PROPOSAL FOR – ASHA FOR
EDUCATION ( BOSTON CHAPTER )
“Empowering youth
through education”
An initiative to support underprivileged, bright students pursue higher
education leading to higher levels of literacy and employment
FRIENDS OF CHILDREN,
PUNE
Plot 497, Sector 28, Pradhikaran, Pune 411044
Who we
are
Friends
of Children
is a non - profit organization which has been working towards the cause of the meritorious,
needy, college going student since 2003 in Maharashtra. FoC is registered as a
Trust under the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner’s Act (Reg.no./MAH/115/2004/Pune).
Since
then, we have reached out to more than 2854
students, disbursing Rs 140 Lakhs
as scholarships and financial assistance, to date.
The
Background
Students belonging to economically
disadvantaged families end up severely limiting their educational and career
horizons due to lack of financial resources, proper educational guidance, and
skills required to succeed. With fees increasing significantly after Standard 10,
many students discontinue their education. Only
13% eligible youth in the age group of 18-23 enter college for higher
education.
Many of these, particularly rural students are
first generation literates in their families, with the majority (around 70%) of
their parents being marginal farmers or petty laborers. They have no one in
their family to turn to for guidance about their education and career path.
Many have no knowledge of what kind of education opportunities are out there
and how to make decisions regarding their future, in spite of being bright.
This is where Friends
of Children steps in and plays a role.
The program is designed and structured to
support bright, needy students who would otherwise give up their education
after Class 10. These students are assisted through their college education
until they are employable.
Vision
Every meritorious student regardless of
religion, caste, gender, or socio-economic background must have the opportunity
to have the right education equipping him / her to lead a successful life.
Mission
To
provide every student with effective, high-quality guidance, learning
experiences and monetary support instilling the right values to make a good
citizen of India.
Friends of children and “Youth Reach” Program
FoC’s
“Youth Reach” is an umbrella, under
which the following projects and initiatives are accomplished:
* “Nurture Merit”
Program - Extends Financial Assistance for needy, meritorious students
* “Umeed” Program - Provides Holistic Development through monthly
workshops
* “Unnati“ Program
– Provides requisites through residential programs, enabling students attain
employability.
“Udaan” Program– Inculcates
and encourages students to volunteer for social causes around them.
SUPPORT REQUIRED FROM ASHA FOR EDUCATION
Nurture Merit Program
Objective: Provides needy and meritorious
students with financial support, thus assisting them complete their education
and gain employment.
Identification
Process, Selection and Monitoring Criteria
Identification Process
r In
every case, fee disbursement is done only after rigorous process of
identification and verification by physically visiting dwelling units of
shortlisted students.
r Applications are received from school contacts, volunteers
and well-wishers.
r Volunteers
interview all shortlisted candidates and
visit every short listed applicant’s household.
r Selected
new student beneficiaries are inducted
for the year.
r
Detailed documentation of each deserving case
with photo shoots of house / applicant
prepared and maintained in the Pune office.
Selection Criteria
We
have followed two different modules for selection of students in the city &
villages. The criteria which has driven us to follow this particular pattern is
as follows
r Cost
of living is much higher in the city.
r More
awareness in the city compared to the village.
r
Availability of resources mainly volunteers.
|
Criteria |
Urban |
Rural |
|
Identification
& Home visits |
Done
through our volunteers |
Teachers
from the local schools identify and do the home visits. |
|
Income |
<60,000 P.A |
<50,000 P.A |
|
Cut
off % X * Cut
off % XI Cut
off % XII |
>85% >
70% >
80% for professional courses and 70 % for degree courses |
>80% >70% >80%
for professional courses and 70 % for degree courses |
|
Cutoff
%Degree |
First
Class |
First
Class |
|
Fee
Distribution |
A
fixed amount depending on course taken is paid, depending on marks scored,
participation and general proficiency |
A
fixed amount depending on course taken is paid ,depending on marks scored,
meetings attended and general proficiency |
|
Meeting
/workshop Schedule |
Once
a month |
Once
a month through local
Coordinators and volunteers |
Monitoring criteria
(renewal of sponsorship on an evolved credit system)
- Students are expected to keep up their
mark score to the required percentage and renew their sponsorship each
year.
- Attendance to workshops / residential
programs are mandatory
- Extra curricular
activities and extra academic projects are encouraged and given extra
weightage
- Self supporting students are given
preference
- Students are encouraged to volunteer for
FoC in their regions, or volunteer in any organization of their choice.
Total
support required from Asha for Education
The
fees sponsored for a professional course is based on the Govt. College fee
structure, On an average, a student in any professional course ( Engg, BCA,
BCS, Pharmacy, Masters ) is given a scholarship of Rs 20000 per academic year
by Friends of children ( ie about 60 % of Govt
college fees )
30
students x Rs 20,000 per year = Rs 6,00,000
ASHA
would also undertake to sustain the sponsorship for the span of the course that
the sponsored student has taken. ie, 4 years.
This
is specifically because Friends of children would be taking these students on
their rolls based on the commitment made by ASHA.
Summarized goals of the
Program
- The program has
been producing at least 20 students each year, who have completed their
professional courses and are gainfully employed. This in turn means 20
families would have gained access to a better standard of living.
- The program hopes
to bring value addition for higher levels of literacy among these
beneficiaries and make the partnership between both organizations more
pro-active and meaningful beyond financial support.
- Generally, about
90% of the students who complete their professional course are expected to
be employed within 3 months of completion of their education, with a
minimum starting salary of Rs. 20000 – 25000 /month.
- The workshops
provide a platform for students to discuss how to handle situations they
come across everyday. The access to professional trainers also benefits
them in understanding nuances on how to manage their lives better.
Some
Success Stories That Make Us Proud!
And
the list continues……..
.
Board of Trustees of
Friends of children
1. Shantha Suryanarayan:
(Chairperson) has volunteered with the Blind school for boys, Pune, for over 12
years, teaching the boys spoken English. She has worked towards raising funds
for FoC through Divali sales each year.
2. Nalini Ram Chandra: runs
the Sunshine room attached to the pediatric ward in Sassoon hospital, Pune,
providing the patients with books, games and fun activities for the patients.
3. N. Venkatesan: was
formerly employed by IBM, Pune and was a founder member of FoC. He has moved
from Pune and is presently based in Dharwad as Director-Operations, Vidya Poshak.
4. S.Subramaniam: Director,
Kusumaa Projects. He has been actively involved in
many social causes such as raising funds for the Girls’ blind school in Pune,
School for the disabled Ayakudi etc.
5. Aparna Pardeshi: A
software professional, she is a founder and working member of FoC and has
handled workshop co-ordination, volunteer management and fund raising for FoC
since 2003.
6. Vani Subramanyam: A
founder and working member of FoC, she manages the administration, volunteer
management, accounting & fund raising for FoC since 2003.
Both Aparna Pardeshi and
Vani Subramanyam are presently in charge of the day to day running and requirements
of the organization. They have spearheaded FoC’s growth in the past 9 years
from 17 students to 221 students today
Additional
information:
Friends
of children can provide 80 G Tax exemption for donations made.
(No.PN/CIT- V/Tech/80G/46/28/13/16/2011-12/930)
Bank
account details: Friends of children, Canara bank, Koregaon
park, Pune 411001
Savings a/c
no….0263101018900
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Our FCRA Regn. No. 083930612 (for foreign currency donations)
Bank account details: Canara bank,
Koregaon park, Pune 411001
FCRA
account no ….0263101020031
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Contact persons:
Vani Subramanyam
Founder member/ Trustee - Friends
of children
Ph. 020 26687731, 9823270046
Email:
2. Aparna Pardeshi
Founder member/
Trustee – Friends of children
Ph. 98900 93187
Email: aparna.foc@gmail.com