Kalyani, a new partnership initiative for establishing sustainable communities is progressing on a seven-acre campus south of the university town of Kalyani, West Bengal, India.

July 3, 2006  Kalyani, a new partnership initiative for establishing sustainable communities is progressing on a seven-acre campus south of the university town of Kalyani, West Bengal, India. The community will prove new technologies and reach out to provide support and opportunity for the rural people living close by.  

The campus, which is starting with the building of an Elementary school, soon to be followed by vocational training facilities, will stress education, training, sustainable environmental practices, and new rural business development.

The Kalyani Project (www.9yards.org/kalyani) will see the opening of a second school founded by the partnership between David & Grace Turner whose organisation, 9 Yards LLC, is based in the US and UK (www.9yards.org) and Dr. Ken Gnanakan, founder of ACTS Ministries based in Bangalore.  The Kalyani Project also welcomes a new partner to this experienced pairing, Dr. Sudhin Mukhopadhyay, Kalyani University and head of the Institute for Studies in Population, Agriculture and Rural Change (INSPARC).

The first school, in Kasavanna Halli, a village outside the bustling city of Bangalore, has grown over five years through a dedicated team of local educationalists and a UK based charity to provide quality education for more than 200 children between the ages of 4 and 11. The majority of these children would not otherwise receive any form of education.  

"The work of this new partnership is based on an effort bringing together the best of both Eastern and Western cultures to find innovative ways to grow communities based on their local needs and mores.  The Kalyani Project will be a 'learning community'. We aim to provide education at many stages from literacy to University research." explained David Turner. "The key will be to integrate all activities so that each group benefits from interaction with the whole. Our aim is to raise the expectations of a generation of rural young people, and enable them to become champions for change in their own communities."  Dr. Mukhopadhyay added, "The project will integrate education with hands-on training in improved eco-friendly rural technologies designed to upgrade the quality of life and livelihood security of the poor and vulnerable.  Capacity building will be accomplished by organising and motivating village people for implementation of the vision for sustainable development."

Based on what they have learned from the first school, the new Kalyani Project's five-year plan includes the purchase of the land, construction of the buildings and all services, furniture, equipment, books & materials, plus the full salaries and costs of all teachers and helpers. Thereafter capital costs will be reduced, allowing further development on the campus.

The project founders will raise operating funds through its partner, CharityHelp International (www.charityhelp.org) by offering $20 per month "shares"of interest in the Kalyani school. The format was developed by Indian and foreign advocates working together to develop the resources to proceed.

"We have made a great effort to approach the project in partnership with the local community, to bring greater education and benefit in an area where those things are in short supply," noted David Turner, Founding Director of 9 Yards LLC. "We welcome CHI as another partner with experience in helping communities to lift the ceiling and raise the horizons."   "We are excited to work with David and Grace Turner and 9 yards in merging cultures and providing a unique, interactive and exciting opportunity." stated Jeffrey Neu, Co-founder, CHI, "This exceptional combination of knowledge and expertise from East & West goes beyond the basics to create a community that gives back more than it takes." All of the partners agree with Dr. Mukhopadhyay that, "In the future such initiatives can be replicated elsewhere."

A detailed survey of the purchased site is in hand, basic ground works and the drilling of a well for water supply will commence in the Fall after the rainy season, soon to be followed by the first phase of the school buildings for which preliminary plans have already been prepared. A creche is planned to open after the summer, with the first intake of 4 to 6 year old children from local villages in 2007.

For more information contact:

David Turner, Founder & Director, 9 Yards LLC  Info @ 9yards. org

Jeffrey Neu, Co-founder, CharityHelp International or Stephanie K. Dalpra, Managing Director, CharityHelp International Media @ CharityHelp . org