All the projects supported by Deenabandhu will be exclusively targeted towards children. However, they span a wide range of focus areas. The broad areas of our current focus and the corresponding projects in each category are outlined here. For detailed descriptions of these projects, please visit our projects website.

Deenabandhu selects the child development projects without any discrimination based on gender, caste, religion, political affiliation or language. We follow an exhaustive evaluation process which includes quantitative metrics like the number of children impacted, the cost per activity or cost per child and qualitative measures such as the impact on the local community, structure and long term sustainability of the organization. Deenabandhu's main focus areas are:

1. Education

2. Vocational Training

3. Care for physically and/or mentally challenged children

4. Rescue and rehabilitation of children in vulnerable conditions

Even though projects funded by Deenabandhu work on specific focus areas, most of them include healthcare, nutrition, recreation, awareness and community mobilization as vital components in their day to day functions.

1. Education: We believe that education is the key to unlocking the potential of children and for breaking the vicious cycle of poverty. Hence, about 50% of our resources will go towards education.

   • Pre-primary Education: With the motto of "catch them young", children are encouraged to develop school-going habits. Otherwise the children of poor parents working as day laborers are likely to drop-out. Deenabandhu supports other educational Institutions of West Bengal that has developed a scalable model in starting pre-primary centers and prepares thousands of children to go to school.

   • Primary and Secondary Education: In places where the government school system has failed or is non-existent, we plan to start several projects to ensure basic literacy skills.

   • Bridge Schools: In communities where there are already a number of out-of-school children, some projects have started Bridge Schools. These help the children to "catch-up-quick" and get them mainstreamed into the regular school system.

   • Support Structure to Children: Some projects help the children by providing tuitions, school fees, uniforms and moral support. They ensure that children do not drop out of mainstream schools due to lack of resources at home.

   • Support Structure to Schools: In several parts of India, the government schools have good infrastructure but lack motivation due to insufficient community involvement. Citizens in these communities have taken this up as a challenge. They are supporting the schools by funding additional teachers, facilities, computers and field trips. This approach is resulting in the reduction of drop-out rates of children from these schools.

   • Residential Education: A few of the more experienced projects will take up residential education for underprivileged children. Deenabandhu is proud to be supporting their efforts to completely transform the lives of those children.
      

2. Vocational Training: Many of our projects will have vocational training as a significant component of their overall approach to development for older children. Income generation skills such as tailoring, embroidery and mechanic work help them stand on their own feet and break the cycle of poverty. These children would otherwise have to turn to more desperate measures for a livelihood.

3. Physically and/or Mentally Challenged Children: Children with special needs face significant hurdles because of a lack of community awareness of their needs and rights. Deenabandhu will take up the cause of these children and will support such institutions in West Bengal. Apart from providing education and training through special teachers, they will work towards awareness generation and sensitization of the general public about the needs of these special children.

4. Children in Vulnerable Conditions: Certain groups children of sex workers, children in bonded labor - are particularly vulnerable. Deenabandhu intends to support projects that are focused on this segment of the population. Action for Welfare and Awakening in Rural Development-AWARD (West Bengal) and Health Education Adoption Rehabilitation Development Society-HEARDS (West Bengal) are fighting the issue of child labor through community mobilization and education with bridge schools. Deenabandhu also intends to work closely with these associations.

For details of our existing projects, please go to Current Events page.