Welcome to the online home of Friends of Kolkata Australia, an incorporated, not-for-profit body formed in 2004 by volunteers. We are still entirely volunteer run and welcome new volunteers! We are a Melbourne-based organisation that arranges fundraising and educational activities on behalf of the Institute of Social Work (ISW), a non-government organisation in Kolkata, India. ISW seeks to protect childrens and womens rights by providing communities with access to education, vocational training, microcredit and health services, and by assisting women and children affected by family violence.

The Running (or Walking) for FoK's Sake team did an outstanding job in the October Melbourne Marathon - not only did team members survive running and walking the 5km, 10km, 21km events - we also managed to raise $1028.35!!!

There are a few more donations still to come, but the grand tally so far consists of:
- $133.35 of online donations through Our Community, our new direct debiting/donations facility.
- $895 of raffle ticket/donations collected in person.

Thank you to everyone who ran, walked, supported, turned up to the celebration afterwards, or was involved in any way!

Particular thanks to our raffle prize donors and sweatband sponsors: Claire Harris, Simon Moodie, Zip Zip and Galleon Cafe, St Kilda.

This money will make a HUGE difference in the lives of those in need in India.

Over February and March 2009, six Friends of Kolkata volunteers led by two intrepid Friends of Kolkata volunteer leaders journeyed to Kolkata to participate in six weeks of community development work with past and present partner organisations. Equipped with a wide variety of skills and interests, the volunteers took part in diverse projects – from surveying the women’s shelter site to making didgeridoos and from painting banners of future dreams to running photography workshops.

Here, in the first of a series of stories that account their adventures, is the narrative of a scrumptious cooking project.