Uttar Meghbalika, a not-for-profit social organisation has started working in Atulia village with tribal people in North Twenty-Four Parganas district of West Bengal. Presently, the organisation is focusing on three major issues of programme intervention.

Education Programme – Pathshala

This project has been framed out of the community meetings and survey where it has come out that all children in this village are enrolled in schools but not all of them were continuing regular classes. Quite a large number of the children do not attend regular classes and as a result they cannot learn according to their age. The irregular students cannot even readout the English or Bengali alphabets. The situation is same for arithmetic skills of the children.

While exploring the reasons for such irregularities, it has been found that financial instability is one of the major factors for the families to restrain their children from attending regular classes. Parents of the children are mostly engaged in agricultural work and daily wage earning. The elder children need to take care of the household chores and taking care of the younger siblings. These situations create hindrances for quite a large number of children to attend schools on a regular basis. Lack of care and support from the parents and poor academic exposure for the parents are also responsible for irregular school attendants for their children.

In addressing this need, Uttar Meghbalika has started with a coaching class for the children of this villages, mostly for those children from economically backward families. Weekly 5 days of coaching class is being held for 25 children at this moment. Youth volunteers from the community have come forward to provide coaching support to these children with very low amount of honorarium. The organisation intends to provide them with age-appropriate academic backup support and ensure their continuation of studies. Support from different individuals have been received by means of educational materials, text books, drawing materials and some indoor games as well.

The organisation looks forward to guide these children in overcoming the challenges of consistent learning and become responsible citizen in future.

Adolescent Programme – “Raise your hand if you're a Friend”
The organisation has focused on adolescent girls for their overall development. Since their learning environment from childhood remains very weak, after a certain age they do not get motivated to study. They stop going to school and a tendency to marry at early age is very common among them. However, such early marriages do not yield good results, rather put them into life challenges. The face several social stigma, family and community level mental pressure. Owing to lack of guidance from early childhood days, the adolescent girls tend make such mistakes and take such hasty decisions. They do not have adequate knowledge about the impact of early marriage on their health as well as social status. Extensive use of mobile phones and its impact on life of adolescents have become a serious agenda in social development sector. Parents are also not equipped to support their adolescent children at home.

Uttar Meghbalika believes that social and mental well being is the way to deal with these situations wherein the adolescents can find a way to lead their lives in appropriate manner. It is adequately important to guide them in completing their studies and facilitate them to chose right way for their individual development. It is also important that they do not get married leaving their education incomplete, they should be made aware that they should give more importance to self-reliance.

In taking forward this agenda, Uttar Meghbalika has been using the medium of Theatre, Dance and other cultural activities to bring about a cohesiveness and convergent action. Only through meetings and trainings it would not be possible to make them understand the importance of life values and completing studies. The organisation is putting its effort to involve these adolescents through dance and drama therapy so that they can open up and share their feelings afterwards. The theatre and dance medium are being used covering several social issues and the organisation is trying to educate them on coping up with life situation and going ahead with their own dreams. During last few months, the adolescent girls’ group has been able to perform in public forums and it has helped them build their self-confidence. The parents are also happy to see positive life impact.

Women Empowerment
The organisation is trying to bring together the tribal women from Atulia village and facilitating them to learn embroidery work through which they can earn for their families. These women did not get the chance to learn during their childhood and as a result they cannot support their children in their studies. This initiative to help them learn stitching and embroidery work is a step towards making them self-reliant.

The women are being encouraged to learn and prepare cloth bags, paper bags, candle sticks and other craft items. Stitching and embroidery work are also being taught to them so that they can earn better in future. They are also being guided on product packaging and selling techniques. As an organisation, Uttar Meghbalika looks forward to see these women stand of their own and earn a living with dignity.