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KOLKATA Placed in one of the poorest areas of the planet, Fakir Baghan (Western Bengal, Colcata), Tara School is a totally free primary school, that has more than 200 boys and girls from the poorest families in the neighbourhood, distributed in several years: Kindergarten, I, II, III, and a special course on reading and writing. We cover daily their educational, nutritional and health necessities in an atmosphere where peace, love and harmony occupy first place, so the students can develop all their skills in a positive way.
HISTORY By the end of 2004, driven by a desire of solidarity, my destiny took me to this neighbourhood, Fakir Baghan, to teach some KG students at a school for the poorer among the poorest. I could not imagine back then that in a few months the school would be shut down, so I found myself trying to find a way to prevent those children to be condemned to mendicity. In Colcata there is no free education, and there are so many requests to enter the most economic schools, that the parents in the neighbourhood cannot even contemplate the possibility of fulfilling the application forms, since it means a breakdown in their familiar finances they cannot afford. This is one of the main reasons why many of those children have no other way out than working in factories for a few rupees: hence, thay have no possibility at all to get a decent education and future. TARA SCHOOL To my fortune, and the childrens’, it was written that Alice came into my life. Alice is an Indian woman, with more than 30 years of experience leading a local NGO, Seva Sangh Samiti (Together We Help), a serious and committed orghanization with several infrastructures in the West Bengal state. Driven by their compassion and solidarity, Seva Sangh Samiti gave me, totally free, a house in the neighbourhood, with my commitment to pay for every expense related to repair works, teachers’ wages, school equipment, electricity bills, etc. That way, I could transform that house into the school. Thus, in a few weeks, Tara School was born, a free school for the children from the poorest families in the neighbourhood. During the building’s repairs, we employed several workers from the neighbourhood, so their families could have some financial profit out of it.
THE TEAM From then on, every member of the school staff, teachers and other workers, all of them Indian, the tireless Alice, Seva Sangh Samiti and members of the Association in Spain, we put all our energy, love and joy to the neighbourhood’s service. 
OUR EDUCATION Mostly because our students live in an environment where there is too much misery, in Taraschool we try to turn education into something funny and entertaining, where the students can learn while playing, but keeping an eye on discipline. Besides, our educational plan and school spirit are based on an educaton in values. Knowing and developping our good qualities, cultivating a good heart and promoting solidarity and generousity are our first aims. In Taraschool, educational and personal knowledge are intertwined. To knowing that we are a part of society and we have our responsibility towards it, that we can improve our environment, family, neighbourhood with our acts, is present in every subject in general, and more specifically in others such as “Great Values”, “Great Personalities” or “A Time for Reflection”. Besides, everyday, both teachers and students devote 20 minutes to meditate in silence, for a further development of our concentration and inner peace.
FAMILY
One of our principles is to involve the parents in their children’s education. Thus, we try to involve them in this beautiful task through meetings, both in group and person to person, where, besides showing our interest for the personal situation of each family, we keep them informed on their children’s development and suggest them how to contribute to their best functioning. Every week our teachers devote some hours to talk with the families and students, to listen to their necessities and to try to solve them.
FOOD We know it is impossible for our students to assimilate our teachings if their basic necessities are not satisfied. Because of these children’s personal situation, their nutrition is quite poor and with many shortages. Basic foods, such as milk, eggs or fruit, are not a part of their daily diet. In Tara School we provide these nutritional complements on a daily basis to all of our students. Besides, with this task we are helping some families in the neighbourhood, since they are the ones who provide everyday the school with the food.
HEALTH
The lack of hygiene in the environment, the weather conditions or the non-purified water are some of the reasons that prevent a healthy personal development. In Taraschool we know it, and thus Dr. Barua, a true professional of solidarity, takes care of a medical survey: every Friday, he devotes several hours to check the students, prescribing medications, talking with them and advising their families on prevention. And he does it as a volunteer. Amigos de Tara covers every medical expense, treatments, surgical operations or hospitalizations.
FUTURE - The building offers the possibility of widening the school up to V year, which means some reforms. Our intention is to add a new course every year.
- Opening a secondary school to secure some continuity to our students.
- One of our priorities is to keep on providing foods that cover the children’s nutritional shortages. We would like to increase both the quantity and the quality of the foods.
- We would like to provide, through the work generated by Tara, a decent salary for the Indian workers, according to such a necessary task.
- To keep on serving the neediest, out of respect and humility.
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Tara School 
