In Kewdha, an indigenous Santhal village,  elderly members of the village council called Manjhiharam have shown forward thinking. They believe that if everyone in the community shared the same mindset, village development would be certain. Over the past few years, they observed that many children and youth in the village were spending too much time on mobile phones, wandering around aimlessly, and some had even started getting involved with drugs. The number of students attending school was…

Hello friends! I hope you all are doing very well.

A few days ago, I had a meaningful conversation with a 20-year-old young man named Gaurabh Oraon in the Nichhe Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden. This dialogue took place during a SALT session focused on the topic of “Masculinity.” What I learned from this conversation truly touched my heart and gave me fresh insights to share.…

On Saturday, 18th October, our Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF) team visited Joynagar High School to facilitate a training on Reading Secrets (GYRF’s Curriculum for Teaching Reading Skills). This visit wasn’t just another training day — it was something deeply meaningful…

Personal Reflection of Healthy Masculinity

Date: October 18, 2025

Last week, I had a heartfelt conversation with Prokash bhai, one of our SALT facilitators at Grow Your Reader Foundation, who works with men from the community on Healthy Masculinity using the SALT-CLCP approach. I had…

The After Experience Reflection (AER) process has truly helped me to reorganize and improve the way I plan and conduct programs. Through this approach, I can clearly identify the gaps in my work and highlight key issues that need attention before setting up a new program.

I first learned about AER from the ARC initiative, and it has brought a real change in how I organize my activities. Now, I don’t use this process only for organisation's programs — I apply it in almost every…

ঋষিপাড়া কমিউনিটিতে ইনডিভিজুয়াল সল্ট সেশনে গিয়ে আমি অনেক মায়ের সঙ্গে কথা বলেছিলাম। প্রত্যেকের চোখে ছিল একটাই স্বপ্ন,তাদের সন্তান যেন স্কুলে যায়, লেখাপড়া শিখে নিজের জীবনে কিছু করে।

এই কমিউনিটিতে শিক্ষার হার খুবই কম। টানবাজার থেকে ঋষিপাড়ায় সিফট হওয়ার পর অনেক মা জানতেনই না, এখানে একটি সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয় আছে। গ্রুপ সল্ট সেশনে যখন বিষয়টি উঠে আসে, তারা বিস্মিত হন। সেদিন থেকেই শুরু হয় তাদের স্বপ্নের পথচলা।

ড্রিম বিল্ডিং সেশনে এসে সেই স্বপ্নগুলো আরও স্পষ্ট হয়। মায়েরা বুঝতে…

Yesterday, on 18th October 2025, I had a heart-touching opportunity to join a Dream-Building Session facilitated by the amazing facilitator Manira apa at Dakkhinpara, Byaspur.

Our documentation officer Priya often talks about how beautifully Manira apa facilitates — how she…

গত ২ মাস যাবৎ হিজলিপাড়ার মায়েদের মধ্যে সবজি লাগানোর ইতিবাচক আভাস লক্ষ্য করেছি। তাদের বাড়িতে অনেক ফাঁকা জায়গা পড়ে ছিলো। কিন্তু তারা কখনো ভাবেনি এই ফাঁকা জায়গাকে তারা কিভাবে কাজে লাগাতে পারে। আমি একটি গ্রুপ সল্টে তাদের প্রশ্ন করেছিলাম,

“আপনারা কি কখনো চিন্তা করেছেন যে আপনাদের বাড়িতে যে ফাঁকা জায়গা পড়ে আছে সেগুলো কিভাবে কাজে লাগানো যায়?”

তারা তেমন কোন উত্তর দেয়নি সেদিন। আমিও আর তাদের এটা নিয়ে কিছুই বলিনি। কারন আমি কখনো চাইনা যে কমিউনিটির মানুষকে আমি আইডিয়া দেবো। বরং আমি তাদের কি…

Today, at the RURAL AID organization, I had a deep SALT session with my dear brother and colleague Wahid, discussing masculinity.

At the beginning of the session, I had an in-depth SALT conversation with Wahid. During our discussion, I witnessed many strengths and positive qualities within him:

* A deep sense of responsibility…

One day, we had a group SALT discussion with the youth boys of the Santal community in Govindapala village. There were 23 people present in the discussion meeting. We asked everyone to share their life stories with each other. After the SALT discussion, we asked everyone present.

 How did you feel about the SALT…

I had a conversation with Sumanta Soren, a Santal community member from Govindapala village, through Salt. He shared a beautiful story with me – one day he went to Burdwan for a special work. After finishing his work, when he was returning home by train, he saw a beggar asking for alms from everyone and no one was giving him anything, seeing him made him very sad. That day, he did not eat anything and kept some money for himself for food, but seeing the condition of a beggar, he felt very…

In Bautijal village, one student stopped going to school. When the Suchana staff came to know about it, one staff member visited the student’s house to find out the reason. She found that the parents used to quarrel a lot, and because of that, the child was affected. The mother had left home. For about six months, the father went to work in the market every day, and the child stayed alone at home and did not go to school.

Our team member spoke with the father and used the SALT method…

Global Fund for Children (GFC) emphasizes funding cohorts, groups of organizations with shared interests, to harness social capital and foster transformative change. Within the Addressing Root Causes (ARC) initiative, I co-facilitated the Mangrove Hills Cohort…

During a recent SALT session in the Basa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, I had the privilege of meeting a young girl whose story of compassion and strength touched everyone present. Her experience reminded us how acts of kindness, even in the face of loss, can shape our confidence and build stronger communities. 

Radhika shared that in December…

I am incredibly proud to be a daughter of Byaspur village. My love for my village, stories, and books has always been at the heart of my journey. This blog is a reflection of how a small idea in our community has sparked meaningful change, strengthened bonds, and nurtured a culture of storytelling and reading.

Listening to the…

Today, during the GFC Bangladesh Cohort’s self-assessment meeting, I experienced something truly inspiring. As we reflected on our journey together, I noticed how smoothly and quickly we were able to make collective decisions. It wasn’t just about efficiency—it felt like a sign of deeper understanding among us as a team.

Each of us brought our own perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the discussion, yet our conversation flowed effortlessly. It felt as though we’re beginning to…

অনেকদিন ধরেই কমিউনিটির একটি স্বপ্ন ছিল—নিজেদের কমিউনিটিতে গাছ লাগিয়ে সবুজে ঘেরা একটি সুন্দর পরিবেশ তৈরি করা। ড্রিম বিল্ডিং সেশনে সেই স্বপ্নটি আরও স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে। কিন্তু দীর্ঘদিন বন্যার পানি জমে থাকায় তারা তখন বৃক্ষরোপণ শুরু করতে পারেনি।এখন সময় ও আবহাওয়া উপযুক্ত হওয়ায়, কমিউনিটির মানুষজন নিজেরাই উদ্যোগ নিয়ে সেই স্বপ্ন বাস্তবায়নে নেমে পড়েছেন। একসাথে তারা বিভিন্ন স্থানে গাছ লাগানো শুরু করেছেন। তাদের বিশ্বাস, আজকের এই ছোট্ট চারাগুলো একদিন বড় হয়ে তাদের এলাকা করবে আরও সুন্দর ও প্রাণবন্ত।কমিউনিটি…

A few days ago, during the masculinity session at the RURAL AID office, the conversation with Kaushik da turned out to be deeply inspiring. It began with a SALT Conversation during which many of his strong qualities came forward — he is a person with a good heart, always stands by others, has a positive mindset, and does not lose focus when facing challenges. He also believes that cooperation and standing together is his duty.…

During the masculinity session held in the Basa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, the experience of conversing with two young men was deeply inspiring. The session began with a SALT conversation, which revealed several of their strong qualities—they are kind-hearted, respectful towards everyone, always stand by others in times of trouble, value true friendship, and are well-wishers of their village community. These qualities show that they not only hold positivity in their character but also…

Today, a group SALT activity was conducted with middle-aged and elderly men. It was a meaningful experience that brought together diverse thoughts and experiences. The main topic of discussion was “concerns and their possible solutions.” Together, the participants reached a consensus on taking concrete steps to address these issues.

Everyone shared…