Vikas Kendra, the initial project of SEVA, started its journey in the year 1985 and since inception Vikas Kendra is working in the fields of Agriculture, Health, Education, Women Empowerment, Environment, National Integrity, SHGs etc based in Baduria and also in the surrounding three blocks in the district of North 24 Parganas with various government and non-government agencies. Different agricultural and allied training activities are also being conducted in the district of North 24 Parganas and Nadia.
Agriculture
There are total 850 farmers (in 229 ha. land) who are under agreement with us to produce jute, vegetables and field crops using only Organic manures and Organic pesticides to eradicate diseases caused due to inorganic pesticides. They are spread over 22 villages in Baduria and Deganga Block. These are under IMO certification. IMO, Swizerland is the largest international certifying agency in respect of organic production. We also are having the approval of APEDA, Govt of India. Some of these farmers are engaged in producing Phospho-compost, Vermi-compost, Liquid manure, Green manure for their own use. All the organic farmers are also engaged in making organic pesticides under our direction and guidance.
Nutritional Garden
We are continuously encouraging to expand kitchen gardens using only organic fertilizers. Several families of Baduria, Deganga, Habra-I blocks of North 24 Parganas and Ranaghat II block of Nadia receive our support by means of varieties of seeds, seedlings, medicinal plants and fruit plants for their own kitchen gardens. This method enabled the women and drop-out school girls to augment their daily intake of vegetables in their normal meals and also to obtain good pocket money. Some ICDS centers made kitchen gardens at their centers, supported by Vikas Kendra and funded by Govt. departments.
Organic Jute
Jute happens to be a major crop for the farmers of West Bengal. Gunnies and other packing materials made out of natural jute fiber are now losing market in the face of synthetic alternatives. As a result the demand of Jute fiber is decreasing day by day. In that backdrop, we are proudly continuing Organic Jute production for the 11th year. Jute fiber produced organically i.e. not using any chemical fertilizers or poisonous insecticides commands a better price in the international market. This programme was introduced by SEVA along with Ganges Jute Pvt. Ltd. The seeds, package of practice and post harvest measures were supported by CRIJAF. The product is certified by IMO Control, the internationally reputed Certifying Agency. Presently we are also having co-ordination with Gloster Ltd.
Organic Bazar
To motivate the farmers for organic cultivation, most important part is to assure marketability of the organic vegetables and food grains. For that purpose the organic Bazaar programme is functioning since 2002. One local Organic Bazaar is running at Atghara on every Monday and Friday to sell produce grown by the registered organic farmers. In addition, Organic Bazaars also have been organized at different places of Kolkata and suburbs to boost up the farmers for organic production by ensuring fair price. The entire organic Bazaar programme is supported by SEVA. Our Eco-volunteers organize this Bazaar programmes. IMO certification also generates trust among the consumers.
Technology Transfer
Vikas Kendra developed some Indigenous Technology for the preparation of liquid manure for application on the crops, botanical pesticides for the control of pest and disease. These are eco-friendly.
Health
To improve the health care system with the active involvement of all stakeholders concerned, Vikas Kendra has been working for increasing the involvement of community people & various community groups for effective implementation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) under its Basic Health Care & Support Programme. We have got the support from MEMISA -DGD, Belgium & West Bengal Voluntary Health Association.
Vikas Kendra is one of the partners of North 24 Parganas District Health Forum. The Forum has been working in North 24 Parganas since 2006 for strengthening the Govt. Health System, ensuring the Health Rights, organizing CBOs/NGOs who are working in health field, Data sharing & Policy level Advocacy.
Education
Sishu Vikas Kendra (Child Development Centre)
The developmental goal of Sishu Vikas Kendra (SVK) is creation of an environment which will enable a child to attain his /her full creative potential. The objective is to impart pre-primary education to the rural children from economically disadvantageous families and to create awareness about child education and health among the parents.
The teaching method as postulated by the Loreto Day School, Sealdah is followed. Inputs include play way method consisting of pictures, rhymes, songs, dance, story-telling, painting, drawing, hand writing, creative work and clay-modeling etc. The syllabus is followed for preparing children for pre-primary education. When they leave our SVK successfully, we take them for admission to the nearest local primary school for further and higher education.
We took up the work of Child Development Centre not as a base point of education but as the platform to start with building mental set up to hold basic responsibilities. Keeping it in point of view, our teachers are advised in taking care of SVK children and they are doing their best in doing so and at the same time developing hearty relationship between local youth and our centers. They arrange monthly meetings with the mothers and also arrange other programmes for creating awareness for health, education and other issues among them.
Co-Operative
Dharmagola
Dharmagola is community grain storage, it was established in 1987. The concept of Dharmagola is “To Stop Distress Sale”. When Marginal Farmers & Small Farmers are producing grain in their own field, at that time due to huge production in the market, market price is down and middle men take opportunity. To Stop Distress Sale we purchase the grain at that time at market price, from Marginal & Small Farmers.
Vikas Kendra came into reality in 1985, from the realization of the 1st 10 years in fighting Poverty, Ignorance and Apathy, the initiative for Dharmogola was taken. It is an old concept to make a common warehouse based on trust and ethics. The concept was when the price will go down the village products to be purchased by Dharmagola, when it will go up products to be sold with a better price. Profit will plough back to the producers. It is under supervision of Atghara Vikas Consumer’s Cooperative Society Limited. Atghara Vikas Consumer’s Cooperative Society Limited got the registration dated 13.03.2013 from ARCS office it is under Cooperative Society Registration act.
We started a Grocery Shop from November’2013. From 2020 with the help of NABARD a new venture of “Vikas Farmers Producers Company” is started with 502 farmer shareholders under the initiative of SEVA to ensure profitability of farmers’ products.
Titumeer Fair
Titumeer is the 1st martyr in India’s quest for freedom, who sacrificed his life on 19th November, 1831, while defending his Bamboo Stockade. We organize an Annual Fair in his memory in mid-November every year to spread the message of development and national integrity. As martyr Titumeer was son of the soil, local population participates in thousands. Blood donation camp; seminars and workshops on agriculture and health; assembly of rural poets; cultural programmes, awareness programmes and exhibitions are parts of the fair.
Library
We have a library named “Shaheed Titumeer Public Library” The Library is open for five days in a week i.e. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday & Saturday. 2350 numbers of many kinds of books are in our library. There are story books, novels, essays, poems, dramas, religious books also. We have many papers and magazines. All are welcome for library membership.
Food Processing Unit
Food Processing Unit is running successfully by the initiative of Vikas Kendra. Different kinds of items are produced through Food Processing Unit like Jam, Jelly, Pickles, Mustered Mango, Squash, Tomato Sauce, Honey, Mustard Oil and SUPUSHTI, a multi grain food mix (chhatu/ sattoo). These food products are sold under the brand name of Tripti, with FSSAI license. Women of economically weaker section and inmates of Ananda Kendra get some financial support from this Unit and day by day they are getting efficiency.
Partnership with Indienhilfe, Herrching
In the initial years the support from Indienhilfe, Herrching for nearly a quarter of a century enabled us to pursue our dreams.
The community storage “Dharmagola” and a project for 1000 toilets were financed by Indienhilfe with funds from German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Construction of Ananda Kendra and Shishu Vikas Kendra was majorly financed by Indienhilfe along with a friend from Germany Ms. Leila Janßen.
Many activities including infrastructural costs in Vikas Kendra and Manab Jamin were sponsored by donations from IH supporters.
We still appreciate the long history of Indo-German collaboration – visitors and youth groups from Germany coming to Atghara to learn about rural Bengal and developmental activities: many workers from Vikas Kendra being invited to Germany for exposure visit to various placed of eco-farming, IFOAM office, German ASA volunteers etc. Dr, Elizabeth Kruez and friends were immensely helpful in the initial years as a part of this Indo-German development dialogue and collaboration.