SHE HAS been doing her own thing for quite a while now. From ganging up with friends at her Chandernagore hometurf for teaching children of the neighbourhood grocer, sweeper and others or writing regularly on women’s issues and old Calcutta, Koyel Gangopadhyay’s passions have always driven her and enriched the lives of those around her.

A founder-member, since 1992, of Jabala Action Research Organisation — an NGO dealing with child rights and working with kids in red-light areas — Koyel, an accounts assistant with Eastern Railway, is currently involved in empowering adolescent girls in the slums of Pearabagan, Kadapara and VIP Road among others.

Learning French for three years at Alliance Francaise came naturally to this compulsive rhymster, who looks after all Jabala publications. Already to her credit are over 10 books, booklets, information kits on topics like child sexual abuse and child rights.

For over a decade, Koyel, with help from Jabala secretary Baitali Ganguly and other members, has tried to enthuse kids from red-light areas, to think beyond the drudgery they are forced to live with. “We try to give them educational support, along with the more important emotional prop-up and counselling they sorely need,” she explains. Spurring them on to explore new frontiers, Koyel has inspired Jabala’s children to make a foray into the cultural arena. “Apart from their music, dance, art, theatre, mime lessons, I love the story-building sessions with them as well,” she smiles.

But her favourite baby, since 1998, has been Phooljhuri — the special Jabala magazine, aimed mainly at underprivileged youngsters who have no access to quality children’s literature. “We decided to involve authors and illustrators of mainstream children’s literature in the Phooljhuri project,” says Koyel. And since then, nine issues of the colourful magazine, with stories and illustrations by the likes of Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Debasish Deb, Joy Goswami, Pabitra Sarkar and Subrata Choudhury, have followed.

Jabala’s Swapnakanya project was another feather in Koyel’s cap. “Prominent painters, along with teachers and students of the Government Art College painted canvases for us, which we sold and used the funds for girl child-related projects.”

Not one to sit still, Koyel is already on the lookout for more interesting ways to do what she does best — be with kids, help them hone their skills and become better human beings.

The website mentioned last week in this column should read animalcrusaders.com