Calcutta Rescue provides free medical care, education and skills training for the poor in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. They provide life-saving healthcare and health education for over 280 people a day and have over 670 children in their schools. Helping over 17,000 poor and destitute people every year.
Our Co-CEO Ricky Solanki met an old university friend at a wedding in India. Rescue has just purchased a run-down, 150-year-old house that it wants to convert into a new school for 350 children from the slums of Kolkata.
His friend Jaydeep Chakraborty, told him about this exciting initiative saying: “The renovation of this school is critical to improving learning outcomes for our children, providing them with opportunity and lifting them out of poverty.”
After four frustrating years of searching, Calcutta Rescue has finally managed to buy a building to convert into a new school. The two-storey premises in Iswar Mills Lane in North Kolkata has been a private house for 150 years and its 16 rooms were added-on piecemeal over that time.
But, once it is refurbished, it will provide an uplifting and safe environment for the 350 pupils currently at No 10 School to learn and grow. Until now they have been using a former brothel that is dark, overcrowded and on the edge of a red-light district.
The new school is double the size, has several outdoor spaces where the children can play and is in a safe area near several other schools. And it even has a mango tree in the courtyard!
The aim is to have the school ready to open by next summer. There is a lot to do before then – including raising the money needed to fund the conversion work.
In keeping with CR’s philosophy of ensuring donors precious money goes as far as possible, this is going to be a no-frills building project which is estimated to cost around £100,000.
You can donate at www.calcuttarescuefund.org.uk. Any donation will help provide toilets, repairs, classroom equipment and paint for the new school.
