From saving girls to training artisans: Kolkata's 'Nexus of Good' showcases inspiring work

An organization works for women’s empowerment, making rural-road savvy ambulances, clean drinking water for people and works against trafficking of women from the teagarden belt of Alipurduar. PRISM, the organization, was instrumental in recently stopping trafficking of 56 young girls, who were lured from the tea-garden belt, for jobs and rescued by police following action by this organization.

Nita Dhar told ET the stories about how post-pandemic, the economy of the teagarden belt of Alipurduar has suffered leading to increased trafficking of women. PRISM works in close coordination with District Magistrate, SDO, CMOH and Gram Panchayats in North Bengal.

KADAM HAAT is another organization which trains artisans and helps them get market access. The organization has already trained 10,000 artisans across the country and has commercialized it. The products are available and the artisans get benefit of the market linkages. Mirnal Jain, young founding member, who is 26, and COO of KADAM HAAT, said that he will make the organization a global brand in next five years and train 30,000 more artisans from all across the country.


Jain said that he sees the artisans as “micro-entrepreneurs” doing handmade work which has become popular nationally.

Anondolok, another organization, works for the homeless and has been serving people for the last 33 years from North 24 Parganas district’s Badu.

These three organizations did the storytelling of empowerment and positive work, as part of a programme of the Kolkata chapter of ‘Nexus of Good’, a concept floated by former IAS Anil Swarup, which promotes positive work and developmental ideas. Swarup believes in building a ‘Nexus of Good’ movement by “identifying, appreciating, propagating and replicating good work”.

Swarup said that taking inspiration from KADAM, the idea can be replicated in other organizations and it can develop as a sustainable model . “KADAM is truly remarkable and the model can work in many other organizations. PRISM is also doing wonderful work while Anondolok was another example of good work.” Kolkata chapter was formed recently and today was second meeting of the chapter of 'Nexus of Good'.