Society for Equitable Voluntary Actions (SEVA) started its journey in the year 1984 under the leadership of Sri Asok Ghosh, in whose view Rabindra Nath (কবিগুরু রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর) is our sky and Mahatma Gandhi our soil.  Our organisation SEVA was formed to fight the three enemies of our society – poverty, illiteracy and apathy.

We commenced our journey with the project Vikas Kendra (বিকাশ কেন্দ্র) in 1985 in the Baduria Block of North 24 Parganas. For the last 34 years Vikas Kendra is intensively working in the fields of education, agriculture, health, women empowerment, environment, awareness programmes; income generations through different trainings like organic farming, animal husbandry, coconut plantation, poultry, bee-keeping, food processing, tailoring and formation of Self-help Groups.

Organic farming is one of our main focal points. There are total 950 farmers (192.52 hectare land), who are in agreement with us to produce jute and vegetables organically. Training for homestead organic garden is being imparted regularly to women Self-help Groups enabling them to gain nutritious food as well as considerable income.

Vikas Kendra also runs a Food Processing Unit. Under the brand name of Tripti, the women members of Vikas Kendra and inmates of our Swadhar Greh (সদর গৃহ) (Shelter for women in crisis) viz. Ananda Kendra produce jam, jelly, pickles, squash, honey, spices and multi-grain cereal (with roasted and grinded wheat, Moong pulses, Bengal gram and peanuts). This has a huge potential if produced extensively and virtually a scope for further income generation will open a new horizon to a larger number of rural women.

Ananda Kendra (আনন্দ কেন্দ্র), the abode of joy, is the Child Care Institute and the Swadhar Greh, running since 1993 in the same village of Atghara, Baduria Block, North 24 Parganas. In Ananda Kendra the destitute women are provided with shelter and different trainings for awareness and rehabilitation. The orphan and underprivileged children are being brought up here with love and care towards an all round development. They attend local schools with other children of the village and are provided with different sorts of socio-cultural exposures for their integration in the mainstream of society. The inmates are making jute products, hand-made-paper bags, greetings cards, recycled artefacts and are also engaged in the food processing unit of Vikas Kendra. The girls here make eco-bags from used synthetic Sarees as an environment-friendly affordable alternative to plastic carry bags.

SEVA runs another project under the name of Manab Jamin (মানব জমিন) in Mirjapur, Birbhum in the close proximity to Shantiniketan, Bolpur. Manab Jamin for the last 20 years is working in the arena of agriculture, health, women empowerment, environment, capacity building, education, Self-help Groups, consumer awareness and unorganised labourers; mainly in the tribal and backward villages. Six Shishu Kendras (Centre for children) are running in six such villages for children of the age group of 3 to 5+ years, for their primary education with the objective of building their school-going habits. Nine Pathakendras – coaching centers for Primary School students are being run in eight villages.

We, in SEVA, believe that “together we can”. With that conviction we are proceeding to fulfil the dreams of our predecessors for an upright society which exist on love, tolerance and co-operation.