“Refusing to give in to intimidation”: Sean Duggan on Calcutta Rescue, By Zara Mirza

Sean Duggan, a member of the charity, explains how Dr. Jack Preger, the man regarded as “the father of street medicine,” was able to build a charity that saved lives: “he had already worked for a number of years in Bangladesh treating refugees from the civil war there. Many of the refugees had fled over the border to Kolkata, so it was a natural step to start caring for them there. At the time, there were over a million people living on the streets of the city. From health-care the charity branched out into education and providing employment opportunities.” Preger lived for almost half a century in a slum and only retired at the age of 89. His work has inspired organisations around the globe, helping form the charity’s international approach “to collaborate whenever possible with other organisations who share the same goals and are working in the same geographical areas,” continuing Preger’s work.

Duggan joined the charity in 1991. Relating how he got involved while travelling in India, he says: “some of the suffering that I witnessed at that time, and the excellent work being done by Calcutta Rescue under the most demanding of conditions meant that I bonded strongly with the organisation and its ethos. It was also a place where I could make a positive contribution even though I had no medical skills.” Duggan started out washing medicine bottles and handing out medicines with the aid of an interpreter before moving on to roles more suited to him, describing how he “used (his) skills as a journalist to edit a newsletter, and then to coordinate communications with support groups around the world and help raise money to fund the charity.” Duggan finds his work “fascinating and very satisfying,” saying “I love working with the team in Kolkata and also with other volunteers from around the world – many of whom I have known for decades. There is a tremendous sense of camaraderie and shared commitment which is very motivating.”

At first glance, humanitarian roles like Duggan’s may seem par for the course in a charity, but many things set Calcutta Rescue apart from other causes. Unlike most other organisations in India, the charity refuses to take bribes. Instead, it chooses to send as much donor money as possible to the front line to help those most in need. Distinguishing the charity further, Calcutta Rescue uses no formal hierarchy, instead allowing everyone involved to contribute ideas and energy. And contrasting with other charities of its size, Calcutta Rescue is now doing cutting-edge research in the slums where it works.

Alongside this research, though, Duggan outlines some of the charity’s current projects, such as an arsenic filtration project, which is protecting thousands of villagers, and a fairtrade handicraft project that is also training women to make a living from sewing and embroidery. He explains that “in the past few years, there has been a big emphasis on fostering gender equality and helping prevent gender-based violence,” which has led to “a unique sex education programme for its students helping them understand their bodies and helping them make informed decisions.”

The charity has helped the lives of over half a million people in Kolkata, and Duggan states how their “TB project… is integrated into a government programme working to tackle the disease across the city.” The charity has also successfully worked with several other organisations, for example, “it formed a unique partnership with Swayam, the leading gender-based violence charity in India, to train staff to identify signs of this at its clinics and schools and to assist those in need to get advice and support.”

Duggan himself has introduced a new program, forming a group called Media Angels. He explains how “every day interesting and moving things are happening at the clinics, schools, and other projects, but the media team very rarely gets to hear about it. So, I organised a meeting with someone from every team to talk to them about the importance of capturing these stories in words, photographs, and videos and how to do this. Before the meeting, I had got our fairtrade handicraft unit to create keyrings with an angel sewn on them and gave one to everyone who attended the meeting, appointing them as Media Angels for CR. I also promised a prize for the best angel and team when I return to Kolkata next year.”

It’s charities like Calcutta Rescue and people like Sean Duggan who are incontestably improving the lives of others in immediate and long-lasting ways. Readers are encouraged to support and donate in any way they can to such an incredible cause!