VESC report:
 
2005-2006 was a regular year for VESC - it's the 3rd year in the new buildings in both 
Jagaddal and Sonajhil. Both schools seemed to have reached a stable level of operations:
 ~70 students in Jagaddal and ~120 in Sonajhil. Sonajhil being a higher income locality 
has better results in terms of attendance, students joining govt. schools, etc. (see 
Oct-05 file, we get such updates from VESC once in a while). VESC's budget is also 
relatively stable, with the bulk of recurring funds spent for noon-meal scheme & teacher's 
salary (see audited financials from last year, VESC-Financials-2005). Finally, VESC is 
making slow progress towards building up a corpus fund, with increasing amounts placed in 
the Fixed deposit.
 
New school year (starting June '06) details: 
 
Jagaddal VESC from classes I to IV. New students 20, old 55, total 75.
Residential- 6 (Orphans), Admitted to Govt. school to ClassV - 6.
Total no. of staff including vocational training cook & helper - 9.
 
Sonajhil VESC from classes I to IV. New students 45, old 75, total 120.
Residential- 2 (Orphans), Admitted to Govt. school to Class V - 9.
Total no. of staff including vocational training cook & helper - 8.
 
Two ex-students of VESC have been admitted to R.K.Mission school in class VIII (after govt.
school).
 
Other plans for VESC:
 
Through Swamiji's RK Mission association, VESC receives a no. of visitors. A few of them 
have shown interested in expanding VESC's activities around vocational training and in 
housing orphans. 
 
Excerpt from one of Swamiji's emails: "Last year 2005-2006 till March vesc was  graced by 
many distinguished visitors, among them Dr. Barbare Piner ( Mother Kalyani) also visited 
VESC and was very much pleased to see vesc’s students discipline and development. She 
herself is the president of ASTI Foundation in U.S.A. She also hopes to help for purchasing
Land infront of Jagaddal Premises and some other plots adjacent to Jagaddal for vocational 
training purpose with the help of her donors.
 
No funds have come for this as yet though. Asha's primary focus for now is going to be the 
existing schools and education of the local children. The attached brochure (pdf) has a 
budget for the additional vocational training. 
 
VESC's Future:
 
This is one of the key issues on our minds. The Asha *s started funding VESC in 1997, with 
a few of us promising funds till 2010. We are now at the point where we need to prepare for 
that eventuality in terms of making VESC more sustainable. 
 
2 key pieces stand out:
 
1. Sustainable on the people front - Swami Devendrananda is the force behind VESC. He's in 
his mid 60s and thankfully has been in good health this year. However, that wasn't the case 
last year. We need to find other capable hands for VESC so that the organization can 
continue to function in the long run. 
 
2. Financially sustainable - VESC has started putting money in Fixed deposits but is at a 
very nascent stage. Asha *s will need to kick this off in high gear if this is the route 
to sustainability. Swamiji's ex-students from RK Mission could contribute to the corpus 
fund; several of them already are Asha *s or contribute to the project from time to time. 
In addition, VESC has sent in applications for Govt. grants through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, 
though no reply has been forthcoming.