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| Mine Junior High School building under Construction, Chuikhim |
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Dear Friends , Come , join hands to biuld a new world for us , our people , all by ourselves
Come , join hands to build a new world for us , our people all by ourselves
We start any talks with the word 'Yes' . Because we are here to build a world for ourselves and our people that is devoid of negatives .
Dear friends , in a time when positive developments are becoming rare as endangered fauna , we SHARE are striving to sow the seeds of a new tomorrow for the neglected and privileged classes of our society , all by ourselves , all for ourselves .
We, the Support Himalayan Agro Rural Enterprises ( S H A R E ) , have taken up a number of schemes in villages atop the Kalimpong Hills of Darjeeling district to bring unprecedented changes in the lives of tribal people.
The initiatives , which we believe merit a mention , are led by an anti-alcohol movement launched to make the traditionally hooch-making hubs into alcohol-free zones.
And we proudly announce the success of our efforts in at least one village - Chuikhim , which falls under the Kalimpong Sub Division of the Darjeeling district . There are a few more in the pipeline as the SHARE initiative is getting recognition and local support from the other tribal hamlets for its exemplary campaign to free the people from the social evil .
But , this is only the starting point of our manifold activities launched to bring a change in the socio-economic fabric of society in those hilly hamlets .
If anti-alcohol campaign is the talking point for the local masses , for the society in a broader scale, equally important are the initiatives like self-imposed ban on felling of trees and wresting forest lands. To compensate for the economic loss for the poor , SHARE has launched alternative packages like 'home stay tourism' , organic farming and other sports & crafts development activities etc.
Home Stay Tourism is already making creative waves in Chuikhim and some neighboring places raising the income levels of commonplace village households by a few notches up . As for the traditional urban tourists , the packages guarantee a never-before experience of staying in the lap of nature amidst nature's own people.
with thanks ,
Prasanta Mallik
Jan 22 , 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
SHARE : Creating Pockets of Heaven on the Hills in North Bengal , Sikkim
The Support Himalayan Agro Rural Enterprises or SHARE aims at 'holistic development' of tribal communities through promotion of tourism and related activities in far flung villages of North Bengal and Sikkim . These include promotion of health care and medical facilities , livelihood , education and character building , among others. In a nutshell, SHARE endeavors to turn the backward tribal settlements into self-sustaining modern , civil economic units, sans the vices that often intrude as a by-product of prosperity and development.
To start with , SHARE adopts the hilly villages that can potentially emerge as exquisite tourist destinations. Through local collaboration , SHARE promotes HOME STAY tourism in these never - heard of fairy lands bringing direct benefits to the village households and offering never - before experience to the tourist folks.
Once this model is developed and the collaboration well established , SHARE forms cooperative ventures to promote all-round development of the villages and their inhabitants .
Some of these initiatives are :
1) Home Stay tourism and Hospitality
2) SHARE health point (for Community health check-up)
3) Samuday Bikash Samity (Society for Community Development)
4) Sporting activities (SHARE Cup inter-village football tournament )
5) Craft Development & Promotion
6) Garment and Medicine banks
7) School (Jr. High ) : Shortly opening
8) Library ( academic ) , Multilingual is under preparation
9) Formation of Self Help Groups
10) Organic Farming
and Anti - alcohol campaign
Thank you ,
regards ,
Prasanta mallik
To start with , SHARE adopts the hilly villages that can potentially emerge as exquisite tourist destinations. Through local collaboration , SHARE promotes HOME STAY tourism in these never - heard of fairy lands bringing direct benefits to the village households and offering never - before experience to the tourist folks.
Once this model is developed and the collaboration well established , SHARE forms cooperative ventures to promote all-round development of the villages and their inhabitants .
Some of these initiatives are :
1) Home Stay tourism and Hospitality
2) SHARE health point (for Community health check-up)
3) Samuday Bikash Samity (Society for Community Development)
4) Sporting activities (SHARE Cup inter-village football tournament )
5) Craft Development & Promotion
6) Garment and Medicine banks
7) School (Jr. High ) : Shortly opening
8) Library ( academic ) , Multilingual is under preparation
9) Formation of Self Help Groups
10) Organic Farming
and Anti - alcohol campaign
Thank you ,
regards ,
Prasanta mallik
'SHARE' Community Based Tourism Development Initiatives
Hello , Friends ,
This is the 1st day I'm starting 'our' blog writing without any experience n expertise , though am not expert / perfect in English you are requested to cooperate in this text . Introducing myself as a 'field coordinator' of the said title program and founder of the organization named 'SHARE' ,i.e. Support Himalayan Agro Rural Enterprises ( the brand ESTD. 2004 ) . Our 1st initiative is CHUIKHIM village , under Chel Range of Forest , Kalimpong Sub. Divn. , Darjeeling Hills , West Bengal , India.
I would like to say few words about our 1st initiative Chuikhim , this is a really remote village under Kalimpong sub division , surrounded by forest , altitude 3000+ft. , road condition is very poor , no health center or service is available , only a very poor primary school is available for basic level education , high school is 14 kms far from village , there is no irrigation for proper cultivation or agriculture , electricity is available since last 2 years approx. The village was totally alcoholic and it was a really big social problem . It's under Rambhi P.S. (Kalimpong ) . For different type of Social Crime the village was 'black listed' under the said police station .
After started our said program community based activities as 'Community Based Tourism Development Program' on Jan'05 by me under the banner 'S H A R E' and a campaign against sale & consume Alcohol , the village & the community was starting to changed slowly , within one year we became able to announce about Chuikhim village strictly as 'ALCOHOL FREE Village' . By that time we had open few 'Home Stay' for Tourists and/ or special interests visitors , and 'Self Help Groups' . That's the starting of Chuikhim Story .
But , dear friends , sad to say the 'path' was not so smooth , we didn't get any support from any leading 'community based tourism & related travel ' company . Still we are facing opposition by outsiders & other travel & tourism related companies . Though we have proved that Chuikhim is now peaceful & secured village & as special interest tourism destination too than before .
Further , as other activities , we are really proud to announce that we are organizing 'S H A R E Cup' , The Inter Villages Soccer Tournament and Rural Himalayan Soccer talent search program through a selection program since last six years , as a result we are successful to select 5 young soccer talents for Kolkata premier division Club . In the last year , 'SHARE Cup 2010' , 55 village teams were participants .
Now this year we are going to start a Junior High School in association with a group of highly motivated villagers . The construction of School Building (for starting / basic level) is almost 90% completed , the fund for construction has been collected through a personal loan by a villagers, named Tikaram Chhetri , and the half acre land is donated by Damber Sing Gurung , a 75 years old villager . Now 'S H A R E' is committed wholeheartedly to the Chuikhim village / community people to support to The School run successfully .
Moreover , I would like to say Special Thanks to our respected & loving friends , visitors , a nos of responsible tourists & Media persons those are really so caring , responsible , helpful for our initiatives since day one .Those are real inspiration & motivation for US . Surely I would like to introduce with them on my next day writing .
Thank You ,
regards ,
yours ,
Prasanta Mallik
(Photo Journalist &
Community Based Activist)
This is the 1st day I'm starting 'our' blog writing without any experience n expertise , though am not expert / perfect in English you are requested to cooperate in this text . Introducing myself as a 'field coordinator' of the said title program and founder of the organization named 'SHARE' ,i.e. Support Himalayan Agro Rural Enterprises ( the brand ESTD. 2004 ) . Our 1st initiative is CHUIKHIM village , under Chel Range of Forest , Kalimpong Sub. Divn. , Darjeeling Hills , West Bengal , India.
I would like to say few words about our 1st initiative Chuikhim , this is a really remote village under Kalimpong sub division , surrounded by forest , altitude 3000+ft. , road condition is very poor , no health center or service is available , only a very poor primary school is available for basic level education , high school is 14 kms far from village , there is no irrigation for proper cultivation or agriculture , electricity is available since last 2 years approx. The village was totally alcoholic and it was a really big social problem . It's under Rambhi P.S. (Kalimpong ) . For different type of Social Crime the village was 'black listed' under the said police station .
After started our said program community based activities as 'Community Based Tourism Development Program' on Jan'05 by me under the banner 'S H A R E' and a campaign against sale & consume Alcohol , the village & the community was starting to changed slowly , within one year we became able to announce about Chuikhim village strictly as 'ALCOHOL FREE Village' . By that time we had open few 'Home Stay' for Tourists and/ or special interests visitors , and 'Self Help Groups' . That's the starting of Chuikhim Story .
But , dear friends , sad to say the 'path' was not so smooth , we didn't get any support from any leading 'community based tourism & related travel ' company . Still we are facing opposition by outsiders & other travel & tourism related companies . Though we have proved that Chuikhim is now peaceful & secured village & as special interest tourism destination too than before .
Further , as other activities , we are really proud to announce that we are organizing 'S H A R E Cup' , The Inter Villages Soccer Tournament and Rural Himalayan Soccer talent search program through a selection program since last six years , as a result we are successful to select 5 young soccer talents for Kolkata premier division Club . In the last year , 'SHARE Cup 2010' , 55 village teams were participants .
Now this year we are going to start a Junior High School in association with a group of highly motivated villagers . The construction of School Building (for starting / basic level) is almost 90% completed , the fund for construction has been collected through a personal loan by a villagers, named Tikaram Chhetri , and the half acre land is donated by Damber Sing Gurung , a 75 years old villager . Now 'S H A R E' is committed wholeheartedly to the Chuikhim village / community people to support to The School run successfully .
Moreover , I would like to say Special Thanks to our respected & loving friends , visitors , a nos of responsible tourists & Media persons those are really so caring , responsible , helpful for our initiatives since day one .Those are real inspiration & motivation for US . Surely I would like to introduce with them on my next day writing .
Thank You ,
regards ,
yours ,
Prasanta Mallik
(Photo Journalist &
Community Based Activist)
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