Description

This project is run at the Sikshangan Challapara school in Kheadah, where free primary and secondary education is offered. The school is situated in Kheadah, 24 South Parganas district, in a rural area to the south of Calcutta, West Bengala.

In this region there are high levels of academic failure. Whilst each family situation is different, all of the children live below the poverty line. The IIMC offer study scholarships which cater for schooling, uniform, school equipment and school bags. This project sees football move into this rural area for the very first time. The football pitch is around 150 metres from the school. Every afternoon the children head from the school over to the football pitches, where they train and have an afternoon snack. Before the training session they receive a 30-minute talk on a social topic or self-esteem reinforcement. All of the participants have benefitted from medical check-ups. The IIMC volunteers, who for the most part are doctors and nurses, have seen how their jobs within the Calcutta region have been extended to include the support they offer at the school.