Childlife Preserve: Shishur Sevay is the name we gave to the organization when we filed formally with the West Bengal Government to receive our registration under the West Bengal Societies Act of 1961. We wanted to have English and Bengali names. Childlife Preserve is a play on Wildlife Preserve. After I came back from a wildlife park in Assam, I thought about a place that protected children, like a preserve. Shishur Sevay is Bengali and loosely means “in the service of children.”
Founding and registering a society is similar to creating a non-profit in the US, and requires approval for all aspects and missions of the project. Looking ahead, thinking about what the next generation might want to do, and thinking about young people I know, I decided to make it broad so we could encompass many areas of work.
Below are listed the particulars that were approved by the government. My single purpose was to create the orphanage, but the society structure allows for many other projects , in the future for which we can be an umbrella, (or incubator). Maybe there will never be more than what it is today, but the possibilies are there if the interest is there. It’s open-ended…… I like that.
From the MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDLIFE PRESERVE: SHISHUR SEVAY:
3.1. To provide food, shelter, primary education, primary health care and vocational training for orphan children in West Bengal
3.2. To establish a home or homes for orphan children in West Bengal
3.3. To establish a non-formal school to educate orphans and destitute children in West Bengal
3.4. To establish other services for orphans, abused children, and destitute children in the community irrespective of religion, caste, or class.
3.5. To provide educational, financial and other support necessary for orphan children in institutions and in the community.
3.6. To create a model of care of orphans as an alternative to institutionalization.
3.7. To organize meetings, workshops, tours, cultural programs, conference seminars, etc. for achieving or furthering the aims of the society.
3.8. To prepare and publish, articles, booklets, journals, news letters, bulletins, posters, web pages etc. to further the activities of the society provided without any profit making motive.
3.9. To undertake research, studies, documentation, and video documentation in order to raise and bring public awareness on social, cultural, and developmental issues.
3.10. To undertake relief work and assistance for the benefit of the victims of natural and man-made disasters.
3.11. To establish services, homes, education, and rehabilitation for destitute and abused women.
3.12. To establish services, homes, and health care for poor and destitute old people.
3.13. To directly undertake projects for social, economic, and cultural development of the disadvantaged.
3.14. To undertake activities which would go toward establishing human rights of the individuals, children, the weaker sections, and the minority communities of the society.
3.15. To provide legal aid support and build awareness on human rights of children, women, handicapped, destitute, and minority communities.
3.16. To provide training on social awareness of women, children, aged, handicapped, destitute, and other minority communities.
3.17. To collaborate and co-operate with international and national agencies working for the upliftment of children, women, handicapped, aged, destitute, and other minority communities.
3.18. To set up and manage crèches, non-formal schools, homes and other units which would directly assist different sections of the disadvantages.
The income and properties of the Society whatsoever derived or obtained shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the aims and objects of the society. The Society will have no mission other than philanthropic activities and in no way be tantamount to running business activities to profit mebers of the Society.
For now we are what our kids march too sometimes;
Amar Barrie, Shishur Sevay
It means, “My house, shishur sevay.”
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