Batch 2016

Course Code: 50421318

Course Name: Projects II

Roll # 1068

Assignment # A 304

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:
Hope Foundation, Kolkata
.

The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish Charity working to save the street and slum children of Kolkata
(Calcutta) from lives of pain, abuse, poverty and darkness.Exposed to horrendous physical and sexual abuses
on the streets, those who survive are left to fend for themselves, hungry, with no promise of a safe future.
These children are some of the most disadvantaged children of our time.We work to change their lives, to
restore childhoods and give children the chance to create better futures for themselves.HOPE funds and
operate over 60 projects thanks to donors, sponsors, supporters and fundraisers like you.HOPE reaches out
to the most forgotten; offering protection and shelter, healthcare, nutrition, education, rehabilitation and a
family for life.


It is also about responding against violence and abuse and taking action to prevent child trafficking. HOPE and our partners work to
offer alternatives to child labour so children have a childhood, a time to be children.
HOPEs Child-Watch Programme takes positive action to protect children at risk through our emergency response team. Health
experts and volunteers go out on patrol every night on the streets of Kolkata, responding to those most in need.
Improving the health of street children and families living in the slums of Kolkata is a priority in The Hope Foundations fight against
poverty.
Healthy children who become healthy adults create better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.
The goal of their healthcare programme has made significant progress in immunization, water sanitation and ante-natal care, saving
the lives of thousands of infants and their mothers.
They have developed strong partnerships with local non-governmental organizations. Every day they bring practical health solutions
into communities with our mobile health clinics. The HOPE hospital, supported by WeightWatchers Ireland, takes care of those who
have nowhere else to turn providing treatment and care to those in dire need.
The goal of the organization is to improve the health status of children and families living on the streets and in slums in Kolkata
(Calcutta). There are a number of local partner organisations involved in the Primary Health Programme, which started in 2007 and
is funded by Irish Aid (donor body of the Irish Government). The program is active in 34 communities.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
DEPARTMENTS I WORKED IN:
With Partner NGO Hive India: The organization HIVe India has been developing valiant work since 1999 in the city of Kolkata for human
rights and basic services to the marginalized population.
HIVE India works through the execution of specific services provided by the organizations emergency response unit. These activities are
supported by the Hope Foundation, Ireland.
Emergency Response Unit (ERU):
ERU is an effort to provide immediate response support to Any Person at Risk on Streets (APAROS) of Kolkata with special emphasis on
the socially marginalized children/people. ERU not just rescues people from the streets but also strikes to restore or rehabilitate them
for a sustainable future of the children/people.
Key Activities of ERU:
Immediate rescuing
Care and necessary support to the rescued person
Rehabilitation through effective networking
Legal interaction





Restoration through proper guidance
Relief work
I was fortunate enough to be a part of their rescue team for a few days and also got the opportunity to make their annual report.








Fatima Khatoon was rescued from the footpath near Beliaghata Sarkar
Bazar . Local people of that area first noticed her lying on the footpath in
severely ill condition and reported to the Beliaghata Police Station. When
we were informed by the said police station, one of our rescue units
immediately reached at the spot. The said lady was unconscious then. So,
without wasting any time she was brought to HOPE hospital. The
concerned doctors of the hospital took her under admission quickly
This minor girl was sexually assaulted by an aged person. The police
informed us about the matter. Our rescue team reached the police
station took to her MRB Hospital for Medical Treatment. Our rescue team
and police personnel suggested that she be deposited at CINI ASHA for
protection, care and temporary shelter.
Problems Treatments Analysis, Surveys and Awareness Drives:
During this internship I did various PTAs in areas like Mudiyali, Jhodo Basti, Dock junction etc. These
sessions generally included meetings held with the locals to discuss various health related issues such as
womens gynecological issues and drug abuse. After these sessions reports had to be made stating out
clearly the cause of the problem so that the organization could work on it.
I got the opportunity to survey various slum dwellers around Harish Mukherjee Road and other places. One of
the most intriguing survey and PTA session was with Kalighat sex workers regarding alternative income
generation after fifty.
Awareness drives generally included informing the people about health camps and checkups that were being
organized in their slum. One of the most challenging awareness drive was for cervical test cancer. It was
extremely difficult to convince the women to get this test as they were not ready to expose their private parts
although there were female attendants.
12
th
June, World Day Against Child Labour:
On 12
th
June, an awareness campaign was launched by Hope Foundation which we were a part of.
Along with collecting nominal funds for books for kids we also managed to get contacts of potential
donors.
Working with Arunima Hospice
A ministry of the Diocese of Kolkata in the Church of North India (CNI), the Arunima AIDS Hospice provides
holistic care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families. In addition to health care, the hospice offers
educational programs and proper nutrition for residents and their families. All are homeless and many flee to
Arunima with their children for help.
The patients many a times are fall prey to OI or opportunistic infection like tuberculosis. I was assigned to
monitor the functioning of Arunima but surprised to see the adverse conditions here. Patients do not take their
medicines regularly. The members are also negligent about their health. Their funds wont suffice. The reasons
they state for this is that there are too many patients, which is not the answer. They need to collect more
funds. Such negligence has created selective treatment where only the bread winner gets treated and the wife
is left to die slowly. If any initiative is not taken soon, the Hospice will fade soon. Even before that Hope might
end its partnership with Arunima.
Also another very important thing I learnt was how to work in an office. Initially I used to feel extremely
uncomfortable when referred to as maam or madam. Later I grew used to it. I learnt that overburdening myself
with office work at home is not the right way to work. I need to accommodate all the work in the office hours.
But the greatest thing I learnt was joy is served in a small cup of tea which is served in the office to you.


EXPERIENCE
For the very first time I had to work in an office. I reported to Mrs. Soma Ghosh, Monitoring Health
Officer at Hope Foundation, Kolkata. I learned how to work in an office. The most joyful part of it being
getting your own cup of tea.
On field work was the most intriguing. Interacting with the people, understanding them and they trying to
understand us. Working in a city that had always been my summer break destination to me, did initially
prove challenging. My notion, that NGOs are the most marvelously functioning bodies striving for a
change, was completely shattered after my first day at work. Men were just sitting idle and sipping their
tea languidly. There was almost no work culture in the office. This completely disheartened me. I
decided in such a situation the best part would be to do as much as I could do. And as time passed by, I
was proved wrong as even they used to do their part.
During this internship got an opportunity to work with various partner NGOs of Hope foundation and
work with them closely. I also was given a chance to make few of theirs half yearly and annual reports.
But the most interesting part was going to different slums for survey or awareness purposes.

VALUE ADDITIONS AND
LEARNING
Through this my communication skills have improved. I realized that communicating
with a person just as old as me but from a different background is extremely
challenging.
I also learnt about various diseases while working with Hive India.
I learnt about the process of handling abuse cases and studied about them.
In these few weeks of my internship I learnt that life is not at all what it seems like.
Children have to go through so many difficulties, just because they are born at a
certain place, which we dont have to undergo even in our adult life.
These innocent flower buds wither away really fast as they have to mature fast. The
ancestral burden is often passed to these children in form of debts from their fathers
and grandfathers. They are often punished for no fault of theirs.
At such times a little encouragement and support gives them the greatest gift-hope.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE
ORGANISATION
STRENGHTS- The strength of this organisation is that, it is a brand which gets its
funds from Ireland. Also one of the major strength is it has various partner NGOs which
work for different causes.

WEAKNESSES- The primary weakness of this organization is that not many people
who are in need know much about the organization.
The organization is in need of a PR team.



OPPORTUNITIES- This organization can get more contacts through their various
drives and events not only by providing their funds but also by providing heir time and
sharing their skills.

THREATS- The threats that surround this organization are mostly legal issues like
permission, order, warrants, proofs etc. There is always a high possibility of inbound
threats. Also due to these reasons many of the workings have to be done anonymously so
as to not bring the organization or a particular person in jeopardy.



SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE
INTERN

STRENGHTS- I really felt connected for the cause and with the organization I was working with.
Confident. As I possess leadership qualities I could lead few Help Age India drives. I also have good
communication skills and so I was able to interact well with the old that came to the office or even in the
old age homes.

WEAKNESSES-The major problem with me was that I got extremely emotionally attached to the
people when I met them.



OPPORTUNITIES- Working with this organization opened a box full of opportunities for
me which I could work on and work with. It really helped me understand and discover my
fortes(strengths).It showed me how it is to be in the real world.

THREATS- Due my lack of knowledge of the place I tended do get lost.
Sometimes during meetings and discussions certain members would say things that would
make me lose my calm. It was extremely difficult to keep still and patiently listen to them.


LIMITATIONS:
The funds fall short and due to this Hope Foundation, Kolkata withdraws its support it gives to
smaller NGOs.
It needs more efficient staff and better planning. The organization is in need of a PR team.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

CRY and The Hope Foundation are two of the biggest NGOs in Kolkata which work for children.
But only CRY is out in the open are people readily donate to CRY. This is due the lack of a PR
team in The Hope Foundation. A PR team is the immediate necessity for The Hope
Foundation.
Hope needs to raise more funds from CSR activities to support its partner NGOs.
Instead of going for temporary solutions they should go for concrete solutions which will help
them attain their long term goals.