He, at first, after completion of his education in order to gather experience and made him compatible with acumen was engaged himself as National Service Volunteer, NYK, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India in the year 1988. Afterwards, he joined United Nations as volunteer in the year 1989 and was posted and carried out services in Nepal for two years. Than joined with UNICEF and initiated activities concerning Child Rights during the years 2000-2003. Once he thought that he is capable of leading the organisation he left the so called carrier and brought the dream - organisation into functioning. OFFER aim is to provide assistance to children in difficult circumstances and mainstream them through direct intervention and campaign, thus enabling them to live A life with dignity. Presently OFFER reaches out to 5,000 children.
1. Perception & conception the ideals :
Since childhood the founder had the opportunity to observe the misery of the people who have been dwelling on the streets, shanties and squatters. He was practically a young man with philanthropic mind since the childhood and often involved in helping and cooperating towards an ailing person, victim of abuse and suffering from starvation. He has contacts and rapports with the high level personnel and officials by virtue of his earlier profession and the family background. Through these efforts his mind set was turned into that dimension which ultimately compels him to devote himself in the hard tasks to uphold the struggle for the toiling masses. As soon as he completed the higher education he avails the opportunity to serve as NYK volunteer and serve in the UNICEF which obviously gave him exposure, inspiration and confidence to run the organisation for emancipation of the impoverished, neglected, deprived and exploited people of the society. By capitalizing the experiences which he gathered during the tenure of the services he started sailing OFFER for the cause of such people with the special emphasis upon the children and women.
2. Legal Status:
* Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1961, Government of West Bengal.
* Registration No. S/54105 of 86-87
* Registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act of 1976, Government of India.
* Registration No. 147120437 of 14-06-2000
* Registered under Indian Income Tax Act. GOI under sections Regd u/s 12-A & 80-G.
* The organization is branded with ISO, 9001-2000.
3. Contemporary Socio-economic
and political context :
Though
India is more than 60 years old matured and vibrant
democracy, still lots remains to be done for kids of
this country. India has a large population of homeless
children who lack a sufficient support system to enable
them to get off the streets. These children are displaced
from their homes due to various reasons. Many run away
from their homes due to broken families, fear of failing
in their exams, negative peer influence, lack of adequate
parental care or much more trivial reasons. Many children
are also abandoned and orphaned. These children end
up in the cities in search of alternate life and are
forced to live on the streets for their survival.
After spending a few days on the streets, they become
insular, begin to avoid adults and forget that there
is life beyond the streets. These children mostly occupy
railway stations, easily accessible shelter where they
form groups in order to safeguard themselves from danger.
These groups of homeless children beg, polish boots,
sweep train compartments, pickpocket, recycle rubbish
and do all kinds of things to survive.
In the course of their time on the street these children
are vulnerable to physical and mental abuse. Young adults
that originated from the same background and sex workers
tend to prey on homeless children for financial gain.
So to seek refuge from this mental strain, street children
develop habits such as smoking, sniffing chemical substances
and drinking cough syrups, and alcohol, leading to negative
health and psychological problems.
Every child has a right to basic human needs such as
good nutrition, shelter, education and healthcare. This
has been the context to which OFFER is born to make
every childhood worth living.
4. Emergence of the Organization for translating the
ideals into reality :
All
people under the age of 18 are entitled to the standards
and rights guaranteed by the laws that govern our country
and the international legal instruments we have accepted
by ratifying them. THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA: The Constitution
of India guarantees all children certain rights, which
have been specially included for them.
These include: " Right to free and compulsory elementary education
for all children in the 6-14 year age group (Article
21 A).
" Right to be protected from any hazardous employment
till the age of 14 years (Article 24).
" Right to be
protected from being abused and forced by economic necessity
to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength
(Article 39(e)).
" Right to equal opportunities and
facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions
of freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of
childhood and youth against exploitation and against
moral and material abandonment (Article 39 (f)). Besides
these they also have rights as equal citizens of India,
just as any other adult male or female:
" Right to equality
(Article 14).
" Right against discrimination (Article
15).
" Right to personal liberty and due process of
law (Article 21).
" Right to being protected from being
trafficked and forced into bonded labour (Article 23).
" Right of weaker sections of the people to be protected
from social injustice and all forms of exploitation
(Article 46). OFFER is born out of the pain, that it
needs to ensure these rights to the kids who need it.
OFFER's major programs include :
* Community-based education sponsorship program
* Rehabilitation program for children living on railway platforms
* Residential care units for children without parental care
* Residential care unit and community schools for children with learning difficulties
* Residential care cum hospice for children infected with HIV/AIDS
