After School Program: Gohaldanga Village (West Bengal, India)
Stewarded by Raj Chowdhury for ASHA

Gohaldanga Ramkrishna Sarada Vivekananda Sevakendra (GRSV) project is a social welfare initiative started by Prof. Bibek Ray and his wife Poornima Ray. This project is located in Gohaldanga and surrounding villages in West Bengal. Historically, these villages have been divided by caste barriers, where marginalized communities have faced systemic barriers to education and basic resources.

The aim of the GRSV project is to promote education, ethics, healthcare, and economic stability among these socially backward communities of Gohaldanga and the surrounding 20 villages. While government-run schools exist, standards have historically been challenging. GRSV promotes education by running After-School, Academic Excellence, Work Study, and Special Talent programs.

ASHA provided funding specifically for the After School project ($3,800), which has established schools in 5 additional villages, serving children up to the 4th standard.

Raj Chowdhury visited the project in 2008, spending time auditing project metrics and speaking directly with local community members and children to report progress.