Tag: Ratan

shuktara homes

Kate Barton visits shuktara

Posted on by shuktara

On Saturday morning 23rd November our friend Kate Barton landed in Kolkata.

She spent 24 hours at shuktara and it was a wonderful day.

Most importantly Kate spent the afternoon at Lula Bari – named in memory of her friend Lula Gibson.

She made some great heart connections in both Lula Bari and Anna Bari, our boys home and in the evening she returned again to see the girls with a delivery of pizza that she organised for everyone at shuktara.

shuktara

Vishwakarma Puja

Posted on by shuktara

Vishwakarma is considered to be the divine architect and creator of the world. On this day workers ask him to bless their tools (from a simple hammer to a more complex machine like a computer) and give them safe working conditions, success in their work and a better future.

At shuktara this is usually a small celebration however this year Sunil decided that the statue representing Vishwakarma could be bigger. You can see Sunil in the first video below joyfully banging with a pair of scissors during the ceremony to honour Vishwakarma.

Shuktara Documentary Interview video - Belinda, Ashok and Lali

Belinda speaks about shuktara

Posted on by shuktara

Belinda Carlisle has been a longtime supporter of shuktara and she is a frequent visitor to both homes in Kolkata. While in Atlanta she kindly gave some of her time to Yep! Films International and talked about her experiences with shuktara.

To help support the new shuktara documentary click here:

www.gofundme.com/shuktarafilm

shuktara homes for young people with disabilities

Shuktara documentary update

Posted on by shuktara

In October Phoebe Brown and the film crew from Atlanta will be headed back to Kolkata to continue shooting the new documentary. From Phoebe's GoFundMe page:

"As I've been working on this edit - I had the chance to pull up some great field photos and was reminded again (as if I needed reminding!) how special everyone at shuktara is. I want to give a special shout out to Pappu - whose spirit just shines in these images. Not only is he just a genuinely wonderful human being, but he puts up with our 1 million questions, translates both Bengali and sign language, helps us lug gear, gets us places we need to go....all while making sure the day to day of running shuktara is smooth. I hate that we have to work you overtime when we visit but I can't wait to do it again!"

Pappu is an extraordinary and inspiring person - his deep commitment to shuktara is obvious in these photos. To see the latest news about the documentary or to help support this amazing film please click here:

www.gofundme.com/shuktarafilm

shuktara homes for young people with disabilities

Shuktara holiday in Mandarmani

Posted on by shuktara

Last weekend everyone at shuktara went on a seaside holiday to Mandarmani. Many thanks to Sanjib who made this wonderful event happen!

shuktara home for young people with disability - Subhash

Wheels on fire!

Posted on by shuktara

We often think of Sanjib Shaw as one of shuktara's angels.

Sanjib decided to take everyone from shuktara on holiday however for a few of our less mobile young people this is not easy. Not one to let a small issue like limited mobility stop him Sanjib and a group of his friends decided to donate six new wheelchairs to shuktara.

We are overwhelmed by their generosity and wish to thank Sanjib and his wonderful group of friends. We know that everyone will be able to enjoy their holiday and promise to post photos soon!

shuktara homes for disabled young people

Update on the documentary

Posted on by shuktara

Phoebe (one of the filmmakers) says:
"I wanted to share this small bit of video that didn't make the trailer cut -- because the sentiment is very important to David and also to us as filmmakers...

On this next trip, cameras will be shared and I'm working on ideas that will allow the kids who don't have the motor control to hold a camera to shoot differently. Or to let that movement be part of the making. The shuktara community's eyes are as important - if not more important than - our eyes."

To be part of this amazing documentary about shuktara please click here:

https://www.gofundme.com/shuktarafilm

"True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity.

False charity constrains the fearful and subdued, the 'rejects of life' to extend their trembling hands.

True generosity lies in striving so that these hands — whether of individuals or entire peoples — need be extended less and less in supplication, so that more and more they become human hands which work and, working, transform the world."

Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

shuktara homes for young people with disability

A documentary on shuktara

Posted on by shuktara

Filmmakers Phoebe Brown and Elizabeth Strickler were in Kolkata working on a video training programme for girls called The Cross Stitch Project when they first came across shuktara and began to think about making a documentary.

In August last year cinematographer Raegan Hodge came here to shoot some footage for this documentary. What she shot has been edited and is here for you to see. Phoebe and Raegan would like to come back and continue filming this Spring. Please take a look and see if you can be part of it by supporting their journey in the making of this documentary.

Please take a look - this is what Phoebe said about shuktara:

"We want to make this film because shuktara is home to an amazing group of young people - wonderful, glowing and complex young people - who have rich, full lives - because they have love, attention and care in their lives."

This is their story:

https://www.gofundme.com/shuktarafilm