Trafficking, child marriage, abuse and elopement—they suffer it all. Deprived of a happy childhood and awareness to fight the odds, the girl children in the Sunderbans lead a vulnerable life every day. And here’s where all of us can make a difference by empowering them with education. Precisely, that is what Katakhali Swapnopuron Welfare Society (KSWS) and SVP India are aiming at. This Rakshabandhan, they urge you to protect the sisters of Sunderbans, gifting them education, awareness and empowerment. The official announcement of the campaign Bond of Love & Education today at Press Club Kolkata was graced by Sourav Chakraborty, the eminent actor-director-writer who is also the face of the campaign, along with other esteemed guests.
The month-long Rakshabandhan campaign by KatakhaliSwapnopuron Welfare Society and SVP India targets sponsoring the education of 450 girl children of Sunderbans for a whole year. For this, all they need is Rs 12,000 per child per year and urge well-wishers to donate to the cause. The money will be spent on educating girl children and raising their awareness to fight against the odds.
Happy to be the face of the campaign, actor-director-writer Sourav Chakraborty said, “My motive to be the face of this noble campaign stems from my deep belief in the transformative power of education. As an actor, director, and writer, I recognize the importance of empowering the youth with knowledge and skills to create a better future. By being associated with KSWS in this, I aim to use my best potential to spread awareness about the significance of education in uplifting the lives of children in Sunderbans’ remote villages and islands.”
Initiated by the then-school teacher Satarupa Majumder in 2012 and later supported by Mr Biswajit Saha, Swapnopuron started its journey as a learning centre in Hingalganj, Sunderbans. Overwhelmed by her experience, Satarupa left her job in 2018 and devoted herself fully to the cause. Powered by the wholehearted support of SVP India, Swapnopuron established the only English medium school in Sunderbans. Currently, the organisation has one main school (nursery to XI) and 5 branches across panchayats under Hingalganj and plays a pivotal role in the Block child protection committee. It has also extended support to the pandemic, Amphan and Yaas relief work in all the affected panchayats under the Hingalganj block.
Speaking at today’s event, Satarupa Majumder, Founder, KSWS mentioned, “Swapnopuron is the only organization to establish an English medium school for the marginalized children of Sunderbans. Our mission is to propagate quality education to enable every child to have a safe and empowered life in these remote and difficult areas. Through this campaign, we would like to emphasize girl child education as the life of girl children is vulnerable and tough. We have a target of supporting 450 girl children to continue their education.”
