Volunteering

2022 India trip enabled Joy to work with several organizations, thanks to Dr. Sakti Das.

FOKE (Friends of Kolkata's Elderly, foke.in)

Under selfless guidance of Smt Sanghita Mondal, FOKE gives a shelter to destitute elderly citizens rescued from Kolkata streets. As a first project, a home-built Hoyer Lift was delivered to the Madhubati branch (Charunibash) and some basic furniture items to their branch in Thakurpukur (Bhalobasha).

Blog posts:

  1. India projects - Hoyer Lift
  2. India projects - Infrastructure at FOKE.in

 

Mukul Bikash School - Makardah, Howrah

For kids aged 3-10 years, this primary school has done very well against extreme odds during the COVID-19 pandemic under the tireless management of principal Smt Santa Datta along with her mother Smt Maitreyee Datta. Some furniture items for the library, a large blackboard+stand, and then a swing for the kids was built and installed. Dozens of childrens' books were bought from College Street together with Sakti da to fill some of the bookshelves built for the school library.

Blog post: India projects - Mukul Bikash school

OrganicBase (organicbase.in)

Founded by sisters Rinku and Jhinku Banerjee, it is a global platform that promotes Indian art, painting, and handicrafts to the world.

Jhinku also works on raising funds for another initiative - to feed stray dogs of Kolkata. A few sculpture items were built in collaboration to help the strays.

Blog post: India projects - Collaboration with OrganicBase.in