My time spent visiting the various projects managed by the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) was undoubtedly one of the most enlightening and impactful experiences I have had in my life.
As a Loreto alum, (Loreto Kirribilli, 2023), it was beautiful to witness to the charitable and empathetic ethos of Mary Ward manifested so extraordinarily in the work of the KMWSC. Every project we visited, no matter how big or small it was, was led by passionate and innovative staff who are sincerely dedicated to bettering the lives of the project’s recipients.
I was deeply moved when speaking with the beneficiaries of projects, that they all unanimously expressed gratitude to the KMWSC for transforming their lives, and particularly their communities.
I saw when visiting the IDENTITY Project, children who were so eager to embrace the education opportunities offered to them by the KMWSC. In the Brickfields Project, I was amazed to see how teachers had constructed the most inspiring and comprehensive classroom spaces from nothing. In the Redlight Project, I spent time with unbelievably intelligent, kind, and resilient children, empowered by the KMWSC to pursue their passions and education. When visiting the Tribal Community Development and Empowerment Project, I saw hundreds of local children marching through the streets, aware of their rights due to the work of the KMWSC. At the Climate Action and Biodiversity Project, I observed how the KMWSC facilitated community members to implement sustainable practices in their lives to their economic benefit.
This is to say, the KMWSC’ work is expansive and transformative. It improves people’s lives in more ways than one, and it is appreciated deeply by those who the projects seek to help. KMWSC projects are defined by the same ethos that emphasises opportunity and dignity but are tailored to specifically suit the needs of different communities and individuals, which I believe makes the KMWSC highly ethical and more impactful.
The work of the KMWSC is meaningful and effective. I urge anyone to contribute in any capacity they can to this amazing organisation.
I would finally like to thank the CJ (formerly Loreto) Sisters and KMWSC staff for their hospitality. In this week spent at the KMWSC, I learnt so much, felt truly welcomed, and was inspired by open-hearted spirit of those who were involved in these projects.
My Experience at KMWSC
I am grateful to the Department of Social Work, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, and Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) for the one-month Block Fieldwork (11 August to 10 September 2025) experience at 1 Convent Lane, Tangra, Kolkata. I thank Dr. Jacob Isalary (Head of the Department), Mr. Sudipto (Fieldwork In-charge), and the team, the staff (both office and field) from the organization, and my co-intern friends (Ms. Monisha, Sr. Genevieve IBVM) and all the teachers, children, and families whom I have encountered during this time.
I have had numerous office and fieldwork experiences, encountered diverse people, and visited various places in Kolkata. From August 11 to 14, I spent my time at the organization working on data entry for the Brick Fields Schools Project. I learned the systematic way of documenting, recording, and keeping the files (both hard and soft copies) in a safe place. The staff were working beyond Kolkata, West Bengal.
In the second week (18-23 August 2025), the three intern students and staff members began a field visit to Sundarban, including New Alipur, Matia, Motijhil, and Sonagachi. It was my first time visiting those places. I got a lot of knowledge and experience from those activities. We went to Sundarban, and it took more than three hours to reach the project area of Gosaba Block, Battali Island, Sundarban. We took different public transportation, such as train, bus, boat, and auto (traditional auto-rickshaws). We spent a day there. We had learned the solar power project, mangrove tree plantation project, kitchen garden project, organic manure project, Nari Shakti (empowering women) project, livelihood program, chick and duck hatching project, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Government Housing Scheme), they were working with various groups such as mother group, adolescence group, youth group, single parents’ group, and marginalized families. It was a short time for us, but we had a meaningful time with the people and witnessed their wonderful work. The field staff from the project area had been working with the organization for more than a decade, faithfully. The organization and the staff did an outstanding job for the people and the environment in the Sundarbans.
We had a chance to visit the Tribal Community Project at Gangasagar for an overnight trip. We conducted the Periodic Leadership Workshop for Children Leaders. The project was funded by Mary Ward International Spain. There were 23 youth and children who participated. It was a half-day program. We had a chance to visit the families, and study centers.
The worker spent the time teaching and learning at the study centers of New Alipur, Hastings, Dhapa, and Motijhil. In New Alipur, the centre was near the train station. Around 60 children accompany the two-story building at no cost. Two teachers were supporting the students and families around the centre. The children attended the government school in the morning and came to the center in the afternoon. The center was open on weekdays (Monday to Friday).
The teachers were teaching the children and visiting the families for surveys, documentation, Aadhaar Card registration, Family registration cards, and other important government documents, as well as inquiring about the children’s and families’ situations. The visiting families helped the staff and families become closer. The staff and teachers served them with compassion and selflessness.
We experienced the Food ATM Project, which distributed food to the elderly, children, pregnant women, and marginalized people. The organization was conducting regular activities twice a week for 120 individuals. There were several steps involved in that project. First, the staff surveyed the poor and underprivileged, choosing the neediest individuals among them, and gave coupons to those families. Then, they came to the centre on a specific date and time. They received the nutritious quality food and signed the record and documentation.
We experienced one-day Health Camp of Involvement Development and Empowerment of in-need individuals through You (I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y) project at Dhapa, Kolkata. The project was sponsored by St. Stephen’s Green and implemented by KMWSC. There were around 80 individuals who came to receive the medicine and medication freely. We, the staff, medical personnel, and intern students, could serve them with love and care.
We visited two red-light areas, Matia and Sonagachi, during this month. It was the first time I had the opportunity to experience the work of sex workers through the Mother in Sex Trade (MIST) project in Kolkata. Matia village, Basirhat II CD Block, Basirhat Sub Division, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal. It has a 150-year-old red-light area. “The total population of 4,579 according to 2011 Census of India. The organization had three centers for the Sohochori and Children Centre Projects.
The second place was Sonagachi, “it is located in North Kolkata. It’s among the largest red-light districts in Asia and the world, with several hundred multi-story brothels housing more than 16,000 commercial sex workers. NGOs and government organizations operate in Sonagachi for the prevention of sexually transmitted Diseases (STDs), including AIDS.” The Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre had centers for the Red-Light Project Safety Corner. The organization served the children, youth, and mothers by teaching, distributing food and medicine, and visiting them. Empowerment of Mother In Sex Trade Project (MIST) at Sonagachi focused on reducing the vulnerability of the sex workers through awareness, advocacy, capacity building, rehabilitation, and adult education. The mothers were learning basic alphabet, numbers, names, and addresses in Bengali and English happily. They looked like children when they were studying at the center. They were smiling and serious in their studies. I felt that they are all human beings, they have the same dignity, and they are also the children of God. We have to respect them. This is our moral responsibility to help the needy, marginalized, and underprivileged. We have to stop the gender-based violence, discrimination, and injustice against women, children, and the oppressed population.
In short, I am fortunate to have a month of Block Fieldwork at KMWSC. The staff are polite and professional. The organization is also well structured. I will remember the people in the field and pray for them.
Nay Myo Htet – St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata
September 2025
My internship at Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre gave me a chance to learn and experience both office work and field work. In the beginning, I was introduced to the staff and learned about the rules and policies of the organization. I worked on data entry for the Human Rights Project, where I learned the importance of accuracy and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
I took part in the Barefoot Teachers’ Training Program, where I learned creative ways of teaching children through games, pictures, rhymes, and storytelling. This helped me to understand child-friendly methods of education and how to make learning enjoyable. I also learned the importance of lesson planning and how to engage children at different learning levels.
Through field visits, I gained real exposure to community life. In the Kolkata Slum Project, I taught English to children, joined house visits, and understood the problems families’ face, such as poor sanitation, overcrowding, and lack of education. In Sonagachi, I celebrated Independence Day with mothers and children, and saw how creative activities like drawing, martial arts, and dance built confidence in children.
During my visit to Sundarban (Climate Action and Biodiversity Project), I observed how kitchen gardens, poultry farming, mangrove plantations, and solar lamps were helping people live better and earn income in an eco-friendly way. Meeting mothers and families there taught me how community participation and women’s involvement are important for sustainable development.
I also took part in the Nutrition Project (Food ATM), where I helped in food distribution and coupon surveys. This showed me the importance of proper planning and fairness in serving communities. In Motijheel, I saw how combining food support with children’s education improved both health and learning.
In Dhapa, I joined the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program and saw how counseling builds confidence and motivates young girls to learn skills for a better future. In Matia (MIST project), I interacted with sex-trend mothers and learned about their struggles with low income, stigma, and exploitation, and I saw how the staff supported them with awareness on rights, hygiene, and financial literacy.
I also visited Gangasagar, where I joined child leadership workshops and home visits. I observed how children were encouraged to take part in activities to build confidence, teamwork, and decision-making skills. These experiences showed me the power of education and leadership training in shaping young lives.
Apart from fieldwork, I also did administrative tasks like arranging files, organizing Hindi rhymes and stories for the Brickfield Project, and supporting health camps under the Identity Project. These small tasks helped me realize the value of background work in running projects smoothly.
Overall, my experience was very meaningful. I learned to work with children, women, and families from different backgrounds. I understood the importance of empathy, patience, teamwork, and cultural sensitivity while working with communities. The internship helped me connect classroom knowledge with real-life situations. It also gave me confidence and motivation to contribute more in the field of social work.
My internship experience with KMWSC
This was an incredibly enlightening experience. It was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I started my internship on 2nd May, 2025. I did office work in the first half. This proved important for me to be able to understand the kind of work that is done by NGOs and to understand the statistical realities of the fields they work in. I was able to understand a lot about the children in these fields by logging in information about them, which further prepared me to interact with them.
My field work started with the IDENTITY project in Dhapa, Motijheel and Hastings, and the Kolkata Slums Project in New Alipore. I visited these sites and assisted the teachers in teaching the children and interacting with them. Each field was different and explained to me a different aspect of the realities these communities live in. In Dhapa, the teachers explained how these children’s family structures and social conditions affected their ability to continue and keep up with their education and how this project was primarily important in filling the education gap. I noticed that the children in Dhapa were younger than the children in the other areas. In New Alipore, I was able to help with playing educational games and helping teaching them basic educational levels – alphabets, numbers, etc. I visited Hastings, where the children were of more varied age groups. I spoke to the older children as well and learnt about their school lives and their favourite subjects in school. I did my best to assist them with their projects and making the TLMs. I interacted with the younger children by playing games identifying animals, flowers and drawing with them. In the Identity project, I spent most time at Motijheel, where I spent time not only teaching but also conducting surveys with Yasmin Ma’am for the nutrition project. I enjoyed interacting with the children, getting to know them and meeting their families and understanding their lives outside the centre. It humbled me to understand where they came from and what they brought to their education and aspirations. I also went for surveys to BB Bagan, Kapali Bagan and a few other areas, all of which showed different sides of a similar reality to me. Kapali Bagan was especially important in this experience.
I spent the last week of my internship at Sonagachi with the Red Light Area Project. This phase was an extremely different experience from the other areas because I spent a prolonged period of time and got to know and understand the people there. I spent less time out in the field due to the potentially hazardous nature of the area but the little time I spent their showed me a side of the city I had never seen before. The children were sweet, kind and respectful. Above all, they were excited and eager to learn. Much like most kids, they had their moments of mischief and not wanting to study but it rarely showed itself as disrespect and only ever in good humour. It was inspiring to see Hema Ma’am, Shantana Ma’am, Rinku Ma’am, and the other teachers working sincerely and whole heartedly with the children who had grown to love and respect them. It is projects like this that give these deeply deserving children a chance at a life beyond what was promised to them. I’m deeply grateful to all the faculty that have welcomed me and allowed me to be a small part of this larger project that is making all the difference.
Niharika Rajsaha, Christ University Bangalore
Reflecting on my 1 month Internship experience at Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre
My name is Linda Das, a student of Vidyasagar School Of Social Work, Vidyasagar University. I started working as an Intern on 17th March 2025 and have been on a learning experience since. Being a student of Loreto Sealdah myself, it felt like returning home, carrying all the values and morals learned and channeling those values for the good of the society. I would like to thank all the staffs and members of the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Center for being so patient and polite with me, it is because of their support and encouragement that this month long journey had been full of memories and growth.
To speak of my experience here, it has been a joy and a growth filled journey, gaining experience and knowledge while working on field visits. I would like to thank Mrs. Gayatri Roy for being so patient and polite with me and taking me under her wings and engaging me with her associated projects, starting from explaining, to demonstrating to actually participating in the projects through, visiting the sites, it has made me realize of the opportunities and resources that are deprived from the people and especially children. I have worked and learned on data management and case studies of children in need. My experience here has been full of joy, love, support, acceptance and growth. Working through different projects I have gained strength and knowledge and have connected with strangers who have now become some of the people I care for. Also special thanks to Mr. Sanjay Baxla for always being there to guide me and clearing out any problems without hesitation and SR. Biviyana Lepcha for giving me the opportunity to be part of the renowned and esteemed institution.
Thank You,
Linda Das.
Reflecting on my Internship Experience at Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre:
My name is Annika Bhattacharjee, a student of Master of Social Work at Vidyasagar School Of Social Work, Vidyasagar University. I have started one month internship as an Intern from 17th March and have been on the journey of learning since the day. Since the first day when I first visited the organization on November 2024, I had liked the peaceful and calmness of the place. Firstly I would like to thank all the staff members of the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre for being so patient and polite with me and helping me whenever I needed. This experience would not have been as smooth as it was without their help.
I learnt how to manage data work on case studies, the case studies helped me understand the difficulties and trauma children face. My experience here has been full of joy, love, support, acceptance and growth. I am grateful for my mentor Gayatri Ma’am who took me under her wings and involved me in field project. I have gained strength and knowledge and have connected with some new people. After experiencing this one month of internship it has made me realise that in future I would love to work with children and help them in their development. I would like to thank Sanjay Sir, Pratyayan Sir for always guiding me whenever I needed and SR. Biviyana Lepcha for giving me the opportunity to work in this esteemed and reputable organization.
Thank You.
Annika Bhattacharjee.
An Eye-Opening Experience: My Journey with KMWSC
I have been a student of Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green for almost five years now. From the very start, we were taught of Mary Ward’s values of truth, justice, sincerety, freedion and joy and the belief that the action of helping others is highly noble. Throughout my short immersion experience in Kolkata, it was these values I tried my best to keep at the core of my heart and guide me through. Our fast interaction with the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre really opened my eyes to their tireless work and dedication in multiple projects., and how they put 100% effort into everything they do. They organised us a schedule visiting numerous different places, each different from the other, each one a new perspective. From the Loreto Schools, which in my opinion, felt like turning a corner in my own school batch in Dublin, sharing the same atmosphere of friendship, laughter and togetherness. To the M.A.C.S., where I was overwhelmed by the joy and family of the children and to the Brickfields where my eyes were truly opened to the lives who are forgotten. This truly has been an experience of a lifetime giving me memories, hope and inspiration I will cherish forever.
– Amelia Jane Lawrie
Sudent
Loreto St. Stephens Green,
Dublin, Ireland
A Transformative Journey: My Experience with KMWSC
My experience with the KMWSC has been nothing short of life changing. We visited the MACs, the Loreto Schools, St. Vincent School, the Brickfields and learned so many things about the work of the centre. Every member of the KMWSC team has welcomed us with open arms just as they welcome those in their community who are most in need. Their goodness and warmth is felt wholly in everythinh they do, from bringing school to brickfield sites to support the migrant worker and their children to the many educational, vocational and awareness campaigns. The KMWSC exemplifies the truth in statement that a small group of dedicated people can change the world. They don’t just give and donate, they change hearts and minds, they change lives for better. I know that seeing first-hand the work they do, has certainly changed mine.
– Amelia O Powell
Sudent
Loreto St. Stephens Green,
Dublin, Ireland
A Life-Changing Experience: Learning and Growing with KMWSC
My experience from my week at KMWSC has been truly eye opening, wonderful and mind changing. I really, genuinely, enjoyed every single aspect, opportunity and challenge it gave me. Coming from a country or area in which poverty is not a big issue in, this was quite different. The programme that the KMWSC setup to give us insight into the work they do, the poverty in Kolkata and also a different culture was incredible. I found many new things about how I should be spending my time, money and thoughts on different aspects of life. This experience allowed me to reflect all these aspects. As well as this I really loved the mission and ethos that the KMWSC embodies. They cherish the Loreto values very close to their community which I believe is very important. Over this week I have also found that I, myself must follow and keep in mind these values throughout my life. The work and effort that the KMWSC does is truly admirable. I feel very inspired by the centre to do my own work or something similar later in my life. I’ve also realised to love one another and even your enemies as they can be your motivation! Even though some areas were difficult to deal with emotionally and mentally it has taught me how I should apply this into my life. I should really use my natural resources and my education to one fullest as I am so likely to have the opportunities in my life. I also notice how the KMWSC never leaves anyone unnoticed, no person left ton their own. The centre runs so many different projects that help so many people. Their commitment to projects is very inspiring. May I grow older and am able to make my own decision, I hope to come back to Kolkata and work with KMWSC as I have never felt such a joy, happiness, gratitude and justice in my life. They have inspired me to use my life and education to the fullest. I believe by helping others that is how I can achieve this.
– Anna Doherty
Sudent
Loreto St. Stephens Green,
Dublin, Ireland
“Reflecting on My Internship Experience at Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre
My name is Medha Veronica Thakur, a student of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata. I started working as an Intern on 22nd July, 2024, and have been on a learning experience since. Firstly, I would like to thank everyone at the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre for being so patient with me and helping me whenever I needed it. This experience would not have been as smooth as it was without their help.
To speak of my experience here, it was emotional full of learning and making meaningful connections.
I learnt how to analyse survey data and prepare report on audio case studios. Even with a language barrier in the audios, Gayatri Ma’am patiently translated the parts I could not understand. Ankita Ma’am and Mahasweta Ma’am helped me enter the survey data and understand the intricacies of it.
The case studies helped me understand the difficulties and trauma people face. It helped me recognise my privileges and be grateful for them. I would like to thank Sanjay Sir for always guiding me and Sr. Monika for giving me the opportunity to work in this esteemed institution.
Thank You.
Medha Veronica Thakkur.
25.11 2024.”
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