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>View discussions about this entry Country: India
Organization: Kolkata Sanved
Sector Focus - Civil society
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2004
Project URL: http://www.kolkatasanved.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Kolkata Sanved pioneered Dance Movement Therapy as an alternative approach to recovery, healing & psychosocial rehabilitation for survivors of slavery in South Asia.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - Kolkata Sanved is a pioneer in the use of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) for victims of slavery in South Asia. Most other rehabilitation programs use traditional techniques such as handicraft making and hairdressing. Kolkata Sanved has developed specialized techniques that establish Dance and Movement as an alternative form to traditional counselling. Many victims formerly refused to sit with counselors and talk about their feelings and problems. Through our process participants slowly break down the emotional walls that have kept back their feelings of fear, sadness, anger, hate, peace and joy for so many years. Our program leads to body-mind coordination, peer bonding, mutual support and growth emotionally, physically and socially. DMT creates a holistic approach by building positive attitudes and body image among participants of its program, which other trypes of rehabilitation problems are unable to accomplish. It also includes capacity building of trainers as well as professional development of participants. Capacity building will raise leaders and trainers in this field providing an alternative livelihood option.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - •Regular DMT classes- with women and children in shelter homes, railway platforms, mental hospitals, Domestic workers, red-light areas, HIV/AIDS patients
•Training Of Trainer program- Training of 12 women to learn about the Dance Therapy to become future DMT trainers •Workshops- workshop based programmes in community organizations, one of the main areas reporting high amounts of trafficking, regional workshops on DMT with people from Nepal and Bangladesh •Awareness and Advocacy about trafficking through performances and round table discussions on using DMT with victims How do you plan to grow your innovation? - After successfully implementing DMT in India, we are trying to expand our innovative rehabilitation techniques to other parts of South Asia, particularly in Nepal and Bangladesh. We have been working with partner institutions in both of these countries through on-site workshops on DMT as well as regional workshops, bringing together participants from India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Plans are currently underway to set up a Sanved Nepal and Sanved Bangladesh, so that we can spread our innovation using DMT with victims of slavery.
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - We are partnering with 30 organizations in South Asia such as women’s shelter homes and NGOs, organizations working with railway platform children and mental hospitals. These partnerships were established primarily by initiating DMT classes at their institutions. We have also collaborated with international partners through workshops, conferences, and round table discussions. This illustrates that Kolkata Sanved has successfully pioneered Dance Movement Therapy as an alternative livelihood and therapeutic option for rehabilitation for both mainstream and community populations.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Kolkata Sanved’s therapeutic process allows survivors to heal, excel, become empowered, and reclaim their rights in the society, while expressing themselves independently and creatively.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - Since the inception of Kolkata Sanved in 2004, we have served over 7000 women and children who are victims of trafficking.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - •Through Kolkata Sanved’s process, 7 survivors were rehabilitated into mainstream society and now have paid careers as Dance Movement Therapy trainers. 12 women are currently undergoing training to become DMT trainers
•We have documented numerous case studies of how we prevent re-trafficking through one to one interaction and follow-up with survivors •Other organizations have now begun to incorporate DMT into their institutions as well, thanks to our initiative. •Currently, there are over ten institutions on our waiting list for DMT classes.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - Kolkata Sanved works with different populations in slavery- like conditions through regular classes and workshops including red-light area women, youth and children, slum populations, domestic workers, trafficking victims, platform children, and vulnerable populations subject to trafficking.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Kolkata Sanved is financed by grants from Global Fund for Children and UNIFEM. We also receive consultancy fees from the institutions where we implement DMT classes. A small amount of donations are also received every year.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: Annual Budget: September 1, 2007- December 31, 2008: Rs. 2250000 Annual Revenue: April 1 2007- March 31, 2008 : Rs. 769171 Number of staff: 9 What is the potential demand for your innovation? - After several years of struggling we have been able to convince the educational institutions, NGOs and GOs about the therapeutic value of dance movement therapy. And now there is a growing need among the organisations and institutions and they are asking for our support. However, we are unable to provide trainers due to lack of funds. As we mentioned above, we have 10 institutions on the waiting list for DMT classes.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - We are currently in the process of obtaining FCRA which will permit us to receive international funding. We have encountered problems in the past when we have received funding for a project but were unable to have them transferred due to lack of FCRA.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - Kolkata Sanved emerged from a research project that Sohini Chakraborty (Director and Founder of Kolkata Sanved) initiated in 1998 called “Rangeen Sapney”(colourful dreams) which engaged 120 children and women from different centers of Sanlaap (a care home for victims of trafficking) to illustrate how the performing arts can bring about changes among victims and abused children. The success of Rangeen Sapney gave birth to a platform called SANVED in 2002 where the women and children could express themselves through Dance Movement Therapy. With this new establishment Sohini completed creating a dance curriculum, SAMPURNATA ( meaning fulfillment), and received the Ashoka Fellowship in 2003. After the success of the curriculum, SAMPURNATA, she started to share this programme with other psychosocial rehabilitation programmes, NGOs, CBOs and youth, so they too could gain the rewards. On April 29, 2004 Kolkata Sanved was formally registered under the West Bengal Society Act.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - Sohini Chakraborty. Ashoka Fellow. Sociologist. Dance Activist and
Founder Director of Kolkata Sanved. Network Chair of Status & Welfare World Dance Alliance West Bengal Chapter. Sohini uses Dance Movement as an alternative tool for therapy, communication, self-expression, and also rehabilitation for mainstreaming victims of violence and slavery. Sohini has worked in the field developing the Kolkata Sanved model for the last twelve years. Sohini has conducted dance therapy workshops, training of trainer workshops and replication workshops across India and in Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, USA, London. She has represented South Asia three times at the International Dance Therapy Conference organized by the American Dance Therapy Association, USA. Contact Information:
Sohini Chakraborty
Director Kolkata Sanved (NGO) Discussions about this entry
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Saving Lives Through Dance
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Your work sounds very exciting and is extremely necessary. I wholeheartedly support the use of alternative forms of therapy which incorporate creative modes of expression. It is also highly commendable that your process of rehabilitation includes providing work options in this field itself.
Wishing you all the best in your endeavours --
Shuktara Lal
Hello Sohini,
We have newly heard about your work in the US and its important impact on your former students who are now your colleagues and fellow teachers! What an inspirational achievement for all of you. We would be interested to find ways to bring your pioneering methods to our educational and healing institutions too. Your efforts to end slavery and heal its survivors is commendable.
Dr. Cecelia Wambach
Hello Sohini,
I am so impressed with the work you do especially for youth. You have created a new and useful form of expression for vulnerable populations to heal and transform with joy. This is a rare gift for the communities you serve and an inspiration for us here in my country too. Persons whose bodies were abused can return to the body, the place of injury, and heal from there. It makes so much sense. I was very impressed with your groups work in Kolkata and the areas around the city. I saw your group's work with platform children, abused girls, and migrant workers. Not only have you found a way to heal, unique in itself, but you have an organizational skill, management skill, financial skill, whatever that piece is, so that you can run an organization well and handle these administrative issues with skill.
You have also found ways to keep expanding your work and now have entered into government services, I understand. I offer you whatever I can, your work is so valuable for young people.
What is it you need for your next stages of growth and to continue where you are now? What are your dreams for the future? How can we help?
Best wishes, Bobbi Ausubel
Former Chairperson, Boston Conservatory Division of Theater
I feel virtually the same way you do. And I'm also highly interested in your future plans and how to get involved myself. This could really be the start of something big!
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This is a tremendous Job you done. You create the alternative job option for the survivors whom people look at condescendingly. Today they are your organaisational staff and work as a trainer. I respect all of you.
Regards
Srabani
Sohini is great in Kolkata . She is so dedicated in her work that she eats away bondage & dreams harmony.
Falguni Seth
www.indianfloralart.blogspot.com
Hi Sohini,
I am very interested in the use of bodily exercise, sports and movement in the field of social transformation and peace building, since I am currently involved in university projects around this field at the Free University´s Institute for Sport and Integrative Education. I realize that DMT is a psychological tool as much as a sport-related activity, but anyway, I´d like to point you to the recent "Sport for a better world" competition here on cm, which featured quite a lot of projects from India, and some on sport and social transformation you might find interesting. Here are a few places to start with, though you will find more.
Soccer Camps for India´s Dalits
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2566
Hoops for Help (Basketball):
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/4340
Dream Football Program
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/4446
Dancing Shantytowns in Morocco
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/4378
Get Up and Groove (UK)
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/3372
In regard to your project and my interests, I´d like to ask you about your theory of change in this field. What is it about sport and physcial acitivity, you think, that has an impact on people and do these contribute to social change? And how can one best use these effects in an organized way? It´s a big question, I know, but I´d be very interested to hear your thoughts.
Best,
Jasper
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Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Dear Jasper,
Thank you for the information on sports and social transformation.
In response to your question, movement gives liberation in life, and from this liberation you gain the freedom to live a more dynamic and fulfilling life, which ultimately provides a medium for change. Without movement life is stagnant.
One theory of change- how to organize the effects of movement:
Life is a journey or a process which begins from the body in action. This establishes relationships with the surrounding world and gives an individual space to every human being. This leads to the flow of energy which instigates one to communicate and connect with oneself and with the world. This helps to develop the dynamics of life.
I hope this helps you and good luck in all of your future endeavors!
Best,
Sohini Chakraborty
Sohini has done a marvelous job to develop the utilization of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT). Her students are at first timid, nervous, and detached from their bodies. In fact, that's a common condition amongst sexually exploited youth - to disassociate one's body from one's soul in order to justify and cope with the abuse. But through Sohini's program, the youth are able to reconnect body and soul, gaining confidence in themselves and taking control over their lives. It's a beautiful transformation and it's truly an honor to have seen several of the performances!
Thank you for your lovely comment and support!
Dance is such a powerful method of expression; it is great that you have been able to find a way to combine it with healing. You talked about one of your barriers to achieving your impact is that some parents in the small villages are hesitant about allowing their children attend DMT sessions; I was just curious, what is the main reason for this?
I went on to your website and was reading some of the success stories and it was very moving! I am a strong believer in organic medicine such as dance and music for healing. Mitali’s situation is a great example of what the movement of dance can do for somebody.
The way you have also empowered these women by training some of them to be DMT trainers is also commendable. Attitude and image are two things that any woman struggles with, so I can only imagine what that must be like for women who have been subjected to the trafficking culture. You are giving these women tools that are irreplaceable. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors and breaking down your financial barriers while you continue to save lives through dance!!
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MIM, Portland State University
Thank you so much for your comment! In response to your question about why some parents in small villages are hesitant about allowing their children to participate in our DMT classes: One reason is that they are extremely poor, their education and literacy level is very low ( sometimes nill), and they have no access to any outside information. Therefore they have not been exposed to different forms of culture and dance has a negative connotation, as they are mostly familiar with dance in cheap Bollywood films. When we start the DMT process in the community, it takes a long time to motivate and mobilize the community to participate. Once they start noticing the effects of DMT on their children, they are very happy and appreciative to have us working in their community.
I have been fortunate to see Sanved performances including a recent performance in Calcutta on International Dance Day. As Sanved works with some of the same partners we work with (Sanlaap, Apne Aap, ABWU) I have met several of the young women that have moved on to be trainers.
This is a great program that does beautiful work.
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John Berger
The Emancipation Network
http://www.madebysurvivors.com/
We are thankful that you saw our program and have interacted with some of our trainers. Thanks for your support!