Now Reading: Swiss woman builds school and empowers community on remote Bengal island
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Swiss woman builds school and empowers community on remote Bengal island
Swiss woman builds school and empowers community on remote Bengal island
Swiss national Sandra Gojkovic spent 15 years working on Sagar Island, a remote and cyclone-prone part of West Bengal. Initially arriving as a traveller, she was struck by the lack of basic…
The Story in Brief
Swiss national Sandra Gojkovic spent 15 years working on Sagar Island, a remote and cyclone-prone part of West Bengal. Initially arriving as a traveller, she was struck by the lack of basic services and founded a primary school after finding government teachers often absent. She later launched the Women and Children Protection Movement, which has trained 112 youth leaders and reached roughly 20,000 people across 30 villages, offering vocational training and awareness campaigns against trafficking and child marriage.
Gojkovic contracted malaria early in her stay and was forced to leave for treatment, but returned the next day. She deliberately kept project management with her local team to avoid dependency. 'I always remind myself that I'm a guest in India,' she said, stressing that she listens and observes before suggesting changes. The school's board exam pass rate rose from 50 per cent to 100 per cent under the initiative.
The Indian Opinion
The story of Sandra Gojkovic on Sagar Island is heartening but risks being framed as yet another 'white saviour' narrative. The real lesson here isn't about one foreigner's grit, but about systemic neglect. If aid agencies and the state had ensured teacher attendance and financial accountability, no outsider would have needed to step in. The real test is whether this model, locally managed, with listening at its core, can be scaled by Indian authorities. Can they replicate her humility alongside her results? That is the question that matters.
Source: businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
