Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education A 2009 Initiative from Sanatana Dharma Foundation
Aim for Seva अन्न दानं महा दानं विद्या दानं महत्तरम ् | अन्नेन क्षणिक तपृ ्तिः यािज्जीिनंतु विद्यया ||
Among the gifts, Vidya Daanam once given is not expendable - Swamy Dayananda Saraswati This PowerPoint presentation has been prepared by the Vidya Daanam Team – Dallas, TX on February 22nd, 2009
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Table of Contents 1. Why is “Vidya Daanam” required – the challenge 2. “Vidya Daanam” – The Vision
3. Aim for Seva – A Growing Organization 4. How can you help 5. Aim for Seva – Project Examples and Photo Gallery
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Current Reality 1. •
•
2. • •
3. • •
Mindset No one has completed secondary education in generations – do not understand importance of it. Less than 30% of the children complete high school. 6 out of 10 drop out after primary school Environment Many remote tribal areas do not even have a primary school Dysfunctional family environments compounded with economic pressures force children out of schools by the age of 12 or 13, to join the workforce. Accessibility: In rural India, there is often only 1 Secondary school in every 15 villages Lack of adequate public transportation makes traveling to a nearby school difficult.
The cycle of poverty cannot be broken without an adequate education, that leads to new kinds of jobs and economic advance.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
What is needed Address mindset, environment & accessibility 1. 2.
3.
4.
5.
The young students need access to a nearby School Boarding and lodging near a school, so that they do not have to travel long distances daily Good food, health care and an environment that fosters discipline and an interest in education School supplies, uniforms, clothes, books, stationary, study materials Educate parents and families on importance of education
“Anna daanam maha daanam; Vidya daanam mahattaram; Annena kshanika trupthihi Yaavajjeevanthu vidyaya�. It means that giving food to a person is a great donation, but the greatest donation is to give a person Education. Food gives momentary satisfaction but Education for his entire life.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Vidya Daanam Empowerment through Education 1. Target under-privileged children in weak rural areas, as well as towns and cities 2. Provide them the opportunity of a modern education 3. Create an environment that can provide holistic support for the development of the child (i.e. nourishment and healthcare)
4. Help them break the cycle of poverty through education 5. Prepare them to enter a College – beyond the 12th grade, beyond which new opportunities become available
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
“Vidya Daanam” – 2009 initiative “Aim for Seva” also called as “All India Movement” for Seva is one of our Partner organizations in India. The following slides will give you an overview of the kind of work that they are doing in Rural and Tribal India
Those of us who have had the benefit of a modern education, and therefore have access to a decent life, have a responsibility in reaching out and Supporting the under-privileged and the poor. Sanatana Dharma Foundation Is committed to this. In 2009 we will make an important beginning.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva • Founded in November 2000 by Swami
Dayananda Saraswati, an eminent scholar of Vedanta and Sanskrit.
• AIM for Seva is a national movement to bring
about a new chemistry of caring in the society.
• AIM for Seva programs are focused on integrated community development.
• Has been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations.
The core „aim‟ of Aim for Seva is to build 600+ Student homes, in each of the Districts in India. Each Student home will serve as a vehicle for providing a holistic support for the student‟s educational development, while also taking Care of his health and welfare.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva - Vision Create a national movement of caring to transform society.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva - Objectives • AIM for Seva aims at bridging the gap between the mainstream society and the less-privileged people living in the hills and the forests in India.
• To achieve this AIM for Seva invites every Indian to come together to serve those who need help.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva - Mission To provide value based education and better opportunities for children in rural India.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva – The Movement To build Student Homes (Chatralayas) to transform the lives of these less privileged children.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
What does a Chatralaya provide ? These Chatralayas (or student homes) increase accessibility to schools as they are built near existing government and/or private schools. They provide complete value based education and support to the children by offering the following completely free of cost:
• • • •
Accommodation, food and medical assistance Academic expenses including school fees and books. Evening Tuitions Holistic training in fine arts, yoga, sports and other extra curricular activities • Picnics and visits to educational places
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva – The Goal Our goal is to build at least one chãtrãlaya or "home" for students in each of the 600+ districts in India.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva – The Rationale • These chatralayas will serve children living in remote areas - mountains and forests – and also for children living in slums or huts in semi-rural and urban areas who do not have access to schools.
• By providing such children a proper environment, we save them from potentially taking to crimes and also also prevents children from being used as child labor.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Chatralaya – Student home 1.
The Student home or Chatralaya is the primary „hub‟ around which a variety of services are delivered.
2.
Each student home, is typically built to accommodate around a 100 students.
3.
Children live here and go to school. In the Chatralaya, they are provided a stable life
4.
Residential Wardens, Cooks and Teachers support the Chatralaya with essential services
The Chatralaya is typically located close to a School, so as to enable the children to attend school comfortably. It also enables the School Principal and teachers to take interest and monitor the progress of the students. Thus the Chatralaya provides „stability‟ to an otherwise uncertain life.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Chatralaya – A source of stability 1.
The young students in a Chatralaya are inculcated a disciplined daily routine
2.
Special emphasis is paid to imparting a „Value‟ based education, to build character, enabling them to grow in a safe, healthy and conducive environment
3.
Weekend classes and workshops are used to validate and ground the children in their native culture.
4.
Sandhya Gurukulams (Evening Classes) are used to help weaker students catch up.
The Chatralaya provides „stability‟ to an otherwise uncertain life, by sheltering the child from the vagaries of their parents‟ life situations. The environment, encourages students to complete their education, and not drop prematurely out. Without this kind of pro-active intervention, the child will easily regress.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
The Chatralaya program has caught on Growth of Chatralayas since Aim for Seva's beginning 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Year 2002
Year 2003
Year 2004
Year 2005
Year 2006
Year 2007
Growth of Chatralayas
Year 2008
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva‟s reach • 70 Chatralayas in 13 States, fully operational
• 30 Chatralayas under construction • 10 Schools in 4 States serving more than 10,000 children
• 100 Balwadis and Evening Tuition Centers (Sandhya Gurukulams) for over 3,000 children in 8 States Aim for Seva has a staggering national scope. It has grown rapidly within 8 Years to cover as many as 13 states in India. Annual operating budget is $1 M.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Seva‟s scale
Karnaparayag, Uttarkhand
Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Gudiwada, Andhrapradesh
Amreli, Gujarat
Anaikatti, Coimbatore
Dharwad, Karnataka
70 Chatralayas in 13 States in India – in 8 years
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Chatralaya – A “Hub” for Services • 3 Hospitals – Anaikatti, Shamlaji and Mathura.
• 7 Health Care Centers in 5 States of India, serving over 80,000 patients.
• Served over 16,000 patients in hospitals in 3 States.
• 7 mobile medical units in 4 states
• Held Medical Camps in 6 States of India serving over 17,000 patients.
The Chatralaya develops over time into a „Hub‟ around which many community Outreach initiatives can be designed.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Aim for Sevaâ€&#x;s needs 1. Construction of a new Chatralaya
- $60,000 One time
2. Maintenance of an existing Chatralaya
- $25,000 / Year
3. Maintenance of an existing Chatralaya
- $ 2100 / Month
4. Maintenance of a single Child
- $ 500 / Year
Aim for Seva has plans to construct Chatrlayas in the following areas in the next few years – Jaipur (Rajasthan), Rohtak (Haryana), Khategaon (Madhya Pradesh), Shimoga, Chikmagalur and Yelahanka (Karnataka), Kambam, Palani And Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Tirupati (Andhrapradesh) and Haripad and Palghat (Kerala). SDF can make a big difference in enabling these projects.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Estimated Financial Requirements (In Rs.) No. of Students’ Homes
• New • Projected (Total)
2005
2010
2015
9 26
25 156
35 316
1.3 1.2 ------2.5
3.8 8.9 ------12.7
5.2 19.8 ------25.0
Financial (Rs. crores)
• Building Cost • Operating Cost Total Cost
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Your Support Your sponsorship will enable a child to study and grow in the supportive, caring environment of an AIM for Seva Student Home.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
How you can help Ser#
Item
Description
Donation Amt.
1
Support a Child
Support a Child for 1 full year at a Chatralaya
$500
2
Support a Child
Support a Child for half a year at a Chatralaya
$250
3
Dollar a Day
Support a Chatralaya with a gift of 1 dollar a day
$365
4
Support two children
Support two children at a Chatralaya
5
Sponsor School
Sponsor Schooling needs for one child
$200
6
Sponsor New clothes
Sponsor new clothes for one child for one year
$100
7
Support a Chatralaya
Support a Chatralaya – for ten children for a year
8
Support a complete Chatralaya
Support one whole Chatralaya for a year
$1000
$5000 $25,000
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Support a Child – For one year Where does your $ 500 go ? Ser#
Expenditure Item
1
Food
2
School Needs / Books / Uniforms / Shoes
3
Medical Care, Sports, Supplementary Tutoring
4
New Clothes, Sweaters, Blankets
5
Educational Tours, Excursions, Travel and Maintenance
6
Miscellaneous
Notes 50 cents / day
Travel of Teachers and doctors
Chatralaya takes Children and parents out on tours
Rs./ Year
$$ / Year
Rs. 8500
$180
Rs. 4000
$90
Rs. 4000
$90
Rs. 1000
$22
Rs. 3000
$68
Rs. 2250
$50
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Hear from our Beneficiaries
Vikram Kushwah – Madhya Pradesh
Here‟s the true story a boy - Vikram from our Indore Student Home who stood first in Class VI among 80 students. Let’s hear it from him in his own words
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Vikram Kushwah – Madhya Pradesh “Hello, my name is Vikram Kushwah from Panigaon village. My parents are poor farm labourers. A year back, I never used to go to school regularly because I had to walk a long distance. But all that changed when I came to the Chatralaya. I got an opportunity to study and to play games like cricket, football and kho-kho, do yoga exercises and even learn subjects like science and maths. I am proud to say that last year I stood first in my class. When I grow up, I want to be an engineer. Just as I have been helped, I will save money and donate to help other children like me go to school.”
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Lingamma & Nagamma – Andhra Pradesh
Lingamma and Nagamma are sisters who before coming to the Nandyal Chatralaya could get food for the day only by begging at the Nagalotti Darga
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Lingamma & Nagamma – Nandyal Student Home Sri Bhaskar Babu - the man they call thatha garu (grandfather) met them by chance and brought them under the protective shelter of AIM for Seva – Nandyal Student Home.
At the chatralaya they found happiness and in their own words, they got everything they could ask for, and had as much as the children of the landlord of their village!
Today, incidents of their begging at the Nagalotti Darga remains a distant past - one that they do not wish to be associated with.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Lingamma & Nagamma – Nandyal Student Home
Lingamma and Nagamma seeing better days at the Nandyal Chatralaya.
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Make a difference to a child„s future! There are many children like Vikram, Lingamma and Nagamma who need your support. Every little contribution from you can go a long way in lighting up their lives.
To find out how you can make a difference to them, please visit our website www.aimforseva.org or contact us at: All India Movement for Seva Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania 18353, USA Attn: Ms. Janet Falk Phone: 570-402-1244 Fax: 570-992-9680 E-mail: janetf@aimforseva.org
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
The following Slides take you into the world of the Chatralayas, and give you a peak into the world of the Children who are living in these Chatralayas ‌
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Andhra Pradesh
Girls at the Nandyal Student Home learning dance and praying before their evening classes
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Medical Services – for the community
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Gujarat
Boys at the Kankanpur Student Home studying and praying before meals
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Himachal Pradesh
Boys at the Solan Student Home learning computers and science
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Karnataka
Girls at the Kusanur Student Home attending their value education class
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Madhya Pradesh
Boys at the Indore Student Home learning yoga and other exercises
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Madhya Pradesh
Boys at the Indore Student Home learning gardening and studying during evening classes
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education Activities at Student Homes – Uttarakhand
Boys at the Srinagar Student Home on their excursion to Rishikesh and studying
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Karnaprayag, Uttaranchal
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Srinagar, Uttaranchal
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Nagpur, Maharashtra
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Kareli, Madhya Pradesh
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Jeypore, Orrisa
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Sawantwadi, Maharashtra
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Mysore, Karnataka
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
AIM for Seva - Project Example
Student Home in Trivandrum, Kerala
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
Vidya
Daanam
Empowerment through Education
DhanyaVaad
Thank You
Om Tat Sat
अन्न दानं महा दानं विद्या दानं महत्तरम ् | अन्नेन क्षणिक तपृ ्तिः यािज्जीिनंतु विद्यया |