About PRASARI

Remembering the fearful face of the micro-finance client hiding her face behind the colourless curtain to avoid the ‘credit officer’ from PRASARI, visiting her house to recover the instalment of her 8th MFI loan! ….

2007, April Seven Urbanites from different sectors thought of providing technical support and financial support for Urban-based livelihood promotion through Micro Finance to the urban slum community, and formed Rajarhat PRASARI, later popularly known as PRASARI.

Fifteen years now, the casual Tea Garden workers of the labour lines in the Himalayan Dooars waiting for a meeting of their women’s livelihoods committee to jointly work out the ‘village water security plan with the PRASARI professional.

Story of creation

2007
One little Step to Start

The first stepping stone in the year 2007 as a Microfinance based organization for livelihood promotion with women.

2009
Coastal Sundarban

Initiation of livelihood promotion in the coastal Sundarban

2010
Promotion in Himalayan

Livelihood promotion in Himalayan foothills along with coastal saline belt. Research action initiated with BCKV in SRI Promotion. PRASARI was the first CSO to mapping Agro-climate zones for livelihood promotion in West Bengal

2012
Livelihood approach took off

Started a special intervention with the no resources-based ultra-poor families for livelihood promotion and mainstreaming the people’s institutions. INRM-based intervention started in the foothills. Livelihood approach took off the scale-up mode.

2017
Dedicated team of professionals

With a dedicated team of professionals, PRASARI starts operating in the Himalayan zone, Himalayan foothills, Red laterite and Coastal zones with the INRM-based approach for enabling people by improving the quality of living

2020
Dedicated team of professionals

PRASARI making its existence prominent in the sector with the largest partnership with Government, CSO and Donor organizations in Jharnadhara, Usharmukti, Dipanjali Programes. Supporting the Meghalaya Government as a technical and Knowledge partner in Spring shed Management

2022
We are growing

Expansion in Jharkhand State Growing with a team of 100

The Organization has invested ample time to learn and work out the solutions for water and livelihoods, for varied agroclimatic regions distributed in the Himalayan zone and sub-tropical hill zone, Central and Eastern India plateaus, Himalayan Foothills, and Coastal zone.  

This one-and-a-half decade of direct action in rural India and corresponding stakeholders have revealed significant partnership scopes with the multiple government Departments, CSOs, Indian and Foreign partners and corporates to work as the convergence ‘driver’ for the benefit and larger reach of the community.

Four formal partnerships between Panchayats and Rural Development Dept. in the State of West Bengal and PRASARI namely ‘Jharnadhara’ (spring rejuvenation) in the Himalayan Hills, ‘Sanjeevani’  (Source sustainability and Door step supply of water) in the Himalayan Foothills, ‘Usharmukti’ (adapting the watershed approach to execute MGNREGA-Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.) in the eastern plateau and ‘Dwipanjali’ (Management of salinity, submergence and creating the provisions for fresh water through land water husbandry) in the coastal region from MGNREGA. Promotion of intensive innovative and climate-resilient activities positioned PRASARI to directly contribute to spring national policies to Niti Ayog, Government of India. The action research wing has obtained an engagement with the British Geological Survey and the National Institute of Hydrology (Roorkee) to host the studies adapting participatory groundwater management approach for the aquifers under the National Hydrology Project. Water Resource Investigation and Development Department (GoWB) has engaged PRASARI as a resource Organization to support spring rejuvenation activities, in the Darjeeling Himalayas and create the sources for minor irrigation for coastal and Himalayan agricultural livelihoods. World Bank-supported program at Meghalaya has engaged PRASARI as the spring Initiative (SI) partner to out-scale their program across 6000 villages in the State of Meghalaya. Investment Market linked Development Initiatives by PRASARI, is a new approach in the experimentation phase in the Bengal Bordering Districts of Jharkhand expected to redefine the development financing, for the sector.

Covering the journey for more than a decade PRASARI is working in five agro-climatic zone in more than 588 villages with 104316 household with 588 community platforms for Resource Based Livelihood

Values

Mission

Enabling people to ensure quality of living

Vision

Better Earth, Better Life

Governing Body

Dr. Dipankar Saha
President

Masters in Zoology & Ph.D in Fisheries Science from University of Calcutta, India. Awarded Fellowship of ‘The Zoological Society, Kolkata’ More than 38 years of development management experience. Retired Scientist and Head of a Multidisciplinary team of scientist in ICAR’s KVK system as a Team leader (Training Organiser) of multidisciplinary team of Scientists in Ramkrishna Ashram Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nimpith , Sundarbans, INDIA . Nationally acclaimed trainer of Participatory planning

Pr. Ratikanta Ghosh
Vice-President

Professor Ratikanta Ghosh is a retired and re-employed professor in (in Agronomy (Agriculture), BCKV, West Bengal. He is also a Guest Professor, Gurukul Edutech, SKD & Vidyasagar University, MAKAUT, Midnapur City College. Consultant Sharda Cropchem Ltd., Mumbai (21.04.2021- till date). Since last 42 years he is associated with academics and research.

Mr. Gouranga Banerjee
Secretary

Mr. Gouranga Banerjee is the founder member of PRASARI. He is associated with the development sector for last 24 years. He started his career with the microfinance and accounting sector , however he always believed in working for the poorest to ensure their livelihood and sustainability. In the year 2007, along with some like minded people he established the organization.

Mr. Pijush Jana
Treasurer

Mr. Pijush Jana started his career in the development sector with PRADAN. He is involved with the development sector almost for 17 years and had spent been associated with PRASARI for last 10 years. He has in depth knowledge in developing community institutions and implementation of Integrated Natural resource based livelihood practices.

Ms. Arprita Chowdhuri
Member

Ms. Arprita Chowdhuri, MSW, at present working as a senior consultant in SoulAce, CSR consulting firm. She has in-depth experience for almost 20 years in the social development and CSO sector on successfully delivering projects and assignments on baseline need assessment, impact studies, training and facilitation, development of detailed project reports, PME frameworks and high quality documentation. She has been involved with women empowerment, urban poverty, rural development, micro enterprises/ SHGs and sustainable livelihoods.

Mrs. Polly Adhikary
Member

Mrs. Polly Adhikary , is a chemistry graduate. She was always determined to work from her academic days. Soon after her graduation she cleared government and banking services, and joined HSBC bank . She worked for 25 years in the banking sector. She finds it very encouraging to be associated with development sector, where women empowerment and income generation for women are on key focus.

Mr. Himadri
Member

Mr. Himadri is FCA and CS. He practicing CA for last 21 years, in field of MSME client with hands on experience of finance, accounting, other taxation laws.

Every Rupee Count

How we use our funds

Program Expenses 2019 – 2020

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Team Strength

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