Message from the President Service to the suffering people without pomp and ostentation is the mission of Bani Mandir. I feel pride for dedication and commitment of all its members, staff and volunteers to this vow. Bani Mandir works as a committed friend to the village people-in-need. It is to bring both quantitative and qualitative changes in their lives and living. BaniMandir really serves the most needy people-landless, resource poor farmers, rural women, children and aged persons. To rebuilt India, Swami Vivekananda emphasized on involvement of youth. Under the canopy of Bani Mandir, youth in different villages are mobilized not merely to build their career but also to shoulder social responsibility to serve the suffering people. They work as volunteers in different fields of our development drive. I am glad to mention that in our development drive the village people are not passive recipients of benefits but take active part through Neighbourhood Groups, Village Development Committees and Beneficiary Committees in programme promotion and implementation at the village level. I am happy to place the Annual Report of Bani Mandir for the year 2015-2016. I take the privilege to extend my sincere thanks to all our donors and development partners for their unstinted co-operation and support to keep our drive on-going for the people-in-need. Last but not least, I feel pride for all our members, staff and volunteers who work as a team to the service of needy people. I convey my thanks to all of them. March 31, 2016 Asit Kumar Mandal President From the desk of General Secretary To our friends and development partners ………….. Bani Mandir has passed over four decades in the service to needy and hapless village people in its quarter. It has earned good will for its service to the people. It is note-worthy that we work in local communities and we are accountable to local communities. In our work directed to benefit children, youth, women and elderly persons we have developed sound rapport with local communities. Through education, nutrition and health services we have reached a large number of children belonging to very poor and needy families. We are always beside the elderly people living in utter destitution, neglect and misery. The project ASTITVA is a model programme to organize elderly men and women into Elderly Self-help Groups that ensure them access to service as a right to lead active, healthy and dignified lives. Bani Mandir has taken a positive step to empower women from low income-group families to lead dignified lives. They are mobilized into self-help groups. The women in the groups have developed their efficiency in organizing own micro enterprises as well as group activities. The programmes and the performances of Bani Mandir for the financial year 2015-2016 are presented in the following pages. Before concluding I express my thanks and profound gratitude to those benevolent individuals and development agencies whose co-operation, moral and resource support have enabled us to continue the services to the people-in-need. I do fell pride for all our members, staff and volunteers. They are motivated to give their best to the service of suffering people in our quarter. The members of our Governing Body have provided valuable counsel and advice all throughout the year for which I remain indebted. I extend my thanks to all of them. March 31, 2016 Somendra Nath Mandal General Secretary BANI MANDIR : A RESUME ORIGIN It was the year 1945. A group of enlightened youth and school teachers at Khordanahala village founded a village library. At that time the village library was a knowledge bank and source of cultural entertainment to the village people. The people who were associated with the library once thought to develop it as a common platform for welfare and development work in the area. Till 1973 the library continued its service in full-swing. The transformation of the village library into a voluntary organization named Bani Mandir took place in 1973 when the organization was registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act XXVI of 1961. The library has become one of its programme wings. After its legal entity, Bani Mandir has gradually branched off its activities in different welfare and development fields. Bit by bit it has spreaded its programme activities in around 60 villages, big and small. This is all about background of BaniMandir. VISION Promote rural life in all its completeness enabling the village people to live with dignity, self-esteem and self-reliance. MISSION Comprehensive development of rural people, priority to those who are socially challenged and economically underprivileged, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and gender for attaining “quality life and living”. CORE Ensure people’s development through advancement in Social, Educational, Cultural, Physical, Economic, Environment and other spheres of life and living in a congenial atmosphere. OPERATIONAL Housed in its own building at Khordanahala village, Bani Mandir has promoted a sound base in around 60 villages of 07 Gram Panchayats in Diamond Harbour Block – II of South 24-Parganas district, West Bengal. The people here largely belong to SC, OBC and Muslim families. The area is characterized as alluvial plains on the river basin of the Hooghly. It is a cycle-prone one, not far away from the Bay of Bengal. Its economy largely depends on agriculture and its allied fields. During agricultural lean period, there is seasonal migration to adjoining urban areas for manual and menial jobs. COMMUNICATION NETWORK The area is connected with Falta Industrial Zone by a State Highway stretching towards the National High Way No. 117 at Sarisha. From Sarishathe NH 117 connects Kolkata in northeast and Diamond Harbour, Kakdwip and Namkhana in south-east. The nearest Railway Station is Diamond Harbour in Seldah-Diamond Harbour Section of Eastern Railway. 1 TARGET GROUP BaniMandir serves the people-in-need living in its operational villages. It gives priority to children, women, youth and above all elderly persons living in penury and utter destitution. MANAGEMENT At the apex, there is a General Body consisting of all members of Bani Mandir. In the Annual General Meeting (AGM) it critically examines the programme performances and the funds utilized during the last financial year, and approves the Action Paln and the Budget for the next financial year. Next, there is a 13-member Governing Body. Of the members, 2 nominated from staff and the rest 11 are elected from among the general members for a period of 03 years. It is the main executive body of the organization. The General Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer who remains accountable for all programme, financial and personnel matters of the organization to the General Body as well as the Governing Body. Under the leadership of the General Secretary, the programme activities are being carried on by a core team of paid staff and volunteers in both administrative and field wings. At the village level, the programmes are being executed ably assisted by the Neighbourhood Groups and the Village Development Committee in each operational village. MANAGEMENT General Body Governing Body General Secretary Administrative Wings Field Wings Finance Personn Program N H Groups VDC s el me Good Governance * Transparency * Social Accountability MONITORING & The organization has developed an internal system for effective monitoring and evaluation by involving some experienced staff and volunteers ably guided by the Programme Director. The General Secretary is the ex-officio chairperson in this system. The Village Development Committee in each of its operational village is also associated with this system. 2 PROGRAMME AREAS Education and In-campus Library Food and Nutrition Health Care and Ambulance Services Capacity Development Training Youth Work Women Empowerment Livelihood Support Programme Promotion of Elderly Self-help Groups – their Federation Age Demand Programme (for aged persons) Rural Sanitation & Environment Promotion PROGRAMME For effective implementation of its programme activities, Bani Mandir, in the year under review, received the financial support from the sources mentioned below :- Community Contribution Individual Donation Children International, U. S. A. (through SAHAY, Kolkata) Helpage India Give India Donors Rajib Gandhi Nation Creche Foundation (through I. C. C. W) Rotary Club of Dalhousie, Kolkata Shamdasani Foundation NGO Own Resource Profile of Bani Mandir Name of the organization Bani Mandir Nature of Society N G O Registered address Vill. – Khordanahala, P.O – Sadhurhat Dist. – South 24 Parganas West Bengal PIN – 743504, INDIA E-mail [email protected] Website www.banimandir.in Contact Person Somendra Nath Mandal Position General Secretary (Chief functionary) Contact Number 09433520046 (Mobile) Alternate contact Mr. Biplabbhusan Chakraborty person – I Position Programme Director & Consultant Contact Number 09932049906 (Mobile) Alternate contact person - Mr. Asit Kumar Mandal II Position President Contact Number 09831711885 CERTIFICATE & 3 Registration / Valid Till Documents Reference (DD/MM/YYYY) Society Registration Number S/13383 of 1973-74 18/08/1973 Renewal of Registration Annually renewal in June / July Section 12 A of IT Exemption T/S-5/W.B – VII of 1983 -84 One time Section 80 G DIT-E1129___ Until further order from IT 8E/287/2981-1982 Authority FCRA Number 14710070 Valid upto _________________ PAN AAAAB3125A 13/03/1985 Credibility Alliance 000149WB05