Culture and Heritage Conservation
Cultural heritage is a sense of shared identity, a sense of belonging within society, its customs, tradition, history, environment and diversity. It provides a context to understand the tradition. It helps to develop a strong ethical foundation for individual as a members of a group that provides a ground for social cohesion as well as to resonate with contemporary world with a power of empathy while living in a diverse cultural settings. Believing this philosophy we at Banipur Sahayog is working to sensitise children and community about their traditional art, culture, heritage, common history and diversity. Through event, workshop and meeting we promote a sense of unity, identity and cultural pride that foster a more inclusive, respectful, resilient neighbourhood.
At Salboni, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, Banipur Sahayog is working to ensure quality education among children from tribal, mahato and other caste resides in nearby forest area. As preliminary step , the organisation has facilitate these children to enrol in nearby Bengali medium school. But it has been noticed that most of the Santali children at primary level are facing the problem of bilingualism. Keeping the context of problem like bilingualism, we at Banipur Sahayog have develop customised education programme for the beginners and student of primary level As part of the personality development for these culturally diverse and marginalised children, Banipur Sahayog organises workshop on traditional dance form, art, culture and other creative workshop, observe important days with children and villagers together. These events helped to spread a sense of cultural pride, social cohesion, helped children to understand the beauty of diversity within unity.
In Kolkata, at ward 63, as an integral part of heritage conservation programme, Banipur Sahayog has worked with community with the purpose to reuse the conserved place by the nearby contemporary community. By initiating awareness events the organisation sensitised the local community about their shared cultural identity even though they are from diverse cultural background. Strategically the programme conducted a need assessment study and identified the issues caused the degeneration of the area .The study has recommended to start education and general health project for children and their parents residing in the area with awareness raising event on the historical importance of the area. A weekly value education class were initiated gradually subject specific coaching support were extended to the children. A micro entrepreneurship for local adolescent girl and for mothers were started. Gradually the conserved place become recognised and utilised as primary civic space and a source of pride for local people.
