I will be climbing Mt. Baker instead of biking for my annual fundraising this year.
As you may have already known, these funds are used for the education of underprivileged children in India. If you wonder how this money you donate is utilized, here are the numbers for Jeevan Vidya and Jan Seva
| Item | INR | USD |
| Yearly budget (75 kids) | Rs. 11,25,000 | $17,308 |
| Monthly budget (75 kids) | Rs. 1,12,500 | $1,731 |
| Monthly budget/student | Rs. 1,500 | $23 |
| Daily expenses/student | Rs. 50 | $0.77 |
Please note that this budget includes:
- breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner
- Special bi-weekly and monthly meals
- Fuel, water and electricity
- Salaries of 2 cooks and a superintendent
- Repairs and maintenance of infrastructure
Jeevan Vidya and Jan Seva are the projects I am stewarding for the past 4 years. They are for 5th to 12th grade girls and boys respectively and are located in Nandurbar, near Maharashtra and Gujarat border. The goal of these projects is to provide lodging and boarding to help kids from the nearby tribal areas in their education. However, what I observed when I visited them is that these hostels go above and beyond the official mandate by not only tutoring the difficult courses in the school but also teaching them life-skills through extra-curricular activities.
Kids mentioned that they learned to speak, read and write Marathi (their mothertounge is Ahirani) and English after coming here. They also get to learn cycling and using a computer. They can enroll in karate classes as well as personality development classes. They are encouraged to participate in various competitions outside such as drawing, essay writing and sports. They mentioned that this increases their confidence significantly. The kids also take care of their daily chores along with studies and extra-curricular activities. They wash their own clothes and utensils every day.
At Jeevan Vidya, all the girls are divided into groups of mixed ages at the beginning of the year. Every Sunday one of the groups cooks meals for all the girls in the hostel. Younger girls get the benefit of experience and guidance of the older girls in the group. They also help to grow vegetables and herbs which are used in their cooking while also learning the gardening and basic farming techniques.
If you think this is making a positive change, please donate. As always, Pushpak and I look forward to your generous support. Also, as we do every year, we will match your donations dollar to dollar to make a double impact!!
Thanks in advance!