What do we do?

We are an Australian charity founded and run by chiropractors and non-chiropractors to support communities in West Bengal through women’s empowerment, childhood education and basic health education and support. We do this in partnership with a local catholic NGO, though our work is strictly non-denominational.

Women’s Empowerment

We have 243 women’s groups in 92 villages, accessing over 3000 women. Amongst other things, women are encouraged to support each other; learn how to access government services; learn and financially supported in micro-economic projects; discuss issues related to domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse; taught the importance of educating their children.

Childhood Education

We run 6 schools for early primary education (Grade 1-4). In 2023, 927 students were enrolled; 488 female, 439 male. The students are provided a quality education in a safe and clean environment. We have excellent teacher retention and provide funds to maintain the infrastructure of the schools.

Health & Hygiene Clinics

This is a relatively new program targeting villages in particular need of support. We established 24 centres in 2021/22 (during Covid), each focusing on 4 villages. 25 high-needs households in each village are specifically targeted to address chronic illness, alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Each of the health centres focuses on 500 people but impacts the whole village, having a reach of 12 000 high-needs people. This has been so successful that we are expanding the program in 2023 to a further 5 centres.

Nursing Scholarships

This is a new program for our organisation where we fund 5 individuals per year through a nursing degree with the view that the graduates return to their villages to provide health support, but alternatively are able to get a job earning income that makes its way back to the village.

Health Camps

Each year a group of chiropractors and support personnel make a trip to Siliguri to run a number of clinics providing much needed musculo-skeletal care to villagers working as tea-pickers and rock breakers. The participants are entirely self-funded and also raise money to support our other programs, listed above, over the full year.