STREET SURVIVORS INDIA

STREET SURVIVORS INDIA. (Inaugurated In 1990), together M.s Shabnam Ramaswamy and Late Jugnu Ramaswamy started a small NGO called Street Survivors India. The vision was to create equal opportunities for socio-economically marginalized people. Street Survivors India is based in village Katna of Murshidabad District in West Bengal, India. It runs four projects on the issues of education, livelihood and justice.

Jagriti Public School(inaugurated in 2005 to till date) is an initiative of Street Survivors India, a non-government organization that is attempting to break new grounds for rural children. Jagriti Public School is a thoroughly modern institution for rural children situated amid the rice Paddies of Katna in the Kandi Subdivision of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Students are housed in attractive buildings equipped with well stocked libraries, laboratories, computers, audio-visual equipment, and facilities for creative arts and sports. The school offers equal learning opportunities to all children, irrespective of caste, creed or economic status, vigorously eschewing any religious or political agenda. SSI’s educational philosophy is inspired by the maxim “Fortitudine Vincimus”: “By endurance we conquer.” JPS provides comprehensive education, keeping in view the District’s rich heritage and cultural background. Besides academic excellence and intellectual development, the school endeavors to help each child discover and develop his/her innate abilities and values, such as honesty, self-respect, team spirit, compassion, and freedom of mind.

Shiksha Shakti Centres (Power through learning). (Inaugurated in 2008 to till date)   A project for Government school going children known as “SHIKSHA SHAKTI CENTRES,” providing more than 1500 children from class V to XII access to remedial classes, games, library facilities and computer education. The centres are in 2 Blocks (Khargram & Burwan) in the Kandi Sub-division of Murshidabad District, West Bengal.

Swayam Shakti (inaugurated in 2003 to till date)The success of the Stree Shakti project forms the basis of the Swayam Shakti project, which harnesses women’s craft skill to generate economic and social empowerment. Swayam Shakti is handicraft co-operative was born due to the realization that for women need to have their own source of income which would not only make them financially independent but also give them a voice to some extent within a conservative, exploitative and patriarchal society. We are a group of more than 1400 women-members of growing network from over 5 villages in Burwan and Khargram Blocks of Murshidabad’s Kandi sub-divisions.

Stree Shakti (inaugurated in 2002 to till date) A community based arbitration Programme which is an alternative dispute redressal forum meant to bring quick, free justice especially to women who are too intimidated and uneducated to approach the traditional infrastructure of police and courts. A wide variety of issues are dealt with Stree Shakti. The majority of these are marital discord, domestic violence, divorce, maintenance and dowry matters. To date has tried more than 1000 cases ranging from dowry abuse, rape, abandonment and murder.