A brief profile
Rehnuma e Niswaan (REN meaning “Guide for women”) is a registered NGO formed in the year 2000-01. It was the brainchild of Secretary Ms. Tabassum Siddiqua, who being exposed to the extreme vulnerability of women was moved to improve their socio-economic, health, hygiene and educational conditions and consequently create employment opportunities of the women in the surroundings.
Initially, REN restricted itself mainly to conducting educational and vocational training workshops for girls and older women, the primary focus being to create employment opportunities and a certain degree of financial independence for the women.
Over the years however, during mass interaction with women and students from different linguistic and social backgrounds it dawned that the biggest hurdle in improving their lot was the near total lack of education particularly at the primary and secondary levels.
Thus, over the years REN has evolved into an organization serving the socially and economically disadvantaged sections of primary to secondary school students by supplementing the existing school curricula with non-formal education. It aims at providing students particularly from the minority and marginalized sections, opportunities for learning through modern teaching techniques as participative and experiential learning, group activity based learning, providing personality development and leadership training, learning through understanding, knowledge based activities, soft skills and communication techniques, vocational training etc. Different programmes and activities are conducted in various schools (both intra and inter) for achieving the above mentioned objectives. Till last year REN’s activities have covered 54 schools in West Bengal including districts and approx.; more than 16,000 students have benefitted from the programmes conducted.
This is done through our in-house team of highly experienced, committed and qualified members – all professionals from diverse fields as education, engineering, computer sciences, medical sciences, chartered accountancy, banking industry, civil services etc. The focus being to not only making the students independent and aware citizens in their own right, but importantly serving as an inspiration and becoming catalysts and change agents for thousands of other similar needy students and elders in their own neighborhoods and consequently immensely benefitting society at large.