Chaitali das

Chaitali das
Chaitali Das.jpg
Born	CHAITALI DAS 1971/04/14 KOLKATA
🏡 Residence	KOLKATA
🏳️ Nationality	INDIAN
🏳️ Citizenship	INDIAN
💼 Occupation	Social Entrepreneur
📆 Years active	1991- present
🏢 Organisation	RAKSHAK FOUNDATION
Known for	Philanthropy and social work
Works	Skill development, Women empowerment and sustainable environment.
🏡 Home town	Kolkata
🌐 Website	https://www.rakshakfoundation.in/
👍 Facebook	ChaitaiD/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Chaitali Das, Social Entrepreneur – Skill Development & Managing Trustee of Rakshak Foundation works relentlessly for rural women and youth of West Bengal and those from poor socio-economic background in urban areas. She has championed the causes of gender equality, women empowerment, targeting inclusive society, improved education and healthcare for neglected children raised on the streets and slums, working to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

She is spearheading Rakshak Foundation, a reputed steadily growing Non-Governmental Organization in Kolkata. She has been contributing reforming measures, working closely with the Directorate of Prison in the Correctional Homes in West Bengal with the inmates of correctional homes, providing skill development, placement and rehabilitation for them.

She wants to establish proper backward and forward linkages, to allow women inmates of Correctional Homes of West Bengal to leverage their skills for better livelihood prospects. Not only does this initiative seeks to enhance livelihood opportunities, but also foster the revival of Jute- The Golden Fibre of Bengal and promote it as a fashion statement.

She holds various capacities :  

• Managing Trustee, Rakshak Foundation.
• Director at Rakshak Subidha Private Limited
• Assistant Governor, Vocational Training Rotary International, District 3291
• Charter President of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Millennium, Rotary International District 3291
• President of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Millennium, Rotary International District 3291
• Board of Directors at Indo-Canadian Business Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata.
• Chairperson, Skill & Empowerment Committee, MCC Chamber of Commerce, MCCI Ladies Forum.
• Fortune/ US State Department Alumnae
• Her work has earned her recognition in various prestigious National and International forums. 

International and National Recognition :

ICC Economique covered Ms. Chaitali Das's initiative of Green Inclusive World Beyond Border. Ms Das was nominated by H.E MA Zhanwu, Consulate General of The People's Republic of China, to lead a 5 member delegation to China during 20th to 26th May, 2018.

• Winner of Title and Crown AFT Mrs. International Classic 2018
• She is the proud recipient of ‘Exceptional Women of Excellence’ Award, Women Economic Forum 18 Award held in Hague, Netherlands, March 8th, 2018.
• Fortune/U.S. State Department Alumnus
• Won the crown AFT Mrs International Classic 2018 at AFT MISS & MRS International Pageant held in Atlantis, Dubai on 25th November 2018.

• Recipient of prestigious “Social Entrepreneur Of the year Award 2018” by  eMERGE - a Association for Women in Technology, Business, Profession & Service, supported by the Karnataka State Government and MSME, Government of India at The International
•  Business Convention Of Women Entrepreneurs, held at LaliT ASOKE, Bangaluru, on 23rd August 2018.
•  Rakshak Subidha Private Limited won CSR Implementing Partner Award in the category of Best CSR Project at the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2018 organized by UBS Forum in Mumbai on 28^th November 2018.
•  Rakshak Foundation, CSR implementing partner of Rakshak Group has bagged '5th CSR Impact Awards' in the category of Skill Development in The largest CSR Summit Of India, having a gathering of 3000 NGOs and Corporate, India CSR Summit 2018, J.W.Marriott, Aerocity New Delhi.

•  She was felicitated by Princess of Baroda Her Royal Highness, Asharaje Gaekwad and Dr. Harbeen Arora, the Global Chairperson, Women Economic Forum at the Mega Marquee Annual Women Economic Forum 18, in Delhi in April 2018.
• Recipient of VLCC National Empowering Women Award 2018.
•  Recipient of ‘Rotary Outstanding President Award’ as the President of Rotary Club of Calcutta Millennium from Janab Firhad Hakim, Hon’ble Minister, Urban Development & Municipal Affairs, GoWB in Rotary District Award Ceremony 2017-18, Rotary International District -  3291, June 2018. Under her Presidentship Rotary Club of Calcutta Millennium won District Governor’s Citation ‘ Excellent performance Club Award’, Outstanding Project Award, Best International and Best Vocational Award’.
•   Great Asia Woman Achievers Award from Great Asia magazine in Delhi: 12 August 2017.
• “Wonder Woman” -Individual Rotarian  Category by Rotary International District 3291: July 2017
•  Recipient of Udaan Empowering Women Award, 2016.
• Proud recipient of ‘Iconic Woman in Business and Globalization by Women Economic Forum, in Delhi, INDIA in 2016.

Overseas Representation :

• Ms. Chaitali Das represented Rakshak Group from India accompanying His Excellency, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, during 4th-8th September 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria and Prague, Czech Republic.

• Ms. Chaitali Das has been nominated by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China to lead a Prestigious Delegation of 5 members team to China. It was a remarkable initiative of novel Social Development targeting Inclusive World, healthy

environment, waste management and women empowerment beyond boundaries between India and China initiated by H.E. Ma Zhanwu, Consul General, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Kolkata with an aim to give a new direction to the collaborative partnership between the two countries promoting the thought of green economy and inclusive world. The delegation visited two cities Kunming and Shanghai during their stay in China. The team visited the Waste Treatment Plant, (converting waste to energy Plant) & Small Poverty Alleviation Project of Yunnan Environmental Protection Department, met with the senior women leaders of Women Entrepreneurship Development, International Innovation Center Kunming Federation of Women, visited the Organic farm, Kunming, Shanghai Women’s Federation, Vulnerable Women Employment and Poverty Alleviation Project, Shanghai Garbage Treatment Plant etc.

Chaitali Das Winner of Title and Crown AFT Mrs. International Classic, 2018.

• She has also been nominated by the US Embassy in Kolkata to participate in Fortune/US State Department Global Women Mentoring Partnership Programme in 2017, sponsored by US State Department, a one month programme in Washington DC & New York. The program was meant to bring over 280 emerging international businesswomen from 55 countries and territories to the United States and connect them with influential American women leaders, introduce them to the best practices of the mentor companies and enhance their business and leadership abilities through a four-week mentoring program.

• Further she was chosen by the U.S. State Department to participate in the Fortune/International Alumnae Components Programme 2017 in Kathmandu.
• She represented Kolkata as the Board of Director of Indo-Canadian Business Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata, Indian Business Delegation team to Canada 150 Business Mission
• Participated in ‘SAARC Trade Fair’, Colombo, Sri Lanka 2017 and International Exhibition BIMSTEC EXPO 2017 (Seven Countries), in Kolkata as a Social Entrepreneur.

She has been a speaker in various prestigious National and International Forums –

• ·        “Istanbul Summit 2016” on Gender Equality, Thailand.
• ·        National Seminar on Women Empowerment ‘Jaagruti’ by LSG and Indian Chamber of Commerce.
• ·        International Seminar on Clean Water and Sanitation by W.B. Federation of United Nation’s Associations in Kolkata upon India-Bangladesh exploring new avenues
• ·        Participated in the South Asia Rotary International Literacy Summit.
• ·        Participated in Presidential Luncheon at Rotary International Convention, Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, USA June 2017.

She targets to empower lives behind bars through skill development, rehabilitation, inculcating

courage, confidence, uplifting the moral value to reintegrate them back into society, including social awareness and acceptance.

Rakshak Foundation, implementing partner of Rakshak Group bagged 5th CSR Impact Awards in the category of Skill Development in The Largest CSR Summit of India, having a gathering of 3000 NGOs and corporates, India CSR Summit 2018 in New Delhi.

Her foundation in association with the Directorate of Correctional Services, Government of West Bengal, initiated the project ‘Jute Story Beyond Bars’ aiming to provide and facilitate skill development to the women inmates of Correctional Homes in West Bengal, that engages them with creativity and scaling up the skill which will help them to get back to the mainstream with livelihood opportunity after their release. Under this project inmates of correctional homes are trained to make various artefacts and utility items of international quality and standard – using Jute which is bio-degradable and environment friendly. This initiative is meant to harness creativity, engaging the artisans and empowering lives while conserving the environment.

Her foundation is creating small and micro women entrepreneurs. An exemplary step of transformation and empowerment is rehabilitating a 32 year old young woman Lovely Adhikari who is a former Inmate from Women Correctional Home and who is now given the responsibility to supervise the Jute Products crafting and manufacturing unit at Dum Dum Correctional Home, named “Jute Story Beyond Bars”.

“Jute Story Beyond Bars is just one year old and it gives the prison inmates a sense of freedom. It helps to channelize their energy in a positive direction” - also it is a step to give them a new identity.

Her vision is to expand the programme of imparting training to other correctional homes in India with a team of trainers.

·        The aim of such training and work programme would be to equip inmates with better skills and work habits for their rehabilitation.

·        Promoting Green revolution beyond Bars, harnessing Jute, the Golden Fiber of West Bengal all over India and in the world.

·        To scale up Jute, at par, with Khadi and Linen, to promote using “Jute Story Beyond Bars” products as a fashion statement spreading more awareness across India and the Globe.

Besides the above creative endeavours, she has also successfully set up and run courses on Spoken English and Personality Development amongst the inmates so that upon release these inmates have recourse to employment. She has also accomplished setting up of a Leather Training unit and an Apparel making unit collaborating with Designer Farheen Raheman along with her team members.

Under Srishti Rakshak (Art, Culture & Creativity), Ms. Das, through her Foundation, has started imparting painting training to the mother inmates along with their children to express their thoughts and invoke their innate creativity with an idea that once a prisoner is released, they can make a livelihood through the skills they've acquired if they choose to. She has also promoted Stone Carving for the jail inmates in Kolkata and Purulia, West Bengal.

Her foundation provides regular Homeopathy treatment assistance to Inmates in correctional homes. She also renders Art and Painting Training for the mother inmates along with their children to express their thoughts and invoke their innate creativity.

Media coverage of the launch of Jute Story Beyond Bars

Yet another of her many initiatives is to run two Child development Centres with Kolkata Police- NABADISHA Child Development Centre at Tollygunge and Ekbalpore, Kolkata. The purpose is to make education and health care accessible and school education an enjoyable aspect for street and working children, who are either absolutely illiterate or are drop-outs.

Her Foundation provides education to these children up to a certain level and when they become competent enough, they would be mainstreamed and sent to Government Schools.

Considering the fact that there is urgent need in the society to make our young generation strong, both mentally and physically, to cope with situations like child abuse especially where a girl is subjected to assaults, in addition to studies, these children are encouraged to take up sports, vocational training in handicrafts, theatre, art, drama etc which will help them to build their mentality making them mentally strong. These children are trained in making paper bags from newspaper- another project of Rakshak using reusable things. The initiative ‘earning while learning will help these children to learn self-respect and earn to survive instead of begging. When these children will become adult they will help their juniors to grow in life. In association with Rotary Club of Calcutta MILLENNIUM and supported by Consulate General of China in Kolkata, Ms. Das  has established ‘New Horizon Art & Cultural Centre’ for Slum Children and ‘New Horizon Computer Training Centre’ for youth and women from low-income households.

Inauguration of Jute Story Beyond Bars Boat at The Patuli Floating Market Kolkata.

About Rakshak Foundation

Rakshak Foundation is a reputed steadily growing Non-Governmental Organization. It is based in Kolkata, West Bengal. This organization is headed by Social Entrepreneur Ms. Chaitali Das funded by The Rakshak Group. The Aim of the Foundation is to empower lives by imparting skill development and by fostering a greener environment, with a primary focus on women empowerment, in its modest attempt to create an impartial and just society.

Rakshak Foundation has the privilege of having meaningfully impacted over 15,000 lives till March 2018 and a target to reach out to 100,000 underprivileged individuals from disadvantaged and depressed backgrounds through our various projects by 2025.

It is registered under MSME, Section 80G and 12A Income Tax Exemption, NITI Aayog and NGO Darpan. It has obtained the Import Export Code. It is empanelled with the National Jute Board (NJB) and Paschim Banga Society for Skill Development (PBSSD). CRISIL gradation and FCRA registration is underway.

Media coverage of Rakshak Foundation's Panel Discussion on Women Inspiring Women from Adversity to Empowerment

Rakshak Foundation, CSR implementing partner of Rakshak Group has bagged 5th CSR Impact Awards' in the category of Skill Development in The largest CSR Summit Of India, having a gathering of 3000 NGOs and Corporate , India CSR Summit 2018, J.W.Marriott, Aerocity New Delhi.

Website : www.rakshakfoundation.in

REFERENCES:

Media Coverage of Aitijhya- a first of its kind painting exhibition my the artists in confinement to commemorate World Heritage Week.

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    MS Chaitali Das Winner of Title and Crown AFT Mrs international Classic 2018

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