We are happy to bring to you our latest quarterly newsletter - the first issue in our second year of operation. The newsletter provides updates on our current projects. The impact that we have made in the last quarter would not have been possible without the support of generous donors like you.
We would love to hear your feedback on the newsletter and our work. Please contact us and one of our volunteers will personally get in touch with you.
“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars”
This is the opening quote of a book that I recently read - “Three Cups of Tea”. It is a story of an American mountaineer who goes back to the high mountains of Pakistan with a different objective this time - to build a school. He goes on to build several of them. It is inspiring to note how one man can make a significant contribution to education, no less female education in this rugged terrain, which is splendidly beautiful in some respects and harsh and brutal in others.
As we step into the New Year, we are happy to publish our progress report on the Nanubhai Project. The grant from Anand Charity is aimed at empowering underprivileged students (from Standards 4 through 12) through English and IT enrichment programs. The preliminary benefits of both these programs have been evaluated and are summarized below.
After five weeks of the IT enrichment program, the school recently conducted a survey among 9th standard students on their computer usage and interest. The goal was to assess the benefits of the IT enrichment program. The students were of two groups – those who are part of the IT program, and those who are not part of the program.
The results (shown below) are encouraging and positively support the IT program. We need to probably work on improving the internet usage comfort levels among these students. Based on these preliminary results, the plan is to extend the program to the entire 9th standard class from the next academic year.
|
|
% of students from IT program |
% of students outside the program |
|
Confident on being very good at using computers |
39% |
17% |
|
Interest to use computers outside of school |
100% |
78% |
|
Comfortable writing a letter in English/ using the internet to find an article |
12% |
8% |
|
Interested in learning more about computers in school |
100% |
80% |
Shown below is the comparative data on the effectiveness of the English program covering all six divisions of the 9th standard. The table compares the academic year of 2007 (prior to the English program) and 2008 (after beginning the English program). As is evident, almost all divisions have a reasonably good increase in test scores from 2007 to 2008. The reasons for the plunge in the results of division A are currently being investigated.
| Division | Year 2007 | Year 2008 |
| A | 34% | 26% |
| B | 56% | 78% |
| C | 38% | 57% |
| D | 39% | 45% |
| E | 41% | 87% |
Anand Charity thanks all donors for their contributions. You have played an active part in helping Nanubhai achieve these positive results.
To help us follow through with the project, we request the generosity of more donors. To contribute to Anand Charity, please visit our Donations page here.
We are excited to report the progress made on the Oorani Project – the rain-water harvesting project that Anand Charity is implementing with the help of the Dhan foundation.
We obtained the following information through a recent conversation with the coordinator at Alidabad:
° Villagers have made Rs.10,000 worth of community contribution in terms of labor; This helped the machine work preparation for construction of the Oorani.
° The machinery required for the construction work has been hired and should have reached the village by December 19th.
° Most of the Oorani work is expected to be completed soon.
We will continue to report updates on the project as we complete the major construction work.
We hope to embark on many more projects this New Year with your support and generosity. To donate to Anand Charity, please visit our Donations page here.
Anand Charity wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. It has been a great year for Anand Charity. We have come a long way from incorporation to funding five projects in India. Our work has been lauded by many and we have been a recipient of important grants like the Google AdWords grant. We are proud to have made a significant impact to many lives in multiple places in India.
While this has been a great year for us, we have an exciting 2009 ahead. We expect to expand our work and take on additional projects in different parts of the country. We cannot do this without your help. While you shop during the winter holidays or celebrate the New Year, please consider donating to Anand Charity to help people - Live, Love, and Laugh! Thank you!
To donate to Anand Charity, please visit our Donations page here.
To learn more about us, please visit the Anand Charity website.
We are proud to announce that Project Krishna is almost complete. Tiles have been laid, the walls have been painted and the plumbing work is completed. There are still a couple of things that have to be done before the toilets can be commissioned - fitting doors and some carpentry.
The construction of the toilets was originally scheduled to be completed by November 7th. However, due to some difficulties in transfer of money and procurement of construction materials, it has been delayed. After the construction has been completed, one of Anand Charity’s volunteers will make a site visit to the school.
Help us fund more projects like this one by making a contribution here.
Here is the latest action plan from Dhan for the Oorani construction at Bhorajguda:
In Bhorajguda, a village level meeting was conducted on 17th Nov, 2008. In this meeting, the community discussed the following
Anand Charity has already sent the first installment of funds to Dhan Foundation. A progress report will be sought from Dhan Foundation around December 10th. After review of this report, the second installment of funds will be sent.
Help us fund more projects like this one by making a contribution here.
Anand Charity wishes all its donors a very happy Diwali. Every year, India comes together during the festival of lights and celebrates the dawn of a new year. While one section of the country rejoices, there is another that struggles to make a living. We, at Anand Charity, want to reach out to you and help bring a smile to those who cannot afford to celebrate.
On this joyous occasion, help us spread the joy by making a contribution here.
We are excited to report the progress of the construction of toilets for Sri Krishna Middle School in Tamil Nadu. Construction began on September 14th as planned and the foundation has been laid. The walls have been raised and soon, the exterior work will also be completed. The construction is scheduled to complete by October 29th provided the monsoon does not hinder the progress and the toilets will be handed over to the school management by November 7th.
An “Oorani” is a village tank or pond used for harvesting and storing rainwater. Anand Charity is privileged to join hands with DHAN foundation to construct an Oorani in the village of Borajguda of the Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh.
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