Amit... thanks for the update. this is good progress!

i've forwarded your email to my father... his new email address is 
slnagpal@yahoo.com You can call him at one of the following numbers:
98117-94555 (direct cell)
98111-68377 (Sumeet's cell number, he is my brother and also works with dad)

I've attempted to answer the questions below, but you are welcome to discuss 
them with my father in more detail.

> 1. What is the exact number of boys and girls enrolled in the school?
> There seems to be multiple figures. Some are given in the initial report,
> and some were told to me when I visited the project. So, what is there on
> the school roster?
The number might have changed since because the proposal was written a few 
months before the end of the calendar year. Your visit was just after the 
new calendar year began and enrollment is open for most part of the year (I 
think, as per old policy 5 years ago when I was contributing actively to the 
school). This is so new beneficiaries dont have to wait an entire year. But 
this might have changed and my father will be able to give you the correct 
picture.


> 2. The proposal mentions Rs 30,000 for uniforms. What is the break up of
> this?
We buy one set of uniforms for the kids. The average price for a trouser, 
shirt, tie, shoes, etc is about Rs/- 300. Then there is addition cost of 
blazers, sweaters, and summer shorts. For 100 new students enrolling every 
year, the cost comes to about Rs/ 30,000 and higher. But since the rate of 
new incoming students is also variable, we estimated that this is the 
average amount we need.


> 3. Are the kids who attend the school from the same village, or also from
> nearby villages?
Some parents from adjacent villages have noticed the quality of education 
recieved at this school, and as word has spread over the years, they have 
begun to send their children here. I dont have numbers, this is something my 
father can estimate better. Basically, we dont discourage children from 
other villages to study here, and we do record their address on paper forms 
(which is why we know students from other villages are there), but I dont 
have access to those records and my father will have to get them counted and 
give you the correct break up.


> 4. Do industries (which employ the parents) donate to the bigger (other)
> school, which is in the industrial area?
Not any more. We recieved generous donations in the past when the school 
began in 1991. After an industry recession in the late nineties, we were 
literally starved of funds. Rotary International then came to our rescue and 
provided a grant of $21,000. Currently, some donations in kind (uniforms, 
nutritional items, prizes) are given to the school by industrialists, but 
despite repeated pleas to the state and central government, no donations or 
grants have come through.

> 5. What is the average earnings of the parents who send their kids to this
> school?
I have no solid figures since we never surveyed the parents, who we know 
belong to the poorest of the poor society. They work on farms, and some of 
them as daily wage labourers in construction, or have low end industry jobs 
that pay about Rs/1500 to Rs/2000 a month (with no benefits, as is usually 
the case). We've had parents in villages who are better off that the poorest 
of the poor, who are too proud to send their children to a free school!!


> Then people had some suggestions:
> 1. Teachers, children, and staff can run a book donation/collection
> campaign in a nearby residential area (after advertising thru posters) to
> collect books from graduating students.
Good idea if implemented properly. Staff and teachers have to be very 
motivated, but doing the work of an advertizement campaign and active 
selling needs good direction, and a good volunteer force. ASHA can play an 
active role here. If I were in the area, I would take up an activity like 
that.

> 2. Can the school buses be used as commercial transport during non-school
> times to generate regular funds?
The driver will have to be paid for overtime duty, but the market is not 
large enough to support this activity. Plus, the bus has the school logo and 
has been donated by Rotary International. It may not look good undertaking 
commercial transport. People will misunderstand and raise false alarms about 
misuse!

> 3. Some state governments can fund a provate school, if there is no
> government school in the vicinity. Does this apply to this school, and to
> Haryana state government?
We've applied with both central and state governments with no results. The 
government has helped set up a lot of primary schools that have helped 
children in many areas, but that does'nt mean their coverage is 100%. In 
fact it is far short of 100%. Every project of ASHA could have been funded 
by the government, but if that were true... we would'nt have ASHA and other 
non-profit organizations working for children!
Sotai is one of those villages which has yet to be impacted in a truly 
beneficial way by the government. Haryana's villages are truly backward, 
just like some of the other very backward villages of states like Bihar, UP, 
etc. There are still caste wars and huge illiteracy. They are also largely 
unrepresented in government, and are not attractive vote banks to get 
government attention.
The lone government school close to the one we are running in Sotai is in 
bad shape and has multiple problems of its own, even though it is funded. 
Children from Sotai and adjoining villages have to use their own means of 
transport to go there, and then recieve not-so-good quality eduction. The 
government says there is either no need for another school, or there are no 
funds available to fund another one.

> Can you convey these to Mr. Nagpal and get the answers? Otherwise, you can
> pass me his phone number and I will talk to him. It will be great if we
> can get this info by Oct 15. Projects committee is meeting again on 16th.
I've given you his contact info above....  feel free to get in touch!

> My personal assessment: People just asked these questions out of
> curiousity, and made suggestions out of goodwill. Only questions 1, 2, and
> 3 might be important, because 4 doesn't concern the school in question,
> and 5 is just for a figure. We all know that these people are pretty poor.
I agree, and they should clarify any questions they have... we also 
appreciate and act on suggestions that can be implemented.

> It seems that the project committee will be ready to fund for the lavatory
> and boundary construction. I am not sure about 50% of the teachers' and
> staff's pay, and the uniforms.
Whatever ASHA can do will go a long way. The school in the industrial area 
is an example of the success of our mission. We dont see any children 
collecting trash or begging in that area now... they are busy studying or 
playing in the school. That's what we want to see in Sotai.

> Anyway, we are considering other projects, and I am hopeful that a good
> amount of Sotai's budget will be funded when we vote.
That would be great!

thanks!

Shailender