As in the last few years, visits to new tea gardens followed rapport building and awareness building on various issues such socio-economic issues of tea gardens, with particular focus on closed and abandoned gardens, women’s issues as well as other pertinent issues have become a very important component of the entire exercise under this right-based approach of the centre. In 2017, the awareness building was done at two levels: at one level, awareness seminars were held in Sailee, Damdim and Gairkata and Huldibari tea gardens of Jalpaiguri district. Second level of awareness building was done at Loyola Pastoral Center, Matigara wherein two sets of programs were conducted and awareness were given to about 60 Self-Help Group members from Terai as well as Dooars tea gardens.
