What We Do

🎬 Media Magic: Prayasam Visual Basics, our media wing, trains young minds to create films, documentaries, and public service announcements that inspire change. If you’re passionate about filmmaking, this is where you shine!
🌟 Empowering Youth: We believe in turning young people into leaders. Our programs in Salt Lake and across Kolkata equip them with skills to lead projects, solve problems, and build better communities.
🌍 Social Impact: From gender equality to health awareness, we tackle big issues with bold ideas.

Why Join Us?

Because change is cooler when you’re part of it! Whether you want to learn new skills, express yourself, or just make the world a better place, Prayasam is where you can make it happen.

Be Part of the Movement!

Ready to jump in? We’ve got workshops, training programs, and a vibrant community waiting for you. Whether you’re into filmmaking, activism, or just want to try something new, there’s a spot for you at Prayasam.

So, what are you waiting for? Join the Prayasam family today and let’s create something amazing together!

Prayasam – Dream Big. Do Bigger.

Why We Are Making Young Entrepreneurs

We focus on serving the youth living in urban slums and marginalized communities, enabling them to become entrepreneurs and transform their lives.

Empowering Youth: The youth in urban slums often face limited opportunities. By nurturing entrepreneurial skills, we help them achieve self-reliance, financial independence, and foster innovation to overcome their challenging circumstances.
Job Creation: Supporting young entrepreneurs in marginalized communities empowers them to create jobs not only for themselves but also for others, addressing local unemployment and contributing to the community’s economic upliftment.
Fostering Innovation: Youth in these communities possess untapped potential and fresh ideas. Entrepreneurship equips them to develop innovative solutions to address pressing social and economic challenges in their environment.
Breaking Cycles of Poverty: Entrepreneurship provides a sustainable path out of poverty for these youth, offering them a chance to uplift themselves and create better futures for their families and communities.
Promoting Inclusive Growth: By empowering youth from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, we ensure equitable opportunities and foster growth that includes even the most marginalized sections of society.
Reducing Migration: Providing livelihood opportunities within urban slums and semi-urban areas curbs the need for migration, allowing youth to thrive in their local communities and strengthen their neighborhoods.

Through entrepreneurship, we aim to transform the potential of young individuals in urban slums into a driving force for personal and community development.

The Socio-Economic Condition in India

As we cater to the urban slums and marginalized population, the following socio-economic challenges shape the lives of the communities we serve:

Population Pressure: With a population of 1.4 billion, India faces significant challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and limited access to quality education and healthcare—issues that are especially acute in urban slums.
Youth Demographic: Over 65% of the population is under 35, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge. While this demographic offers potential, the lack of job opportunities disproportionately impacts marginalized youth.
Urban Disparities: In urban areas, the divide between privileged and underprivileged communities is stark. People in slums often face inadequate access to basic resources, education, and employment, further widening the gap.
Uneven Economic Growth: Despite India’s rapid economic growth, its benefits fail to trickle down to the urban poor, leaving many communities struggling to meet their basic needs.
Skill Deficiency: Many youth in marginalized communities lack the employable skills necessary to secure decent jobs, limiting their ability to break free from poverty.
Barriers to Entrepreneurship: While there is growing interest in entrepreneurship, youth in urban slums face obstacles like limited access to funding, mentorship, and infrastructure, hindering their ability to capitalize on their ideas and talents.

Addressing these challenges requires targeted efforts to uplift the marginalized population, bridge resource gaps, and create opportunities for sustainable growth. Through our initiatives, we aim to empower these communities and unlock their potential.

Supporting Young Talent Through Enterprises

To empower the youth from urban slums and marginalized communities, we have launched initiatives that not only teach entrepreneurship but also enable young individuals to earn an income to support their families. Below are some examples of our impactful enterprises:

Prasaad

Community Kitchen Initiative
Prasaad addresses youth unemployment and unemployability in Kolkata’s marginalized communities by combining vocational training with employment opportunities.

Impact: Provides low-cost, hygienic food while equipping adolescents with life and soft skills to pursue higher education or launch their ventures.
Aligned Goals: Supports UN Sustainable Development Goals by enhancing employability and skill development.
Scope: Prasaad, now in its sixth year, serves communities in Salt Lake City and Rajarhat Newtown. Expansion plans include transforming a terrace into a café to train and employ more youth.
Skill Development: Training includes hospitality, nutrition, hygiene, and leadership, enabling youth to handle marketing, production, and management under the ‘Earn while you Learn’ project.
Community Impact: Reduces school dropout rates, promotes healthy eating habits, and offers adolescent girls leadership and entrepreneurship training.

Prayasam Visual Basics (P.V.B.)

Creative Media Training Hub
Prayasam Visual Basics nurtures young talent interested in photography, cinematography, scriptwriting, and audio capturing.

Training: Equips youth with technical and creative skills to excel in media production.
Opportunities: Facilitates freelancing opportunities, enabling participants to work on documentaries for corporates and individuals.
Sustainability: Prepares youth to become self-reliant by combining training with hands-on experience in live projects.

Duo Ranir Sansar (D.R.S.)

Material Bank for Upcycling and Livelihood Creation
Duo Ranir Sansar is a unique initiative located in Kolkata that transforms waste into opportunities for marginalized communities.

Upcycling for Sustainability: Converts discarded items like clothes and furniture into functional products, reducing environmental impact.
Skill Building: Offers workshops for women to master traditional techniques like Patchwork and Kantha stitching, turning fabric scraps into exquisite textiles.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Guides youth in communication, design, and business, nurturing their potential to launch sustainable ventures.
Community Empowerment: Encourages creativity and cultural heritage expression while fostering pride and ownership within marginalized communities.
Environmental Advocacy: Promotes upcycled products, advocating for sustainability and responsible consumption.

These enterprises showcase how we are actively shaping the futures of young individuals in marginalized communities, helping them overcome challenges and creating pathways to a brighter, more sustainable future.

Prayasam

The Best NGO in Kolkata for Media and Social Change!

Looking for an NGO in West Bengal that’s making waves in empowering youth and creating real change?

You’ve found us!

Based in Salt Lake, Kolkata, Prayasam is where young leaders are born, big ideas come to life, and communities thrive.

Why Prayasam?