Lifestyle

Education for All reaches out to support marginalized children during Durga Puja

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 27 Sep 2025, 03:20 am

Kolkata: Education For All (EFA), a Kolkata-based NGO dedicated to making education accessible to every child, reached out to more than 100 children from economically vulnerable backgrounds by distributing books, stationery, and educational toolkits at the 81-year-old iconic Chaltabagan Durga Puja pandal. Members of the Swasamman Welfare Foundation also joined the initiative.

Founded in 2006, EFA has supported over 17,000 students, many of whom were at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship. The organization prioritizes “need-above-merit,” offering scholarships, grants, and other resources to ensure continuity in education. Currently, EFA is steered by leading industrialist and Shree Cement Managing Director H. M. Bangur and cultural activist Sundeep Bhutoria.

“What drives Education for All is the resolve to protect the right to education for vulnerable children,” said Bhutoria, Trustee, Education for All.

“Durga Puja is a time when families spend on clothes and food, but there are many children whose parents cannot afford these. We believe this is a meaningful occasion to reach out with support. With the UNESCO Intangible Heritage tag, Durga Puja sends out a strong global message and provides a platform to expand our network of like-minded people espousing social causes.”

EFA’s mission is to provide holistic educational opportunities to children often excluded from the formal system due to poverty, social status, or circumstances. Beyond academics, the organization works at the community level, setting up non-formal education centers in slums, remote villages, and underserved areas. These centers provide basic literacy, numeracy, and life skills to school dropouts or children who have never enrolled, preparing them to transition into the formal school system.

The NGO also organizes workshops, interactive sessions, and skills programs, supported by experts, to nurture overall development. Its initiatives extend to financial and material assistance, counseling, nutritional support, and health programs, empowering both children and parents.

EFA’s efforts go beyond education—during natural disasters such as cyclones in the Sundarbans, the NGO has provided relief and rehabilitation, delivering essential supplies to affected families.

In collaboration with the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, EFA also runs Project Muskaan, which focuses on skill development while promoting heritage, literature, and Indian culture among children across India.

With its secular, non-political, and community-driven approach, EFA continues to stand as a beacon of hope, working to secure every child’s right to education.