
Finance Minister of Indian on 26th March 2020 announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to support poor families to fight against the Pandemic where she ensured extra quota of food grain and 1 kg of pulses per family from Public Distribution System Free of cost from April to June 2020. This benefits is only ensured for AAY and PHH beneficiaries. While prior to this announcement West Bengal Government announced to distribute regular quota of food Grain from Fair price shop to AAY, PHH, RKSY 1 and Special Package beneficiaries free of cost. The Fair Price shop started giving regular quota of ration as per state government announcement free of cost. But no fair Price shop is providing the additional quota of Food Grain and Pulses to AAY and PHH beneficiaries. This Span found in different urban and rural areas of West Bengal such as, Kamarhati, Tea Garden of Jalpaiguri, Jhalda and Baghmundi Block of Purulia, Khatra Block of Bankura and Basanti block of South 24 Parganas. While asked the Fair Price Shop answered there is no order. The poor community both of Rural and urban locality are deprived from the entitlements of additional quota of food grain and pulses which in this tough condition could make their life a little easy.

SPAN was able to arrange food and shelter for 125 labourers including 40 children from different districts of West Bengal who were stranded at Gurgao, Hariyana without any support. West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights and their counterpart at Hariyana helped to organise this support. 125 adult labourers alongwith 40 children from the districts of Nadia, Murshidabad and West Medinipur were working as labour in Khogaon village of Gurgao district of Hariyana. SPAN conllected their name and addresses from one of their home District Murshidabad and contacted with them. It hasbeen understood that they are staying their without money and food. Immediately SPAN contacted with West Bengal Commission for Child Protection (WBPCR) here in Kolkata and with their reference contacted their counterpart at Hariyana. On 13th April 2020 the Hariyana state government with help of an local NGO has arranged food and shelter for this group.
Thousands of Migrant workers, many of them with their families and children, from different districts of West Bengal detained at their workplaces due to lock down caused by COVID 19 Pandemic. They were helplessly suffering without food and shelter. SPAN took effort to stand beside them by identifying them from their home districts and blocks, collecting the contacts and networking with Government departments of their destination states and districts. In this way SPAN could arrange food and shelter support for altogether 214 migrant labourers and 70 children who are detained in the states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Hariyana. They were from South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, West Medinipur and Nadia Districts of West Bengal. West Bengal Commission of Protection of Child Rights and their counter parts in different states also took big role in arranging support for these labourers.
"আনন্দধারা"য় পালিত রবীন্দ্র জয়ন্তী
Rabindra Jayanti Celebration at Anandadhara
Rabindra Jayanti (রবীন্দ্র জয়ন্তী) is the day which marks the birth anniversary of the great scholar and novelist Rabindranath Tagore. Birthday of the noble laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore is celebrated on 25th day of Baisakh. In Kolkata, it is popularly called Poncheeshe Boishakh and is celebrated ceremoniously and jauntiness all across West Bengal.
SPAN & Anandadhara like every year have celebrated 156th Birth Anniversary of Rabindra Nath Tagore (Rabindra Jayanti ) today. A Cultural program including poetry recitations, songs , dance are organized throughout the day in the memory of the great poet- Rabindranath. The whole program has been facilitated by the children of Anandadhara and Youth Groups of SPAN.
Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl
the most beautiful planet in the universe
all the continents and the oceans of the world
united we stand as flora and fauna
united we stand as species of one earth
black, brown, white, different colours
we are humans, the earth is our home.
Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl
the most beautiful planet in the universe
all the people and the nations of the world
all for one and one for all
united we unfurl the blue marble flag
black, brown, white, different colours
we are humans, the earth is our home.
"Earth Anthem" by Abhay K
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION BY ANANDADHARA CHILDREN
A Children Sensitization program has been organized by youth leader of UMEED at Agarpara New line. More than 50 children were present there. The topic of discussion was child rights through playful events.
It is an initiative where our youth members can do some Fun and at the same time learn something. Every month our members do various serious topics. But this SUNDAY ADDA brings some fun and relaxing time for them with joy. This month the topic was “Unsolved Mystery of the world”.
Youth roundtable meet, Kolkata chapter is a part of our large initiative Youth Led Development. In this 2 day’s program 6 different youth agency were present and share their views on different aspects. The program aims on 3 main targets like 1.Where they want to see them after 1 year 2.What is the process? 3. What support they want from SPAN.
This program aims to focus on the initiative “youth as partner”. The youths have made their plan for development. This program contained with 20 no of youth who have already shifted them from beneficiary level to partnership level.
At the end of the program the youth agency have submit their plan and made a joint forum that will work together in the future course.
2 days capacity building training on Youth leaders had been organized at saltlake. The training had different brain storming topics of exercise including control emotions, team building, goal setting, decision making etc. The youths found this session very much helpful to them. Emotion handling session by “Candle Exercise” youths are burst out with their untold emotions that had been hidden in their hearts. At the end they had created a model where they replicate their Career Goal Model. This program would follow up a public session where these youth would take session with others.
A debate competition (Chai Pe Charcha) had been took place with children of Ek Saath. There were two topics including
- Home work is waste of Time
- Punishment should reintroduce in School.

The children have participated in discussion. They have told their opinion very productively. It was an open platform where each and everyone thrown their opinion on the particular topics. It was a productive session where no one stops the children to discuss their views. They have discussed meaningful understandings. Everyone had present views with a clear picture. These children are making them ready to lead the society with their participation and full citizenship rights.
A new way of expression, “Mask” through which we have disseminated Child Rights. The children of EKSATH have participated in the event. The children have already been told about child rights and now they are aware about their rights. More than 15 children have participated in this event. They have made mask with paper and colored their rights with sketch on the mask. Every mask colored with a child rights. The masks were in many shapes including tiger, chota veem, beer, Mickey etc. The characters are very much famous in children. The children had found the program very interesting and entertaining. The main objective of the program was aware the children about “child rights” were very much successful in a very interesting way and the children had not got bored. Children also promised that they would be careful about their rights and also disseminate the learning to other friend and also looking forward that their rights would not get violated.