About Our Charity

When countries across the world are emphasising on initiating co-operative activities for community development, and in India various policies have been adopted from time to time to improve the Co-operative system, mainly in the rural areas, it was Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who felt the need of introducing such a system for the development of the rural areas of India in the early 20th century. With this idea, in 1920's, the Co-operative System was implemented in Visva-Bharati to support activities in the adopted villages of Sriniketan. Surul Swastha Samity, is one such co-operative which is still working towards community development by providing health facilities, educational facilities, etc. Rabindranath Tagore's thoughts about Rural development was nicely expressed in his own words, "if we could free even one village from the shackles of helplessness and ignorance, an ideal for the whole of India would be established." To rebuild his thinking, he planned a Rural Development Centre in 1922 with his fellow lovable teachers of the Ashram like- Sri Jagadananda Roy, Sri Santosh Mohan Ghosh, Mr. C.F. Andrews, Mr. L.N. Elmhirst and poet’s wife Smt. Mrinalini Devi, and son Sri Rathindranath Tagore. This Society aims towards development of health, agriculture, fish-culture and social cooperatives in surrounding villages of Santiniketan- Sriniketan with the help of donations given by the villagers. The main centres were at Goalpara, Bandhgora, Laldaha and Binuria. As the Binuria health centre was funded by the Zaminders of Surul, in 1932, the villagers of Surul requested the Gurudev to establish another health co-operative in Surul. Finally in 1934, the 12th health co-operative was established in Surul 'Anandamayee Tola' in a small mud house. In 1970, Sri Abhaypada Sarkar donated land to rebuild and register the Samity. Between 1999 to 2000, it was newly registered into a society from the cooperative and was named "Surul Swastha Samity". Gradually, a two-storied building came up with several modern facilities. At present, the Samity gives services to approximately 45 thousand people of Surul and adjoining areas including Sriniketan and Santiniketan. The motto of the Samity is, the wholesome development of the community through training of health workers, health check-up and care, and sanitation etc. Several doctors are available on a regular basis for providing services to the local, economically challenged and marginalised people. Besides, monthly health check-up camps, Eye check-up camps and blood donation camps are also organised. In April 2022, the Surul Swastha Samity in partnership with "READ India"—an internationally reputed organization, inaugurated a Community Development Centre with a modern informative Library, a computer learning centre and Early Child Development Unit in the Samity’s building. Traditional arts-crafts training, computer training and other skill development training programmes are being organised on a regular basis presently with the support of READ India, for the holistic development of rural people. The Samity follows the model of Rural development programme of the Rural Reconstruction Centre of Visva-Bharati, which has already celebrated its centenary. Samity provides the following services 1. Surgery and general medicine. 2. Eye specialist, free Eye checkup and operation. 3. Dental care services. 4. Blood donation camp and Blood group identification. 5. Health checkup (Mental & Physical). 6. Elderly Care services. During Covid-19 period the Samity had setup one free isolation centre with the facilities of oxygen concentrators and cylinder. 24x7 hours medical facilities were given to the patients. Our volunteers and medicos did a lot during the emergency situation. Activities of Surul Swastha Samity and READ India We would like to put on record that Ms. Kalpana Dasgupta, who was the first woman Librarian of the National Library of India, Kolkata and the Director of the Central Secretariat Library, New Delhi, is an Advisor to Surul Swastha Samity and a Trustee of READ India. All the activities of Surul Swastha Samity and READ India Centre are monitored by an Executive Committee and Sub-Committees. The different activities are given below: 1. A Community Development Centre with a modern informative Library. 2. Computer learning centre. Computer training for women, children and other residents of the Surul and adjoining areas. 3. Early Child Development centre. 4. Traditional arts-crafts training (kantha embroidery and stitching of garments). 5. Gohona Bori (dried lentil ornaments)—an art form of Midnapur, West Bengal. 6. Frontline health worker training (care for elders and palliatives). 7. Tailoring, Stitching and sewing of ladies' garments by the rural women. 8. The centre undertook a project sponsored by READ India with UNICEF to analyse the Socio-Psychological issues and dogmas existing in the society regarding Menstrual Health and Hygiene. Men, women, girls and boys including parents and teachers of the area were involved in this project. 9. The Centre has served 500 girl students from Surul and surrounding areas- Sriniketan, Santiniketan. These trained women have already taken up all the activities forward to earn and enhance their livelihood. Activities for Children Setting up a school named TINY LEAVES. Besides regular curriculum, Computer training, Drawing, Dancing and skill of Self Defence are being taught to the children. Apart from the school children, other children from the villages are also being trained.