Purba Chintamonipur Chetana Sangha (NGO)

Purba Chintamonipur Chetana Sangha is a community based organization (NGO) located in the Sundarbans. The Sunderbans are the largest mangrove forest region in the world, spanning across the southern tip of the Indian state of West Bengal and the neighboring country Bangladesh. The Sangha was founded in 2000 by a group of local youth with the intention of addressing the issues faced by the villagers. In that journey, they have helped over 6000 farmers in 25 villages to facilitate sustainable development through organic farming. They also run four academic coaching classes for underprivileged children from nearly twenty schools in the area.

Ekipi and Chetana Sangha jointly runs a sports development program that includes:
1. Taekwondo training for 30 local girls. Coach Anisha, a professional taekwondo trainer, runs two training sessions every week. The girls also meet among themselves a couple of times each week, for additional practice sessions.
2. Football (Soccer) training for 32 local boys. Coach Himadri, a local successful footballer, runs four or more training sessions every week.
It also includes providing supplemental sports nutrition after practice.

The program is led by Mr. Subimal Bera, the Secretary of Chetana Sangha. He is a visionary and an outstanding administrator. He has strong support from a very experienced team at Chetana Sangha and many local people. Mr. Dhananjoy Misra, a champion of social initiatives, advises both Chetana Sangha and Ekipi to bring maximum joy and development to the kids.

The program has generated a lot of interest in the local communities. Boys in this area love to play football. Girls participating in organized sports is somewhat rare in the Sundarbans area. We are amazed seeing the high interest level, energy and discipline shown by the girls so far. With your support, we hope to expand the program in future to include many more underprivileged girls and boys.