We are very pleased to report that a substantial bequest has been left to the CRS under the will of Mrs Patricia Payne, who passed away on 15th July 2015. Pat and her husband John, shown in picture attending a wedding, lived in various cities in Pakistan and India over a 17 year period. During their posting in Calcutta, Pat worked as a teacher at the Cathedral School. They both retained an abiding love for the two countries and Pat kindly remembered CRS in her will. The UK Friends of CRS are managing the bequest. To date, an initial payment of £107,000 has been received with a further amount of around £40,000 expected when the estate has been fully wound up. The bequest is being treated by the Trustees as a capital sum to be invested in the long term and ensure the future viability of CRS. Read the full press release.
Children in charge
Shishu Jagat (Children’s World) is a network of grassroots-level organizations working with children at risk. It aims to empower children to carry out action and development programmes in their own communities. The CRS centres in the neighbouring areas of Basanti Devi Colony and Sukantanagar have a Shishu Jagat programme that is very active. Previous news items have covered a range of their activities including environmental awareness and tree planting, a summer camp focused on arts and creativity, the Raksha Bandhan sibling celebration, and an event on International Literacy Day. This month, Shishu Jagat members worked in groups to create a wall magazine for their school. They designed large posters featuring series’ of drawings to tell stories and communicate messages to those with lower levels of literacy.
Visit of Methodist President
Revd. Loraine Mellor, who has been elected President of The Methodist Church in Britain for 2017-18, visited Kolkata to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Kolkata’s historic Wesleyan Methodist Church (now under the jurisdiction of the united Protestant denomination, the Church of North India). On 14th October, Revd. Mellor spent a day visiting CRS centres at Topsia, Bibibagan and Pally Mangal where she learned about the opportunities provided by CRS for children and women from slum communities. She also spent time at the new Nari Dana Production Centre in the grounds of St. Paul’s Cathedral. At the end of her visit she said, “I am inspired by the work CRS is doing especially the women’s empowerment programme”.
Women’s products on sale
Over the last few years, the Indian multinational, Larsen & Toubro, have supported a variety of CRS activities through their Corporate Social Responsibility programme. Earlier in 2016 they donated three new sewing machines to the CRS women’s empowerment programme which offers courses in tailoring, embroidery and knitting. The most talented graduates of these courses have been selected for the Nari Dana project. These women are learning to produce very high quality products to be sold both locally and on overseas western markets. Through employment in this small business, they will earn a secure living. Some of their products were put on display at a special event at the Larsen & Toubro corporate office on 26th September.
Self-help, self-confidence and self-sufficiency
In addition to offering skills training courses, the CRS women’s empowerment programme encourages groups of women to form Self Help Groups (SHGs). These groups are fully participatory and democratic and have a tremendous impact in terms of giving women a sense of self-confidence and equality as individuals, as well as the skills and resources to be self-sufficient and independent. During September, a representative from the West Bengal Government’s State Resource Centre conducted sessions at the CRS centres at Pally Mangal and Dum Dum explaining the concept of SHGs. The women were very eager to form SHGs so further sessions will be conducted to provide the support that they need to get established.