3–5 July 2026 | New York, USA
Mukti marked another significant milestone in its international outreach through a highly successful visit to the United States during 3–5 July 2026, centred around its participation in the North America Bengali Conference (NABC) 2026, organized by the Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB) at the Westchester County Center, New York. The visit not only enhanced Mukti’s visibility among the global Bengali community but also created new partnerships, strengthened long-standing relationships, and opened exciting avenues for future collaboration in advancing sustainable development in West Bengal.
Mukti as the Official Charity Partner of NABC 2026
This year’s conference was particularly special as Mukti was selected as the Official Charity Partner of NABC 2026, a recognition of the organization’s two decades of dedicated service towards sustainable rural development, community empowerment, disaster resilience, education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, and environmental conservation.
One of the conference highlights was the specially designed eco-friendly jute bag presented to every participant. The bag prominently featured Mukti’s activities and message on one side, introducing thousands of visitors to the organization’s work. The attractive design, excellent quality, and practical utility of the bag were widely appreciated throughout the conference and generated considerable curiosity about Mukti.
Showcasing Mukti’s Work and Rural Entrepreneurship
Throughout the conference, Mukti maintained an active exhibition stall that attracted visitors from across North America. The stall showcased Mukti’s wide range of programmes covering education, healthcare, livelihood development, women empowerment, climate resilience, disaster management, child development, agriculture, and sustainable community development across the Sundarbans and rural West Bengal.
Visitors also admired the beautiful handcrafted products created by women from Mukti-supported Self Help Groups (SHGs). These products reflected the creativity and skills of rural artisans while demonstrating how sustainable livelihood initiatives can economically empower women and strengthen local communities. The appreciation received from visitors encouraged Mukti to further promote rural entrepreneurship through international platforms.
Recognition from the Main Stage
A proud moment for Mukti came when the Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB) provided a dedicated session on the main stage to present Mukti’s work before the conference audience.
During the session, Dr. Ashok Rakshit, President of CAB, warmly introduced Mukti’s Founder & President Sankar Halder and Secretary Satyajit Roy, while highlighting Mukti’s remarkable contribution towards society over the past twenty-two years. Dr. Rakshit’s inspiring address spoke about Mukti’s commitment to serving vulnerable communities and its sustained efforts in creating long-term social impact.
Following this introduction, Mukti’s representatives presented the organization’s journey, its various development initiatives, and its vision for building resilient communities through integrated and sustainable development.
The stage presentation generated tremendous interest among the audience. Immediately afterwards, a large number of participants visited the Mukti exhibition stall to learn more about its programmes and discuss opportunities for volunteering, partnerships, and support. The response clearly demonstrated that Mukti has earned considerable recognition and goodwill among the Bengali community in North America.
Strengthening Relationships with Long-standing Partner Organizations
NABC 2026 also served as an important platform to reconnect with several organizations that have been supporting Mukti’s mission for many years.
Fruitful discussions were held with representatives from Lipikekha, Street Children, Gharoa, Kolkata Foundation, and several other organizations. These interactions further strengthened existing partnerships while identifying new opportunities for collaborative initiatives that will benefit vulnerable communities in West Bengal.
Inspiring a New Generation of Volunteers
One of the most encouraging outcomes of the visit was the overwhelming response from new volunteers. Many visitors to the Mukti stall expressed deep appreciation for the organization’s transparent, community-driven development model and showed genuine interest in contributing their time, professional expertise, and resources.
Several individuals committed themselves to remaining actively associated with Mukti and supporting its mission in the coming years. This enthusiastic response reflects the growing desire among the overseas Bengali community to contribute meaningfully towards social development in their homeland.
A Promising New Partnership with Princeton Bengali Association
One of the most significant achievements of the visit was the initiation of a new relationship with the Princeton Bengali Association (PBA).
During a dedicated meeting with Deb and Dwaipayan, representatives of PBA, Mukti’s Founder & President Sankar Halder and Secretary Satyajit Roy presented the organization’s journey, its twenty-two years of grassroots development work, and its vision for creating sustainable and inclusive communities across the Sundarbans and rural West Bengal.
Although PBA had never previously worked with Mukti, its members were already familiar with the organization’s reputation and were highly impressed by the scale, transparency, and impact of its programmes. Detailed discussions covered Mukti’s initiatives in education, healthcare, women empowerment, climate resilience, livelihood development, disaster management, and community development.
As PBA prepares for one of the largest Durga Puja celebrations in the Princeton region, both organizations explored opportunities for future collaboration to mobilise awareness, volunteers, and resources for Mukti’s humanitarian and development initiatives. PBA expressed its strong desire to become associated with Mukti and contribute towards improving the lives of vulnerable communities in Bengal through future collaborative programmes, volunteer engagement, and fundraising initiatives.
The meeting concluded on a very positive note, with both organizations expressing their commitment to building a long-term partnership based on shared values of community service, cultural connection, and social responsibility. Mukti believes this relationship with Princeton Bengali Association will become an important milestone in expanding its network across North America.
Encouraging Support from the NRI Community
During the visit, Mukti’s representatives also interacted with several distinguished and successful Bengali Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
Detailed discussions were held on Mukti’s ongoing programmes, future vision, and the need to scale up successful development models so that no vulnerable community is left behind. The participants highly appreciated Mukti’s transparent and community-centred approach and expressed their willingness to support the organization in different capacities.
Many of them also conveyed their interest in visiting Kolkata and the Sundarbans to experience Mukti’s work firsthand and explore long-term collaboration.
Fruitful Interaction with Street Children Volunteers
Another memorable engagement took place in Queens, New York, where Mukti representatives met with more than 15 enthusiastic volunteers of Street Children over lunch.
During this interaction, Mukti shared updates on projects supported by Street Children and highlighted several new initiatives being implemented across education, child development, community welfare, livelihood, and sustainable development.
The volunteers showed particular interest in Mukti’s Adopt A Class initiative and discussed various possibilities for supporting and promoting the programme. The meeting further strengthened the long-standing relationship between Mukti and Street Children while identifying several new opportunities for future collaboration.
A Visit that Created Lasting Impact
Overall, Mukti’s USA visit proved to be exceptionally successful. Beyond showcasing its work before thousands of participants at NABC 2026, the visit significantly expanded Mukti’s network of supporters, volunteers, institutions, and prospective partners across North America.
Being recognised as the Official Charity Partner of NABC 2026, receiving an opportunity to present Mukti’s journey from the main stage, strengthening relationships with existing partner organizations, initiating a promising collaboration with the Princeton Bengali Association, engaging with the Bengali NRI community, and inspiring many new volunteers together made this visit one of Mukti’s most impactful international engagements to date.
Mukti expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB) for recognising the organization as the Official Charity Partner of NABC 2026 and for providing an invaluable platform to share Mukti’s journey with the global Bengali community.
Mukti also extends sincere thanks to every volunteer, supporter, donor, well-wisher, partner organization, and participant who visited the Mukti stall, attended the presentations, interacted with the team, and expressed their willingness to contribute towards building a better society.
The relationships strengthened and newly established during this visit have laid a strong foundation for future collaborations across North America. Mukti remains committed to transforming these partnerships into meaningful action that will empower vulnerable communities, promote sustainable development, and ensure that no one is left behind.
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