Sumati Yengkhom,
TNN Aug 10, 2013

BALI: Around 50 children dressed in smart uniforms sing along with the two teachers in this small but neatly done up classroom. This isn't a posh kindergarten in the city but one in Bali, a remote island in the Sunderbans, where schools are a luxury and survival a daily fight with danger.

Therefore this pucca school with an impressive attendance stands out. On closer look, each kid sports a badge on their school shirt that reads 'Bagh Bachao' - save the tiger.

Whether consciously or not, conservationist Belinda Wright is catching them young. Sunderbans is one of the many areas in India where Wright works for wildlife conservation. The school in Bali is a part of the community outreach programme by Wright's Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), in collaboration with Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society.

"Involving the community is vital when it comes to conservation. They have to be taken into confidence and they are to be convinced," said Wright, who has been working in the Sunderbans for over a decade.

WPSI has several community programmes that have helped establish good ties with the 25,000 villagers of Bali. Like many other islands in the Sunderbans, Bali is yet to be electrified and is plagued by poor health facilities. WPSI holds health camps, helps villagers harvest rainwater and get solar lights.

Through self-help groups - there are some 50 in all - women are not only empowered but also contribute to the family income, thereby reducing the pressure on forest resources. Thorough a micro-credit scheme, these women can avail loans to run small businesses like nurseries, making of bags and mats from palm leaves and embroidery of cushion covers.

The organization co-ordinates with the Sunderbans Development Board and forest department on awareness campaigns and conservation. A WPSI-trained tiger rescue team is on call whenever a tiger strays into human settlements.

Wright's lieutenant in the Sunderbans is a former poacher turned conservationist Anil Mistry. As project officer, he oversees the work when Wright is in Delhi or elsewhere.

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