- Howrah, West-Bengal 🇮🇳
In India, inequalities in access to healthcare and health education still expose millions of families to illnesses or health problems, sometimes serious. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds particularly suffer from malnutrition, undetected diseases, and a lack of appropriate medical follow-up. Children with disabilities rarely receive care from birth. This compromises the effectiveness of subsequent interventions. Through our programs, we work in the heart of slums and tea plantations in various ways:
Together, we work to give every child the foundation for a healthy life.
Underprivileged populations are not aware of the basic principles of health, hygiene or disability care. Children and babies are therefore particularly exposed to malnutrition (still present in India), leading to mental and physical weaknesses, if not worse. India is still one of the countries with the highest infant mortality rate (OCDE). Many diseases are not detected, or are detected too late due to lack of monitoring (post/pre-natal), knowledge or hygiene, which results in lifelong disabilities. In West Bengal, almost 50% of pregnant women do not have 3 prenatal check-ups. In France, there is an average of ten check-ups. (Ministry of Health and family welfare, 2020).
Safe Motherhood and Child Surveillance (SMCS) programme was established in 1978. The purpose is to give awareness and food help, monitoring pregnancy and the weight of the child for three years after birth. Every day, our staff goes in the slum of Howrah to monitore the pregnancy of the mother and the weight increase of the child for the first three years, together with providing awareness on health and nutrition.
Our physiotherapy programs, located in Howrah and Jalpaiguri, cater to children from 3 months to 16 years old with cerebral palsy, motor, neuromotor, or multiple disabilities, as well as post-polio or congenital disorders. The goal is to improve children’s mobility, independence, and quality of life through personalized care.
Sessions take place several times a week in different centers, with close monitoring of children and their families.
Our psychotherapy programs are primarily designed for children and young people aged 4 to 23 with developmental disorders or major disabilities (autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, etc.). They aim to promote overall development, communication, motor skills, and emotional regulation through adapted approaches.
These sessions complement the activities of specialized schools and are led by professionals trained to meet the specific needs of children with disabilities.
This program aims to provide social and economic support to elderly people who are often isolated, without resources or family support. The goal is to offer them regular assistance, a caring presence, and recognition of their dignity in the final stages of their lives.
Today, we have 165 elderly beneficiaries living in the Ashaneer (Andul Road) and EPN (Ekprantanagar) areas—among them visually impaired individuals, widows, people living with leprosy or HIV, as well as families with children with disabilities.
Main Activities:
This program, run by a small, dedicated team of 2 members, embodies essential human support for the most vulnerable seniors.
