Scholarship Program

Friends of Kolkata (FoK) works with our partner the Institute of Social Work (ISW) to prevent poverty in India from being a barrier between students and their education.

In Australia, almost all children and young adults have access to secondary and tertiary education through the support of their families, the government and the wider community.

In India, in the rural villages and slum areas of Kolkata city, many boys and particularly girls do not have such opportunities. Many families cannot afford education, particularly for young women. The family income of scholarship recipients ranges from 600-3500 rupees a month (around $12 - $70 dollars), to support families of  up to 10 members (including grandparents), sometimes with only one parent.

They have limited access to books and pens, and the girls must find time for study whilst being expected to clean, cook and care for other family members. For many students, the cost of school fees, materials and transport becomes too much for their families and they are forced to discontinue their studies.

In 2006, FoK began sponsoring some of the girls who attend a tuition centre run by ISW, located in Kidderpore, a slum area of Kolkata. FoK enlisted Australian donors to sponsor one or more students in India over a period of three years continuously, operating as a link between sponsors and the students’ community.

During 2007 the Scholarship Program flourished, and we were heartened by the enthusiastic response of those in Australia who were involved. In that year FoK was able to fund fifteen new scholarships for the girls at ISW, to add to the six continuing from 2006. Of these twenty-one scholarships, eight were for college or university, and thirteen were for high school, years 10 to 12. The money donated through the program is spent on school and university fees, school books, medical expenses, necessary clothing expenses, and transport.

In 2008, ISW extended their educational support program in West Bengal to include two new endeavours in Barasat, a small town one hour north of Kolkata city. Friends of Kolkata is now working with ISW to fund these new programs in addition to the original program in Kidderpore.