Childhood means different things to different people. For some, it is school bells, playground laughter, and bedtime stories. But for my elder uncle, childhood was something else entirely it was responsibility, hunger, long journeys, and survival. I grew up in an urban setting, surrounded by opportunities, schools, and comfort. I hardly knew what life was like in the villages decades ago. When my uncle shared his story with me in his own words, I realized how different our worlds were. “We…

After the successful completion of the Suchana Annual Function and Knowledge Fair on 22 Feb 2026, the Suchana premises were left covered with dirt and garbage. At the same time, our cleaner was absent for a few days due to his son’s marriage ceremony. Instead of waiting, all the staff members came together with a strong sense of…

Welcome to the Bahaba Parva is a major and sacred festival of the Santal community. It is also known as the Flower Festival. This festival is celebrated in the spring when new flowers bloom on the trees.

When is it celebrated?

The festival of Baha usually takes place in the spring season in the English (February-March) month of Pangun.

 Why is it celebrated?

Welcome to the spring season. To honor new flowers and nature. To worship the gods and goddesses of the…

The startup is based in Khanjanpur, Birbhum…

On 22nd February 2026, the Suchana team organised a Knowledge Fair with two Adivasi communities from the villages of Kewdaha and Govindapala, where we are implementing the ARC project. The event was held at the inauguration of our office…

Folwariyan Tola, Maharajganj: When Women Identified Their Own Problem and Found a Solution

Sometimes change does not come from outside — it begins within the community itself. Something similar happened in Folwariyan Tola, Maharajganj, which became a big learning experience for our Safe Society team.

After the ARC process, women started openly discussing the challenges they face in their daily lives. With the support of the facilitator, discussions were held using the SALT…

In Maharajganj, in the village of Folwariyan Tola, the SAFE Society team has been working with the community for the last one year using the SALT approach. The main purpose of this work was to help people recognize their own strengths and solve their problems by themselves, without waiting for outsiders.

We kept sharing one simple…

February 21st was the International Mother Language Day of our country. Once upon a time, it was unthinkable that the Pechakola community would celebrate this day in this way. But this time, the community's adolescent Jamuna team made the impossible possible by doing that work.

They said that earlier they had not even thought of organizing it…

The members of the Penchakola Community Padma Dal, after learning about the changes in other community groups, also dream of some changes in the community through their group.

They learned from their grandmothers that many diseases can be cured by medicinal plants, such as using basil leaves to cure colds and coughs, and eating stonecrop leaves to…

On February 23, 2026, in the serene Basa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, a transformative SALT (Self-Analysis and Learning through Talking) session unfolded from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Led by Nityam Ghosh and Ujana Di, this gathering brought together community children, youth, male and female parents. The core aim? To ignite self-awareness, planning skills, and initiative among participants, empowering them to chase their village's shared dreams with prioritized action.…

আজ আমি পাএ কমিউনিটির এক অনন্য মেয়ে সুচিত্রার সাহসের গল্প সবার কাছে পৌঁছে দিতে চাই । তার জীবনের গল্প শুধু সংগ্রামের নয়, বরং সাহস, আত্মমর্যাদা এবং এগিয়ে যাওয়ার এক জীবন্ত উদাহরণ।

সুচিত্রার শক্তির পেছনে রয়েছেন আরেকজন অসাধারণ নারী , তার মা। নিঃশব্দে সব কষ্ট সহ্য করে তিনি মেয়েকে এগিয়ে যাওয়ার সাহস দিয়েছেন। এমন মায়েদের প্রতি গভীর শ্রদ্ধা, যারা…

On 21st February 2026, a beautiful and meaningful initiative was undertaken at Raimatang Church Line on Promoting the sharing and learning of tribal Adivasi traditional medicinal herbs, organic farming practices, and the preservation of indigenous culture among the younger generation. This initiative started…

Namaste everyone, my name is Hritu Khanal, and I am a documentation officer of SHAKHI-Friends of women, Nepal. When I joined the ARC/COHORT of Nepal four months after its initiation, it took me some time to truly understand what SALT is, how it works, and how it should be practiced. Initially, the concept felt new and slightly challenging. However, I began by conducting SALT conversations with my office staffs. I met each staff member individually, listened to their stories, and tried to…

Hi everyone. I would like to share my salt experience to you all Today. Last couple of days I have learned many thing. I did the salt with known and unknown both people. Everyone has their own story and own experience. Which is unique and interesting. I realized that everyone has strength and they have achieved something more or less. All wants…

Santhals are one of the largest Adivasi (Indigenous) communities in India. In West Bengal, they are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe and are spread across several districts, especially in the western and northern parts of the state.

In Jan 2026, as I walked through Kewdaha Santhal village in Shantiniketan with the Suchana team, I noticed broken earthen pots hung on outer walls of the houses. I wondered about them and asked Purnima.The Santhals care deeply about birds.…

Today, in the Basa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, an inspiring conversation emerged during a SALT session that touched my heart. Kokila Chhetri ji, a 45-year-old woman from a Self-Help Group (SHG) member, shared a chapter of her life journey that not only reflects her personal values but has become a source of inspiration for the entire society. With a sparkle in her eyes, she said – "For 25 long years, I have been serving my mother-in-law and father-in-law. This service is not just a…

When we go to the community to do SALT, we often see children coming and going. Most of the time, children are seen moving here and there. However, when we go to the community and sit and talk with them and talk to their parents, the children attention is much higher. They come to us with interest and participate in the story. At this time, the parents also encourage them and express great interest that we sit and talk with their children.

Later, we tried to bring out their dreams,…

In Jamuna Group, Sadia Khatun, inspired by Salt, participated in several initiatives in her community with Jamuna Group, such as water drainage, using mobile phones for the elderly, teaching children to swim, and playing games with children.

In order to remove mobile addiction through play with children, Sadia Khatun first started telling…

I am currently forming a group of elderly men who sit together at the village square in Shelakewadi. From the training I attended on masculinity, I understood that being a man is not easy. So my purpose is to create a safe space for boys, men, and elderly men where they can express their feelings openly.

In the village, elderly men usually gather at different corners. We do not need to call them—they are already there, as they are mostly free at this stage of life. I met one such group…

Recently we had a very nice and meaningful day in our office. The Safe Society Team and the Rural Aid Team came together and did a group SALT - session. It was not like a formal meeting. It felt natural and friendly, where we tried to understand each other better.

In the beginning everyone gave a small introduction — name, work, and one good quality…