.............we need your help

This project supports six pre-primary schools in rural West Bengal. The families are poor subsistence farmers and are mostly low caste Hindus. These schools release the parents to work long hours in the paddy fields and offer the children an early learning experience that would otherwise be denied them.

• Where is West Bengal?
• What's happening in the schools?
• What's it like there?
• Why was Maggie there?
• How can you help?

Two teachers and the schools supervisor outside Pursontampur village school. There are about 40 students in this school between the ages of three and six.

These maps will show you where West Bengal is. Click on the one you'd like to see.

There are six pre-primary schools with 40 children, aged 3 - 6, in each school. There are two teachers and one assistant in each, so the children work in three groups according to their ages. The children follow a wide curriculum that aims to fulfill their educational and social needs.This includes language, maths, creative work, singing, dancing and games that they can experience every school day.The schools run six days a week for three hours, so the children are well prepared for government primary school at the age of six.

Here are some pictures to show you what's happening in the schools. Click on each one to enlarge.

some of the children in their 'school bus'

students learning the Bengali alphabet

Annuva and the children with thier collages

Shampu, clay modelling

Madhabi's group threading and counting beads

Maggie with all of the teachers on a training course in Rambhadrapur

a group of new students learning to write

Radha teaches her group

Local Views

The main source of food is paddy (rice) grown locally.

Paddy growing in a field by the roadside

Local fishermen with large net.

Washing a cow in the river

Lots of vegetables are grown in the gardens too

A typical West Bengal village

Locally produced bricks

Maggie on her bike!

She was working as a VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) volunteer in six pre-primary schools in rural West Bengal,.introducing new teaching methods and learning materials. Funding for these schools ceased in 2004 but she was so enthusiastic about the service that the schools were offering to these small communities, she decided to take on the fundraising herself.

The project has been running since 2005.

If you wish to give money to support the project , please contact Maggie on  maggie.flanagan@rediffmail.com  or contact Y.E.S. (Youth.Education.Service) for a standing order/donation form.

Y.E.S. (Friends of Midnapore)
14 Frederick Place
Bristol BS8 1AS

16th May 2008