Our Story
Founded by the Late Shri Sanjay Kumar Mahato (alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Purulia),
PAF began with a local man and his family, and their big hearts, who saw a need to support the poor communities around them.
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Sanjay's father left him with a legacy of responsibility to those less fortunate around him.
His own interest in local culture and work with foreign academics led him to become well acquainted with people in great need of support.
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Shivanii Cameron, a visiting academic from Australia, worked with Sanjay on research projects including with a nearby village of snake charmers, and agreed that something ought to be done to improve the lives of these people.
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All they had in the beginning was some farmland, an old red van, and the idea of improving the wellbeing of people around them.
At this time the need to provide this community with continued support was recognized, and a school was formed.
Local children here do not receive sufficient education at the government schools, so PAF endeavored to start a supplementary morning school to help them succeed. They found a way to provide transportation for the children and found teachers willing to help the cause. In these early days the school consisted of a chalkboard in a field!
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Some time later a young woman was pregnant and urgently needed to reach the hospital. This was the first time that PAF's old red van was used as an ambulance! The woman was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, the woman died. The baby survived. But the family did not know what to do with the extra mouth to feed.
That's when Sanjay's family opened the doors of their home to start PAF's youth hostel.
Over the years they were able to make more buildings and welcome many children into their care.
Many children have benefited from the hostel. This year one of our students is starting his higher education, the first of our graduates to do so!
Today there is a hostel, a supplementary morning school for up to 150 children, library, and on demand computer and sewing classes.
They also started a weekly free medical center in order for those in local villages to attend to their basic health needs.
Sanjay's original interest was in local culture, so he brought artists to the school and arranged for ongoing cultural programs.
This created some income for local artists, and passion within the students for their heritage.
They also began to assist in the welfare of leprosy-affected people in a nearby village.
This community was often neglected or avoided by outsiders due to the misconception that Leprosy is contagious. Prabhatalloi has progressively taken responsibility for the village's well-being, helping to ensure the government aid is able to reach them, and ensuring they can live in safety and dignity without worrying about food scarcity or medical emergencies.
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Our story continues every day.
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