myBagFactory helps: We support the social project Calcutta Rescue in India

For about a year now, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed all of our lives. We have had to accept a number of restrictions and, above all, cannot maintain our social contacts as much as we would like. Believe us, we have moaned and complained about how unpleasant the current situation is on more than one occasion over the past 12 months. But a look outside our little myBagFactory world brought us back down to earth. Because, despite all the circumstances, we are still doing really well. Unfortunately, the pandemic is also threatening many livelihoods in Germany and/or has health impacts on the population. Nevertheless, there are unfortunately numerous countries and people who are struggling with financial, social, and health problems even beyond the pandemic. Day in and day out. Since the end of 2019, we have therefore been supporting a social project in India, Kolata, which we would now like to introduce to you.

K small

Expense

Long -term

Children and the sick

Support and

Daily

Thousand

Make your eyes shine!

This is the mission statement of the Calcutta Rescue Association from Germany. The goal of this non-profit organization is to improve the living conditions of those in need in West Bengal and Kolkata.

But what does that have to do with myBagFactory?

In December 2019, we supported the Calcutta Rescue Association's mother-child project for the first time with a portion of our December sales. Because we believe the association's work and projects are worthwhile, we intend to continue supporting it in the future.

The history and work of the association

Calcutta Rescue Germany has been in existence for over 30 years. However, its story began ten years earlier, in 1979. That year, a British doctor named Dr. Jack Preger began treating the needy on the streets of Kolkata. With his makeshift clinic and his dedication, he inspired other individuals and travelers. Some of them then began supporting Dr. Jack Preger and his outstanding work. In their home countries, such as Germany, France, England, and Canada, the Western travelers conducted public relations work and collected donations. This is the origin of the Calcutta Rescue Association. The non-profit organization was founded in Germany in 1989. Through their entirely voluntary work, the employees pursue the following goal:

“To improve the medical care and living conditions of the needy in Kolkata and West Bengal, and to promote their education and training.”

Incidentally, just last year, Dr. Preger entered his well-deserved retirement at the age of 88, after living and working in the slums of Kolkata for almost 40 years. During this time, he is said to have helped at least half a million people by providing free healthcare and education to the poorest of the poor.

West Bengal and Kolkata

As already mentioned, the Calcutta Rescue Association supports projects in West Bengal and its capital city, Kolkata. West Bengal is a federal state in India. With more than 1.2 billion inhabitants, India is a country with a very large population. Even though the upper class is growing in India, there are more than 800 million people here who have to live on less than the equivalent of 1.80 euros a day. This is also evident in the city of Kolkata, which, although known as the cultural capital of India, is characterized by many poor areas, the so-called slums. The high number of poor and needy people is a major problem for the country. Politics and the economy are failing to help all the poor, provide medical care, and educate them. This is precisely where the commitment of Calcutta Rescue comes in. They help the most socially disadvantaged, regardless of gender, religion, or caste.

But why do we support a project in this particular city? Many of the beautiful MyBagFactory bags are manufactured by our producer in a factory in Kolkata. When manufacturing all our products, we naturally ensure good working conditions in the factories and fair pay for our workers. During our many visits to the producer in Kolkata, we also see the many people in need in this Indian city and have therefore set ourselves the goal of helping the people of this city, where so many of our handmade leather goods come from.

The Mother Child Project

Since India is the birthplace of our beautiful leather bags, we want to give something back to the country. Last year, we decided to donate to the Calcutta Rescue Organization. We then supported the organization's mother-child program, as this issue is particularly close to our hearts. Due to the poor medical care throughout the country, the care of pregnant women and children is particularly important in India. In India, the number of mothers who die during childbirth is 20 times higher than in Germany, and while only 3 children per 1,000 births die here, the infant mortality rate there is 11 times higher.

This is precisely where Calcutta Rescue's mother-child program aims to help. Doctors, midwives, and a health assistant provide care for pregnant women, mothers, and newborns as part of this project. This includes counseling for mothers during pregnancy, care during childbirth, and support afterward. There is also a feeding program for malnourished infants whose mothers are unable to breastfeed or have died. Therefore, with the help of donations, CR aims to provide prenatal care for pregnant women in need and enable delivery of the babies in a hospital, so that both mother and child survive the birth in good health.

We want to continue supporting Calcutta Rescue and especially the mother-child program, because as an Indian proverb says:

A child without a mother is a flower without rain.

Your myBagFactory team