Education is the second pillar of our mission which we aim to withhold through strong dedication and sheer willpower in order to ascertain a bright future for those children who have a whole life full of opportunities ahead of them but are drawn back by the shackles of poverty, illiteracy or just sheer negligence on the part of the parents.
At Afflatus Foundation, we stand clear on one vision – education is the ultimate weapon which shall bring upon a new dawn for our society in the upcoming times!
With that being the ultimate vision, we aim to spread the light of education and knowledge as much as possible, all across the state through one venture or the other. However, we also have some permanent ventures which provide education to different focus groups enabling them via different means and approaches.
The Jwalaberia Adibashi School is a free primary school at Mathurapur in South 24 Parganas within the habitable region of the ecosystem of Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove delta region. The school was given over to Afflatus Foundation by the authorities of the school since they were finding it really hard to grip strong footing amidst financial turmoil and wanted to give the best of education to their students from Nursery to Class IV. Today the school is dedicated to providing free education to children while fostering their attentiveness, enthusiasm, mental acuity, and overall personality development. We offer a diverse curriculum that includes digital education as well as art and dance classes, designed to uncover and nurture each child's hidden talents.
We have succeeded in establishing digital education through computers and projectors as well as recreation sessions through fun videos and cartoons on television as well. It is an age-old notion that comics and cartoons harm children. Everything can be beneficial only if the right stuff is cracked. Our students today start their day with a prayer and the National Anthem, and carry on throughout the day not only through studies but actively participate in extra-curricular activities like singing, dancing, painting and recitation. Fun games and sports activities are also a part and parcel of our school’s curriculum. What makes our school unique is the fact that not only the students but the parents are also a part of the extended family. Through awareness sessions, orientation on topics like psychological growth and mental health, physical hygiene and home management, we make sure that our parents also become one with the venture so that the students get the best at home as well!
Apart from this, we also actively maintain two Community Development Centres (CDCs) in Purulia at Jhilingsaren and Bhubukdha respectively. The mentioned places are the ones which are still literally detached from the mainstream society with lack of basic needs like electricity and fresh water at all times. In such areas where the locale and the children are totally strangers to the concept of education and schooling, Afflatus Foundation is the first to reach out there and personality development and orientation courses in order to slowly incorporate them into the mainstream process of parting education. Aspects like personal hygiene, cleanliness, good habits, exercise, maintaining oneself, good food habits, and basics of education are the preliminary topics that started the venture along with focus on nutrition, health and hygiene, medical checkups, personality development and psychological wellness as well.
It is a matter of pride to mention that regular mid-day meals are provided at all the above-mentioned schools. We have made visual changes to the uniforms of both our school as well as our CDCs. Our Mathurapur school today functions as a fully operational formal school following official academic guidelines while our CDCs are working towards formal education quite rapidly. We like to believe that our optimism has been our biggest weapon of struggle till date, because we have always come across people who have been more than willing to help for a greater cause. We have been really fortunate to have been supported by humanitarian institutions and organisations like TATA, SAMABETA, UDYAM and SAMPAN. We have also carried out numerous drives like food, clothes and accessories distribution etc. with dignitaries like SAMABETA. From annual sports to Independence Day, education and culture always go hand-in-hand at our institutions.
Apart from this, we are proud to support the SC/ST Special Coaching & Training Programme, an initiative by the Government of India and managed by the National Career Service Centre for SC/ST, Kolkata (NCSC). This program provides specialized coaching for SC/ST jobseekers, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed for competitive examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission and other recruitment agencies. Our commitment is to empower these individuals with the resources and training necessary to excel in their professional pursuits.
We see education as the weapon to eradicate all darkness and be the ultimate support for all those seek its help. For the budding youths of the society as well as for the children who are our future, we at Afflatus Foundation try to make sure that nobody is deprived of the right to education.