Calcutta Espoir

History of an extraordinary human adventure

Jack Preger was born in Manchester in England in 1930. From 1950 to 1953 he studied Philosophy and Political Science at St. Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford where his keen interest in Third World conditions lead him towards agricultural economy and economic progress in developing countries.

After his studies he went into agriculture on his own farm for 10 years. In 1965 however, aged 35, he decided to change direction and to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgery of Dublin. To finance his studies he had to sell his farm.

In 1973 after hearing an appeal on the radio he left for Bangladesh to work as a doctor in the war refugee camps in Dhaka and then at a children’s hospital. In 1975 he founded his own clinic with 90 beds and ran two farms to help the victims of the famine.

In 1977 he denounced the illegal adoption of Bangladeshi children overseas. Even highly placed government officials and members of a Danish NGO were implicated. The result was his being expelled from Bangladesh in 1979 and deported to Bangkok. His projects were seized and blocked by the government.


In August 1979 Jack Preger arrived in Calcutta and tried to get a work permit. Whilst waiting for the authorization he set himself up on the Middleton Row pavement with just a tarpaulin and some medical containers in order to provide free medical treatments to the poor. A long battle with the government ensued. He was asked repeatedly to leave and was banned from practising there. The doctor was not to be deterred and continued his activities. He was given notice of expulsion from India. After numerous attempts and time spent in prison, proceedings were brought against him by the government which would unable him to leave India for 10 years and “allow” him to continue his work on the streets.

Throughout all these years, his work and determination drew the attention of numerous western travellers who would stop to help for several weeks or months gradually enabling his project to gain in size and importance. Voluntary workers on their return home began to set up different support groups.

Today there are no less than 4 day clinics (each with a capacity to teat between 250-350 patients a day), several travelling medical teams (Out-Reach Program), 2 schools (for around 300 pupils), 2 workshops to teach weaving and a craft workshop for the reintegration of former patients. Calcutta Espoir is an valuable source of employment with its local workforce of 160 in a town where unemployment levels are astronomically high. 5 to 10 voluntary positions are always available to western professionals who wish to sign up for a period of 6 – 9 months.

The organisation now works with the Indian government notably to provide poor patients with free treatments against HIV, tuberculosis and leprosy. Calcutta Rescue was also behind the water-treatment project, which consists of installing pumps equipped with anti-arsenic filters allowing thousands of villagers around Calcutta to access drinking water.

Dr. Preger, close to 80 years of age, still works relentlessly. At least today he has a team whom he can rely on and who ensures that his work will continue.