Organisational Background
DiSHAN was established in 2005 by six like-minded, educated men and women from Bhubannagar village, under Kakdwip Block of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. The initiative began with the aim of alleviating the suffering of disadvantaged groups and communities, particularly women, in the region.
Currently, DiSHAN operate in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal, based in Haldia, West Bengal. Since its inception, the organisation has implemented various community development programmes with the active participation of local people. The focus has been on both spiritual and economic empowerment of weaker sections of society, especially women, as well as SC/ST/OBC/Minority communities, school dropouts, and adolescent boys and girls who are often neglected by mainstream development efforts.
From its early days, DiSHAN has moved from providing mere welfare services to fostering sustainable development through participatory processes. This transformation was supported by the Society for Participatory Action and Reflection (SPAR), a Kolkata-based national-level organisation pioneering participatory planning in Eastern India. SPAR’s conceptual and financial assistance helped DiSHAN establish a strong foundation in its operational areas.
Our work is guided by a commitment to poverty eradication, livelihood security, improved healthcare—particularly reproductive, maternal, and child health—education, child rights, vocational training, water conservation, and environmental protection. Development initiatives are centred on the socio-economic empowerment of underprivileged rural women through access to credit, capacity development, savings mobilisation, institution building, and awareness raising.
Over the years, DiSHAN has received cooperation and support from various government and non-government agencies for capacity building, technical inputs, and funding to successfully implement its activities.