Education  Socio-Economic  Healthcare  Rehabilitation

FIRST STAGE : 1996 - 1998 : ASHRAM FORMATION . . . .

SECOND STAGE : 1999 - 2000 : REHABILITATION . . . .

THIRD STAGE : 2001 - 2002 : BIRTH CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF SWAMI BHUTESHANANDA JI MAHARAJ . . . .

FINAL STAGE NOW : from 2003 . . . DEVELOPMENT OF SOMSAR VILLAGE

Main motto of Somsar Sri Ramakrishna Seva Mandira is comprehensive development of villages pursuing ideology of Sri Ramakrishna - Swami Vivekananda. Future plans and programmes of Seva Mandira have been thought of with two distictive features - work related to Ashrama which need immediate attention and two, different long planned projects. Under the first category, rehabilitation projects taken up earlier have been completed. Now, it is the time to consolidate the master plan inside the Ashrama premises bringing about self-sustainance, like cleaning the ponds and water bodies, beautify them etc., so that a serene atmosphere prevails over the Ashrama.

The following future programmes are on the priority list :

SWAMI BHUTESHANANDA CHARITABLE DISPENSARY :

An area which remained a matter of great concern is snakebites. It is quite painful that every year about 2 to 3 children die in the village owing to snakebites. Health Centres do not keep anti-venom. The nearest town where casualties can be taken is Burdwan which is a good 25 kms. Bankura if farther down - around 40 kms. That too there isn't any guarantee that anti-venom will be available. The next option is Kolkata. Carrying a patient to Kolkata takes a good 3 and half to 4 hours by road. So, it isn't feasible most of the time.

Treatment of snakebites through anti venom treatment was a primary area of focus when Swami Bhuteshananda Centenary Dispensary was planned during the Centenary Year of most revered Maharaj in 2001. The Foundation Stone was formally laid down by Swami Smaranananda ji Maharaj on July 30, 2006.

When completed, this two-story building shall provide enough space for waiting patients, doctors' chamber and dispensary. In the first floor there shall be accomodation for lodging of a doctor and a compounder. Here anti-venom medicines for use in snake bite cases shall be properly preserved and when necessary shall be applied to patients with the help of a doctor. This is going to meet a long-standing need of the area.

It was contemplated that the Dispensary shall be in operation by 2008 but at present work is lying unfinished owing to paucity of funds.

PRIMARY SCHOOL :

Sri Ramakrishna Seva Mandir tries imparting values which are so important nowadays. It is a constant lookout that children here are exposed to value education from a tender age and this makes the two schools stand apart from any other school in the area. The children after reaching 6 years of age move to other primary schools. Unfortunately, thereafter the same stress isn't laid on value education any more. Whatever they had retained is gradually eroded away in most of the cases.

It is rather interesting that parents feel the need of imbibing moral values in their children and are appealing if a primary school can be started by Seva Mandir. The Seva Mandira too feels if the village children can be looked after upto a stage where they can be given a good basic education as well as they are able to retain the values taught even after they pass out, it shall be a service to the village unparallel.

For this a Primary School upto class 4 has been planned to be constructed on the space at the southern side of the Ashrama campus.

The planned institution shall be a one-storeyed one initially with a L shaped building. It shall consist of 4 classrooms and 1 teachers' room. later on, it is a wish to keep some poor children of the village as residential students, children, parents of whom find it difficult to make both ends meet and so cannot maintain them at home.

Also, there is the utmost need to upkeep and maintain the Sri Ramakrishna Temple which is the spiritual hub of the villages. The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology flows directly from the temple.

Today, we see Ramakrishna-Vivekananda spiritual waves sweeping across the world and we here, at Somsar, is a part of that huge campaign. It is our utmost desire to ensure spiritual development along with the fulfillment of the basic needs of the villageers of Somsar and the adjoining areas. Our endeavour may look very humble at this stage though we have advanced in our goal with enthusiasm and inspiration received from all. We pray to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda so that with their blessings, we can move on the right track to fulfil our objectives and and doing so can dedicate our lives for the noble cause.