Calcutta Rescue Fund
Health, Education and Hope
Preparing children for formal school
One million school-age children in West Bengal do not go to school. Without an education, these children have little chance of escaping the poverty trap.
Calcutta Rescue provides education for over 670 children from the ten poorest slums in the north of the city. Many are from illiterate families; some are orphans; some are already working; some have been abused; all are growing up in extreme poverty.
The youngest children at the Calcutta Rescue schools learn basic alphabet, maths, and hygiene. Older children are taught to read and write in Hindi/Bengali, maths, general knowledge and basic English. All the children get a chance to do fun things they lack at home: music, art, sport, dance and yoga.
The children are also given two good meals a day, healthcare, and clothes.
Supporting children in formal schools
Children who are good at their studies are sponsored to go to formal (government or private) schools. Calcutta Rescue continues to provide them with meals, healthcare, school uniforms and support with their studies.
Some of the brightest children are now going to university.
8-year-old Somnath is one of six children. His family of eight people live in one rented room 8 feet by 8 feet. His father is a factory worker and his mother is a maid, but their earnings of £35 a month are not enough to feed the family and they can only afford rice five days a week. Attending a Calcutta Rescue school has given Somnath the chance of a different future.
In 2018, Calcutta Rescue's schools were awarded the School That Cares award for the most caring school in West Bengal at the Telegraph School Awards for Excellence.