Progress 2015

At last the long wait is over. On September 17 Piyali Mazumdar, Director Prayasam and our Finance Director, Debasis Raha along with our community leaders Salim Shekh, Sikha Patra, Sujit Dutta, Loknath Pradhan, Priya Mondal, Sangita Dutta inaugurated Progress 2 by lighting the lamp. Our Performing Art Studio members gave a scintillating performance with Deva Shri Ganesha, an apt selection on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. We saw Rupa Biswas and Sikha patra pitched their business Projects brilliantly in the Trade i Fiesta event. While in the Tolly Bolly Session Dipak Mridha by impersonating our very own Manish Chaudhury floored the audience. First day ended with 2 thought provoking forum theatres - the first directed by Sujit Dutta and the second one directed by Priya Mondal. Priya's forum theatre on Teen Pregnancy initiated immediate debate amongst the audience. The Food Section managed by Rupa Biswas was equally a BIG hit with the audience. The tasty but nutritious Aloo Kabli was very much in demand.

Krishna in the Community !!!!

Did Lord Krishna visit your house and asked for taal, oil, flour, sugar, to prepare taaler bora ? (a traditional and seasonal fruit recipe) and then later came and shared this delicacy with you? Must be wondering what exactly we mean..!!! This year our Ekjot-Nirmaan, the youth group, observed Janmastami in 12 communities by visiting every household with young Gopal and Gopalis to collect ingredients for taaler bora and also prepared community model map by recycled materials. All their mamas and mamis were happy to see these community activists in this new avatar. And they complied. So, as a community mobilization mechanism this act of door to door survey for new members as well as involving the community people more in their method of work is really praiseworthy.  Neither age nor gender was a matter of concern- where men can be seen cooking women were seen busy showing the skill of architecture. We salute our “Change Makers” for managing the entire programme without any glitches.

Rakhi Purnima was celebrated with lot of food and fun

Family Prayasam celebrates every festival. And thus Rakhi Purnima was celebrated with lot of food and fun. This year From Piyali to Sikha hatched a plan to surprise all their male colleagues. They cooked some pure Bengali Delicacies and brought them to our new Pantry and laid the table in a very hush hush manner. So during lunch when all went upstairs they were in for a pleasant surprise – from Alooposto to Ilish sarshe all were there with their mouth watering smell and flavour. What next…there was dead silence as all were eating to their hearts’ content. Thank you Piyalididi, Moumita, Sudipa, Anusua, Jhilik, Mili, Bina and Sikha

Jab tak banayengey aap Malaikari ….
Prayasam rahegi aise haribhari….
Yeh DOSTI hum na TODENGE….

It's All in the Family / Family Ties / Bonds of Blood

It was after a long six weeks that our mutual schedules permitted me a lengthy conversation with Amlan Sir. He was just back from a nearly month long pan USA tour for the premier of The Revolutionary Optimist and was saying how he was all tied up meeting the various family obligations...and our conversation inadvertently turned towards the weakening family ties and erosion of family values.
This conversation perhaps couldn't have come at a better time, given that 15th May, the International Family Day was only two days afar.
And we thought, why not make this time the blog be about Prayasam's vision to strengthen the family ties and to bring up the entire community as a family?
So it was, that on 16th May I sat down  with programme associates Sudipa, Anusua and Abhijit, albeit over the phone, to gain an insight about their activities in the various communities and also the response of the community members.
Their account definitely boosted my optimism at a time when family ties are said to be withering away and the society is apparently falling apart.
Across four communities in Kolkata, namely Najrulpalli, Udayanpalli, Mahishbathan and Rishi Aurobindo Colony, 15th May saw a host of events and activities that were aimed at not only bringing the family together, but also at fostering a sense of kinship and brotherhood among the entire community as a whole.
While in Udayanpalli, the members of Prayasam's Nirmaan group locked horns in a strongly contended football match with the local youth club, Najrulpalli had their tryst with the nuances of softer skills, be it a brilliant art exhibition by the children or a mesmerising dance programme. If a minutely detailed hand drawn community map invited a spirited game of treasure hunt to find one's own house or other known place on the map, a film show featuring the Saryajit Ray classic Apur Shongshar (Apu's Family) was a fitting finale to the day.
While Najrulpalli was scripting their panache of art on the paper, The families of Mahishbathan took it one step ahead to make a public display of their art by painting three walls in their community with their thoughts and visions about family and society, that included verses as well as drawings.
The residents of the sprawling Rishi Aurobindo Colony (RAC), on the other hand, woke up to quite a different sight. A massive 38 feet flex in their community greeted them. Only, instead of the usual sight of politicians or movie stars, it was familiar faces from the their own community that beamed down from the flex. This was the result of a survey undertaken by the youngsters of the community to chronicle the numerous dreams of the people, most of which have been left unfulfilled in an effort to support and feed the family. Thus, this flex was a testament to the sacrifices one makes for the family, and would be displayed in the 10 constituent blocks of RAC over the next one month.
All through the diverse events unfolding across the different communities, if there was anything common to them, it was the overwhelming response from the community. Be it a result of the highly spirited campaigning by the children or the still persisting feelings of togetherness among the people, 15th May witnessed people taking some time away from their daily charades to come out in great numbers to participate in and support these activities, which they believe will help foster a sense of closeness amongst the community.
Once again, it established the leading role of children as agents of change in their communities. 
So, with that and the hope of a lot more to come from the innovative desks of Prayasam, I take your leave...cyonara

Prayasam, Prayasis and Prathas...

It was during my internship at Prayasam, I had just returned from my morning session at Pragati, Prayasam's Multiple Activity Centre for the children in the brick kiln at Ichhapur and was literally pulled into the Mochchob (Prayasam’s Pantry) by Prashanto da. He heaped my plate with spaghetti and chicken and pastry while I just looked on in confusion. What was going on? Then he breaks out into a smile and tells me that it was Debashish da's birthday and Amlan Sir was playing the chef for the day...and that it was the tradition at Prayasam to celebrate each and every member's birthday. So, over the evening cuppa, I asked Saptarshi da, "are there more such traditions?" Immediately he said, "we prefer to call them Prathas". And then he didn't need any prompting. We just kept talking and the next thing I know, it is almost time for dinner. It has been on my mind ever since to write about some of the unique "Prathas" at Prayasam. But talking about traditions is incomplete without the people who embrace them. Hence I thought I would take this opportunity to give you a glimpse into the Prayasis (members of Prayasam) and their Prathas (traditions).
Well, although Saptarshi da went on forever with the traditions, to speak of a few, At Prayasam
1. Everything begins with "PR"...well, almost everything.
2. There are 25 english alphabets. "I" is missing. It is always about "WE".
3. Everyone sits down together for tea/coffee twice a day, every day.
4. Whenever anyone goes for work-related trips, Sir sees them off at the airport or railway station.
5. Any good news sees everyone breaking into spontaneous applause.
6. Evenings are the time for "Adda" on the terrace with office-made lip smacking snacks.
7. No member is given a farewell...because Prayasam is not about bidding adieu.
8. Ex-President Sir blesses everyone with a hundred rupee note who visits the retreat and touches his feet with abir on the day of Holi.
9. Every bhaiphonta and rakshabandhan sees Piyali Ma'am going out on lunch with all her brothers at Prayasam.
10. Everyone gets a gift on Mahashashthi of the Durga Puja.
11. Sir makes it a point to get all the male associates dressed in the traditional "Dhoti" on Vijayadashami and Saraswati puja.
12. Sir cooks Bengali delicacies for everyone on the Bengali New Year Day and everyone has to attend the roof dinner get together wearing new dresses gifted by Sir.



After he was done with the never ending list of interesting traditions and customs, I probed him further to get to know about the people who have worked with Prayasam over the years and have contributed to what it stands for today. The first names that he mentioned were of Gopadi from Pragati, Shyamalidi, Shipradi and Dinanath from Shikshajyoti and Rimpa from Sahajpath, whose hard work with the children will always be a reminder of what is at stake. Then of course, the people in the Maidan (the workstations)- Prasanta da and Moumita di's never ending enthusiasm, Debashish da's impeccable accounting and subtle witty remarks, Chitra ma'am and her organisational capabilities, Piyali ma'am and her immense responsibility of PR (Public Relations) and most importantly, Amlan Sir's conspicuous presence...and of course, the person I was talking to...Saptarshi da, the Techie. He was very emphatic in expressing his gratitude for the Pramila Bahini (women group) of Prayasam, who have time and again handled precarious situations effectively through their sheer will power and perseverance. He ran out of fingers while counting the names before he gave up. However, the volunteers like Mitali, Shibani, Rekha, Ratna, Keya, Mina, Sunita, Susweta, Gopa, Devjani, Angana, Manjari, Kajari and Anusua whose incessant support and hard work has made the place all the more lively, found special mention in our conversation. He became nostalgic while recalling Arijit da's untiring hard work; Purnendu da’s generosity; Kajari di’s contribution to make possible Prayasam’s association with UNICEF; Samya, Satya da and Ritapa di’s immense belief in what Prayasam stands for; tax officer Late Amitabha babu’s determination to attract sponsors; brilliant organization of local kids by Chaitali and Shuktidi; and the facelift that Rupsha and Debolinadi gave to the Documentation Desk at Prayasam. It was then that I understood the significance of the custom of never giving a farewell to its members. Because, they have never left. Through their work they have stayed on forever within the walls of Prayasam and beyond. And just sitting there, listening to Saptarshi da, I wondered how it would be to see all those people again...ringing the door bell, coming in through the door, like nothing had changed in Prayasam's journey of seventeen years. But like most people, I had left the most important people for the last-The children and their parents. Had it not been for the support of the parents and the perseverance of the children in the communities, the very inception of this idea called Prayasam would perhaps have not been possible. Salim, Shikha, Mitu, Kajal, Ratna, Priyanka, Rinky, Rama, Bina, Biren, Puja, Rimpa, Shibashish, Shyamali...I could go on and on. Having witnessed their indomitable will power first hand, I often felt dwarfed by the vision they have for their communities. And I don't think I can do enough justice to their work by talking about it. So, I would just sign off saying...
"The Revolutionary Optimists...the Agents of Change...take a bow"

-Ritabrata Bhattacharya

Rito Relay

BOOKS BOOKS EVERYWHERE...

I wont begin with the details of what Prayasam is about and what it does. I feel what I have experienced at Prayasam during my short stint of one month as an intern would make for a better introduction. There I have seen a group of extremely driven and optimistic individuals for whom the word impossible does not exist. And among the children that Prayasam works with, I have met some of the most smart and enthusiastic kids. My conversations with the associates at Prayasam and with Amlan Sir in particular has always been a treat for me. However,it had been a long time since I last spoke to Sir and felt that the eve of Saraswati Puja would be an apt time to get in touch, since the very next day, the beautiful and homely office of Prayasam would be buzzing with activity, kids and youngsters offering their prayers to the goddess of knowledge and of everything creative. So it was, that I skyped him from my home in Chennai, where I'm working at present. As always, he had loads to tell and what he told was amazing. Every year, the Kolkata Book Fair precedes the auspicious Saraswati puja and this year was no exception. But what was exceptional was this bunch of kids of various ages, who had but one thing common to them...this was their first year at the Book Fair. Accompanied by Sir, whom they affectionately call "Dada" (elder brother), the kids were visibly awestruck at the sight of so many books at a single place. Bina, a college goer, and one of the elders among this enthused bunch, could not hide her astonishment as she exclaimed, "Dada, etto boi to kokkhono ekshathe dekhini...!!!" (I have never seen so many books altogether).

 

 

 

Hopping from one publisher to another, they became deeply engrossed in the world of the books and oblivious to everything else. Their interests varying over a myriad of genres, be it children's comics or Agatha Christie thrillers, those few hours of the afternoon saw them impervious to everything else going on around. Sumit, one of the youngsters, was quite taken by the adventures of "Kakababu and Santu" and wondered how it would feel as a teenager to go out on such adventures with someone like your uncle. Travelogues, Quizzicals and Art books were also a major attraction. The children took a keen interest in the autobiography of Tollywood actor Deb, titled "Ami Deb", which chronicles his struggle through life and his accession to the current stature of stardom in the Bengali film industry. Fairy tales and Children's fictions, however, did not have many takers. Maybe they have all grown out of that phase. Something remarkable though, was their interest in the books on Life skill and Soft skill development at the house of Cambridge...perhaps an impact of the ONTRACK programme by Prayasam.

 

Rama, Salim, Prabir, Shikha, Pooja and Biren, among others, were so excited, that they pestered their beloved "Dada" with requests to explain and suggest several books while they went on a book shopping spree...and he was only too happy to oblige. All in all, it was a few hours of pure and unadulterated fun, where books found their rightful place as the centre of all attraction of these first time book seekers. Although this was their first exposure to the vast world of books, if the gleam in their eyes is anything to go by, their's is going to be a long tryst with literature in the years to come.

It is only fitting that we do our part to keep this fire alive. Listening to his experience with the children made me reminisce about my childhood days, spent amidst a variety of books and the smile that a visit to the Book Fair brought to my face. Being a book worm even today, it was extremely gratifying to experience, albeit through Sir's words, the truly universal nature of literature. And it is my urge to all of you reading this...if your interest borders anywhere around literature and the world of books, then the next time that you are in the City of Joy, please do get in touch with Prayasam and spend some time with these children, be it a storytelling session or sharing some tips on book keeping or even some tid- bits about writing. It would stoke this fire of their new found love of books and help them embrace whole- heartedly, what can become a dear friend for their life.

-Ritabrata Bhattacharya