A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Amrita Giri Centre for Rural Development and Education (AGCRDE) at 7 Mile Namkhana is a home away from home for the children of Namkhana. The corridors of the Centre resonate with the sounds of music, and the laughter of children while they go about their routine. Education and extra-curricular activities for the all-around and holistic development of the children are the focus of this Centre.
The Centre is the brainchild of the Giris' who are parents to Amrita, God's special child. The Giris not only dared to dream, they worked relentlessly towards their goal of making it a reality.
Sri Bimal Kumar Giri a retired Central Govt Officer (Indian Statistical Service) and his wife Smt Minakshi Giri a retired officer from Coal India Ltd shifted base to their Native village Namkhana Island, 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal after retirement. AGCRDE was conceived by the Giris in 2019 after their superannuation and is run from their own savings and through funds from the Trust managing the organization. This is their unpretentious way of giving back to society.
For the students, Minakshi Giri is the mother away from home, who keeps a watchful eye on each student and nurtures them whereas Bimal Giri is the silent force behind the scenes whose focus is on developing the infrastructure and associated facilities further.
For the young ones, there are forever new opportunities at the Centre, to give wings to their dreams. Computer literacy classes have begun and efforts are being made to provide online English and Maths classes from Kolkata
AGCRDE has played a significant part in empowering the women of the region that is the surrounding villages of Bakkhali, Namkhana. They have now embarked on a new endeavour that is imparting training in sewing and stitching to the local women.
AGCRDE hopes to be a bridge to a better life and better opportunities for the people of the Region. The aim is to enable those at the bottom of the economic pyramid with skills be it technical or vocational so that they and their future generation can earn a livelihood with dignity.
Little footsteps have been taken to shape big dreams! This is just the beginning....
In order to sustain the above centre, a homestay has been started to accommodate guests. With eight rooms to stay (some with airconditioner), it is really a cozy corner from the hustle and bustle of the city life that gives peace and tranquility to the guests. In the homestay, fresh vegetables and fish is truly enjoyable amid the village setting. In every season, the surrounding gets change from lush green to golden hue of paddy field from initial stage to harvest time
