Lotus Rescue Free Community Schools Project

The project "Lotus Rescue Free Community Schools" was undertaken by Lotus Rescue Peace Education Culture Creativity Society on the precept of "Literacy for All". That is why, this entire project is focused on providing education to the underprivileged children belonging to the marginalized sections of society. We have 15 free community schools at present and almost 1000 children studying, learning, and growing with us. This project is a long-term, ongoing project and was first launched in 2013 with 15 children and 1 garage in Sealdah, Kolkata.

This project program aims at making human settlements equitable where each venerable child has access to education, health and livelihood options, irrespective of their economic and social status so that they can lead a better, healthier and joyous life. Our 15 free community schools are spread over the various districts in West Bengal. Panpur, Denthia, Sunderbans, streets of Kolkata, Burdwan, Chanda, Bongaon, Tetulia, Khardah, Shyamnagar and Narayanpur are the places where our schools are located. In these schools, the children are provided with free:

•  Education at the elementary level,
•  Nutrition meals thrice a day,
•  Extra-curricular activities classes in yoga, music, art, dance, drama and craft,
•  Regular free health check-ups, 
•  Homework support,
•  Psychological assessments,
•  Training to get admission into regular and mainstream schools.

Other than this, we encourage our children to participate in various events, programmes and cultural activities. We are a collaborator with the United Nations Tide Turners Challenge Program and our children are at Level III currently in this campaign. Each of our schools has a kitchen garden that the students themselves tend to. Along with this, we conduct environmental awareness and outreach programmes where our children not only promote environmental and social awareness through rallies, poster-making and other fun activities; but they also plant trees, enact street plays and recycle various items.

We provide our children with emotional and mental support and that is why recreational activities hold a huge part of our curriculum. We celebrate social events, important days like Independence Day, Republic Day, Netaji Jayanti, and Rabindra Jayanti to mention a few and festivals like Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Saraswati Puja. Our schools kindle and promote feelings of love, warmth, honesty, harmony, unity and peace amidst its students.

This project has been able to create a huge impact in the society.

•  We have successfully rehabilitated and taken out around 200 street children throughout these ten years from addiction, poverty, child abuse, drugs and crime.
• Around 70 children from our Kolkata free community school have gotten admissions in reputed mainstream schools like Loreto House (Rainbow section), Collinse Institute, St. Anne's School to mention some.
• 300 of our students from our rural free community schools attend their regular local and government schools and come to us for homework support.
• After joining our schools, healthy physical development and growth have been observed in all our students during their health check-ups.
• An increase in the enrolment numbers and the regular full attendance of our students in our schools show our success in being able to reach out to the children and their families with our mission and vision.

By 2030, we aim to open 50 Lotus Rescue Free Community Schools and reach out to more than 3000 children.

1. This project provides training and grooming to the students so that they can attend the regular mainstream schools
2. The project ensures that all its students are served delicious nutrition meals three times a day for their proper growth and development.
3. The project encourages the children to participate in extra-curricular activities and that's why provides them regular free classes in this domain to ensure their holistic development.

        Lotus Rescue Peace Education Culture Creativity Society

Lotus Rescue Peace Education Culture Creativity Society (Registration Number: S/2L/08456/2013-2014) is a non-profit organization that came into operation and got officially registered on the 23rd of August, 2013. The main aim of this organization is to facilitate the holistic learning of children and empowerment of women. It also works in various other spheres like the development and preservation of environment, supporting the vulnerable members of the society, activities on waste management, asset development, rural livelihood and implementing disaster management initiatives.

Apart from this, it provides all the means and facilities to street children so that they undergo an all-round development. For this purpose, this organization helps to lay the foundation so that these children get a quality and bright school life. Besides this, it also educates and supports children with mental, learning and developmental disabilities through the Choti si Asha initiative dedicated exclusively to them. The official website of this organization is https://www.lotusrescue.net.