SRDTC
Why?
Sundarban Rural Development and Training Centre (SRDTC) derived it's name from the Sundarban, the biggest delta in the world, a part of which is situated in the district of South 24 Parganas of West Bengal.

     

This area is endowed with bounty of natural as well as human resources but owing to a lack of proper awareness among the people and a lack of communication facilities, they are to face a lot of hardships in their lives. Being situated on the coast of Bay of Bengal, the area is very vulnerable to natural calamities like cyclone, flood etc. occur at regular intervals. And it is attacked frequently by wild animals. Sundarban stands as a symbol of struggle for existence of its people, which has been reflected in the name of our organization.

Vision
The aspired society will be free from all sorts of exploitations, it will be self-reliant based on the human values- peace, justice, equality, gender equity, love, trust, cooperation and participation. There will be equal opportunities for under privileged section of the society irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion. The development initiatives will be eco-friendly.  

Mission
SRDTC is a value based non-government organization believes in alternative mode of sustainable development of the society through participatory development process emphasizes on the development of human potentials for self- determination and self-actualization. People should be proactive to participate in the development process, as they are the primary and most important unit of the society where people should also get due recognition. 

Sagar

"

"

50

7

Tufanganj-I

Coochbehar

"

34

7

Tufanganj-II

"

"

32

7

Kumargram

Jalpaiguri

"

33

6

Alipur Duar-II

"

"

36

4

Majhgaon

West Singhbhum

Jharkhand

8

2

Chaibasa Sadar

"

"

33

5

Khuntpani

"

"

11

2

Tantnagar

"

"

11

2

Manjari

"

"

9

1

Kumardungi

"

"

SRDTC is indirectly involved with development work in 250 villages of Jharkhand and West Bengal through 30-network partner organizations.

 Main activities of the Organization:

The activities of the organization is basically on right mode to build people's organization in the rural villages emphasizing on the development of human potentials so as to enable them to be active and spontaneous for their own development. Giving importance on the issues of gender, human rights and environment its activities can be categorized strategically as per the following: 

Strategic Thrust:

i) Institutionalization of People's Organization: The people would be aware and organized about the social, economical, political, environment and cultural aspects to realize the present situation and context and to find out the way to take the challenges overcoming the threats and weaknesses, so as to enable them to access and control over the resources. They will be building the functional village federations run by them for their own with necessary information and utilization along with other relevant activities conducive to empowerment of the people.  

ii) Women empowerment: Emphasizing on the issue of gender, SRDTC has taken the programme initiatives from the beginning to practice the principles of equality and justice in all respect of women as citizen of India. This is also practiced within the organization and shared it in the area of operation to recognize and respect women in family as well as society to be reinstated. So for this purpose, organizing and sensitizing the women of the reference area and facilitating them to be empowered and enabling them to exercise their rights and powers with self confidence.  

iii)  Promotion of Livelihood: It is necessary to introduce among the people of the area for improvement of socio- economic status of the people. After involving into the development process, the selected and interested low-income group of people are trained with the technical training for development of skill for income generating activities opted by them according to the availability of local resources and market accessibility in a sustained way. Sometimes, they are also supported financially to take initiative to start as well as promote the trade or business as "Support to people's initiative" is going on regular basis.  

iv) Food Security: It is for the poorest of the poor, those who are deprived from their entitlement due to mainly lack of awareness and information of the community. They could not able to reach the available services and facilities, where the service providers have hardly any effort to reach the suffering humanity. Thus poverty is always with them. So in this situation, the civil society organizations are taking the responsibility taking active role of catalytic agent between the poor and service providers for security of food and nutrition. In addition, the sustainable agriculture - kitchen gardening and homestead plantation from their own effort will also meet nutritional value.  

v) Preventive health care: People are being aware and sensitized on how to prevent themselves from the diseases appear throughout the year. Educate them on the different process of precautionary measures are taken by the people. Local herbal medicinal treatment is also emphasized, which is of low cost and effective for precautionary step. They are also aware about what facilities they have to be enjoyed i.e. regular immunization of children, step to be taken during pre and postnatal period, nutrition etc. Regular counseling doctors and nurses done by the people when necessary for their daily life to prevent them from different seasonal ailments.  

 vi) Network of grassroots NGOs: SRDTC is building network of grassroots NGOs selecting them initially from West Bengal and Jharkhand and making capacitate them on the participatory process of development so as to enable them to take initiatives to facilitate people to form people's organization, will be playing crucial role in the village development where they live and work. Besides, to strengthen the network aiming at building up the society to be free from exploitation and inequality and injustice.

 vii) Promotion of preprimary and primary education is one the activities of SRDTC. A school is running at the South Bengal Project of SRDTC since 2001.  

viii) Anti trafficking Programme and Child Protection: This programme is being continued in the reference areas of North Bengal and        South Bengal of West Bengal, which is a border  area of Bangladesh and Bhutan. It is in terms of Campaigning and Advocacy on anti trafficking in the community level and administrative level of the area of operation for their sensitization. In addition, rescue of trafficked victims is one of major activities in this regard. And organize the Child Protection Units with Life Skills Education and vocational training units on tailoring and wool knitting, making incense sticks, book binding, exercise book making, chalk making etc. where the adolescent girl children are undergoing such training leading to be employed.

ix) Combat HIV/AIDS : It was started in the working areas of South Bengal and North Bengal of West Bengal through sensitization at the community and administrative level, forming effective working group (peer educators) in every Gram Panchayat, Net working with the GO and NGOs, those who are working with this issues. Now it is also going on with mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS in all its working areas.  

x) Entrepreneurship Development Programme: It is for interested entrepreneurs on Food Processing and others and successfully completed and few entrepreneurs have started their own business and struggling for better living.

xi) National Environment Awareness Campaign: Since 1989, the programme is being continued on the themes like - Solid Waste Management, Sustainable Development, Water Elixir of life, Bio-diversity conservation in the North Bengal working area - Coochbehar for community awareness and necessary action.

xii) Reproductive Child Health-II: This programme is for women and children living at the remotest areas of the district of Coochbehar, which is virtually unserved and underserved particularly in respect of reproductive health. The activities in terms of health outreach camp for immunization, antenatal care for mother and children, health fair and awareness for preventive health care and services are going on for them.

xiii) Lobby and Advocacy (National): Initially, it is started on the issue of migration, trafficking, HIV/AIDS, women and child rights, Farmers rights where SRDTC is trying to influence the local administration, police and judiciary, health sector and other civil society persons to think over the matters and how the essential services are reached the rural poor people and at the same time, SRDTC is also negotiating with the policy makers to modify some policies on human rights in favour of the people basically women and children. It is associated with National Alliance of Women (NAWO) and CUTS International, SAATHII, WBSAPCS and others.

xiv) Rapport Building is going on with the rural community and grassroots NGOs in the extension areas of Orissa and Chattisgard states in India.