—a first-of-its-kind in India—was a great success and the girls, too, had tremendous fun participating in it.

January 2016: SKHM visited the main office of Capgemini Kolkata carrying the

handicrafts item made by the SKHM Mothers’ Group. The event helped the

organisation to connect with the Capgemini office which led to subsequent book collection drive and a BITM visist for the children in the following months. The

wares were deeply appreciated and several bags painted by the women were sold off, the collected money used to fund

the hobby classes further.

its generous Funders, Collaborators, Partners and Individuals who have stood by us through thick and thin:

Aide ET ActionAmerican Service to IndiaBikramghar High SchoolBirdi Chand Laduram Sarogi TrustBMW Industries LimitedBowbazaar High School

CWC KolkataDevang Gandhi Cricket Coaching AcademyGirinda Balika VidyalayaGlobal Fund for Children, USAHigh Life Management consultancy Private LimitedHope Foundation

ING-Vysya FoundationKolkata Gives Foundation Kolkata SanvedLadies Study Group Charitable trustLee Memorial Girls High SchoolMaster Saurav Ray BanerjeeMitra Institution for BoysMr. A. Dutta Gupta

Mr. Amit Kumar BanerjeeMr. Anindo BhattacharyaMr. Champak BhattacharyaMr. Joy NeogiMr. Manish JhunjunwalaMr. Produmnya GhoshDr Shanta BasuMr. Soumitra ChakrabortyMr. Mihir Kumar

Ms. Aditi Mitra and Mr Shuvranshu MitraMs. Bonnie BurnstandMs. Leena KejriwalMs. Paramita ChoudhuryMs. Malasree BiswasMs. Rama Banerjee

Ms. Sajal Banerjee Ms. Sheema SharmaMs. Shreya MukherjeeMs. Sohini ChakrobortyMs. Kabita Sinha Ms. Priya Binanai (Rotary Belur)Ms. B. C. Hurtley and Mz. F. H. GillarbMs. Ishita Bhowmick

Ms. Jatobeda Ray BanerjeeMs. Preeti Maroti Muchipara Police StationNandalal Rungta Charitable TrustParivaar

PASS Exports Private LimitedRadheshyam Mohini Devi Kanoi TrustRotary Trust ChowrangheeSanman Exports private LimitedSeagull Foundation for the ArtsShikshmitraShine-a-LightSolargise FoundationSt Joseph’s CollegeStop Hunger Now IndiaVedant fashions Private Limited

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