DAS is a high quality, community-based NGO that works on education issues in South East Kolkata.  Founded over 20 years ago by a group of local women, DAS overall goal is to break the cycle of poverty in their target areas through providing and supporting the education of first generation learners, as well as supporting community empowerment through building the skills and capacity of adolescents and women.  DAS also works extensively in the area of health promotion and women's empowerment running a number of vocational training centres for women to learn how to make items made from Jute, a natural fibre found locally.

Development Action Society School Population:                              568 Families below Poverty Line:           58% Average Pupil Enrolment in area:   50% DAS's Student Retention Rate:        70%

Suas currently supports the work of DAS in providing progressive interventions that include pre-primary schools, coaching centres and vocational training opportunities.  The aim of these programmes is to provide an opportunity for local children, adolescents and women to gain access to education and vocational training.

Suas is currently supporting a DAS project entitled Shikha meaning education. This project incorporates a range of interventions, outlined below, designed to meet the needs of various groups within the communities that DAS serve.  The following are some examples of DAS projects that are supported by Suas this year.

- Alternative Education Centres - supporting 230 children to access education
- Coaching Centres - supporting 331 children to remain and succeed in education
- Community Health Training - developing community health skills for 20 adolescents
- Vocational training - to enhance economic opportunities for 7 teenage boys
- Economic Empowerment - vocational training and skills development for 52 local women
- Children's Parliament - enhancing the capacity of 55 children to influence and enable community development and to raise issues of concern to children in their communities.

Organisational Development (OD): DAS are currently engaged in a three year OD programme, involving all staff members. Having worked with DAS to design the project, Suas is financing its implementation.  Our financial support has enabled DAS to access the services of two experienced organisational development consultants (Soma & Samit Basu).

Impact Assessment Project: Suas is supporting an Impact Evaluation study at Ucchepota which is the site of the very first DAS centre in 1995. The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly it will enable the DAS team to understand their successes and learn from their work to date, ensuring that future projects grow and improve. And secondly it will allow DAS to share this information with a wider external audience including donors, peer NGOs and the local state government.  

Shikha 2008 Half Yearly Report (PDF - 0.2MB)
Shikha 2008 Funding Proposal  (PDF - 0.2MB)
Shikha Impact Assesment Proposal (PDF - 0.2MB)

DAS 2007/08 Annual Report (PDF - 0.2MB)
Case Studies of the DAS Community (PDF - 0.5MB)
2007 Q4 (September - December) Report on DAS' Activities (PDF - 0.2MB)
DAS 2006 Annual Report (PDF - 0.2MB)

 

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