Baragora, Purulia, West-Bengalen

In Baragora, a small village near Purulia in the west of West Bengal, lives the indigenous Santhal community. Like many minority groups, they too face discrimination and disadvantage. The Santhal people living here are distinguished not only by their culture but also by their own language. The children therefore learn the village’s own language and consequently face great difficulties in gaining entry to state schools, which, although available in sufficient numbers, teach in the regional language Bengali. To provide the children and young people with career prospects, AGAMEE 2020 is establishing a pre-school in the village where very young children are prepared for entry into state schools through play, and where Santhal children and young people receive additional computer courses before and after regular school hours. Demand is so high that the school building and resources have now reached their limits and had to be expanded.

Thanks to a generous donation, 15 laptops were purchased for the computer courses. The students sit on the floor at makeshift tables. Teaching materials are still needed, and we are planning to purchase sewing machines to offer a further opportunity for vocational training. (Photo by AGAMEE).