Support the differentially-abled ....

Asha for Education's Work An Hour (WAH) 2010 campaign features 13 projects across India aimed at catalyzing socio-economic change. Change is an uphill battle for the 10 million children with disabilities in India as they continue to be treated with indifference, pity and revulsion. Government schemes such as Integrated Education for Disabled Children reach out to only a fraction of affected children. In a society where the disabled child is looked down upon, ostracized and subject to discrimination even by their own parents, the two projects showcased below aim to give differentially-abled children  the resources they need to break free of the confines of inequality. By your contribution to WAH, these projects will receive much needed support to make a difference. At WAH, 100% of your contributions are utilized towards these projects. Every contribution counts. With only 3 weeks left in the campaign, take a minute now and contribute towards a better India and a better life for these children. Read on about these projects and feel free to contact us for more information.   13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $45,681   Goal: $200,000 Samarth Ganjam District, Orissa Set out to eliminate discrimination of disabled children in the Ganjam district of Orissa, Samarth educates the children with the aim of eventually bringing them into the fold of mainstream schools. Here, aside from the gift of education, children are offered free meals and residence. The project aims to train and educate the disabled children in order to eventually mainstream them into educational institutions and society. Liaison and interaction with the local schools to create awareness towards the needs of differentially-abled students and special teacher training to work effectively with these children have made this project very effective. Samarth gives disabled children a true second chance. Read more .... Hariksha Avalurpet, Gingee Taluk, Tamil Nadu Harishka is a learning center serving Avalurpet and its surrounding villages in Tamil Nadu. Catering to approximately 30 children with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities, Hariksha teaches these children basic skills regarding hygiene, motor capacity, physical therapy, special education and more. The project is in a rural area with high incidence of mental disorders and a callous attitude from the society due to a lack of awareness. These children, who used to be ill-treated and seen as a burden are being taught basic life skills at Hariksha. The staff also conducts periodic workshops to increase awareness amongst  the parents and enables continuing care of these children when they return home from the learning center. Since its inception, the quality of medical care provided to children has consistently improved and the children show improvement in their daily activities.  Read more .... Take a minute, Donate an hour, Change a Life... With warm regards, Asha for Education
Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Why girls don't love software-guys!!

An hour to stop child labor and exploitation....

Have you ever come across a 10 year old working in a factory or a shop-floor and wondered how difficult his/her life must be? Child labor and exploitation in India is a grave and extensive problem. Children are viewed as a form of economic security in desolate settings, necessary to help supplement their families' income. Parents often sacrifice their children's education, as offspring are often expected to uphold their roles as wage-earning members of their clan. This year, Work an Hour (WAH) supports three projects - Nishta, Society for Education and Action, Puvidham - that prevent child labor and provide education to the children living in helpless conditions. By contributing to WAH, these projects will receive much needed support. At WAH, 100% of your contributions are utilized towards these projects. Every contribution counts, and no amount is small. With only 4 weeks left in the campaign, take a minute now and contribute towards a better India and a better world.   13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $39,730   Goal: $200,000   Nishtha Subudhipur, West Bengal The red light district of the remote village of South 24 Parganans of West Bengal is populated by female sex workers bound within extremely difficult circumstances. Aside from the grittiness of their full-time jobs, most of their meager wages go toward rent, bribing the police and pimps and paying for liquor, an integral part of their profession. Such a profession is bound to leave these workers' children in dire straits. Having no other choice but to work on the streets to supplement their mothers' inadequate incomes, they face a cycle of poverty with no end in sight. Nishtha provides these children with food, education, health care and most importantly, a secure place to stay where they can exist unthreatened. Read more Society for Education and Action (SEA) Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu In the fishing community of Mamallapuram, children are often forced by economic conditions to drop out after primary school and begin fishing or panning salt at around 10 years old. SEA has developed several programs in Mamallapuram to keep children out of the work force and in school. SEA's services aim to increase awareness of the value of education, appoint qualified teachers, create motivation centers, child health programs, parent-teacher meetings and youth groups to eliminate child labor. Read more   Puvidham Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Puvidham is a school and boarding house for children of migrant workers, who drop out of government schools and from the National Child Labour Prevention program. Located in the Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu and operated by a local husband and wife team, Puvidham provides primary school, hostel accommodation, environmental and farm training. Children of migrant workers and those outcast from traditional schools in this area would struggle to obtain a formal education if it weren't for Puvidham, and not only does it provide a formal education, but it does so by using methods of holistic learning, instilling in the students a sense of self confidence and faith in the power of education. Read more Take a minute, Donate an hour, Change a Life... With warm regards, Asha for Education

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Fwd: An Hour for Independence

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." - Gandhi      Prepare. Help Empower Work An Hour   13 projects 28 schools 2000+ students   Raised: $31,873 Goal: $200,000   wah@ashanet.org www.workanhour.org

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! It's the eve of our 64th independence day and a time and reason to rejoice. India, as a democratic republic has moved away from the shadows of its colonial past and is rapidly making impressive strides, positioning itself as one of the fastest growing in the world. Despite all the growth, there is a glaring economic ambiguity and disparity, accompanying the theme of progress. Fewer than 40 percent of the country's adolescents attend secondary schools, and over half of 10-year-old rural children in India are unable to read at a basic level. Without education, these children are left without means to escape their poverty, creating a society with alarmingly widening socio-economic inequality. Asha for Education, rated 4/4 by America's premier independent charity evaluator – Charity Navigator, has been working since 1991 to bridge the socio-economic disparities through education. Work An Hour (WAH), the annual fundraiser organized by Asha for Education, has made a difference to tens of thousands of marginalized children since 1998. In its 13th year, WAH 2010 has chosen 13 projects from all over India, addressing the issues of child labor, disabilities, and access to education. WAH 2010 sends 100% of your donation directly to the 28 schools and 2214 children supported by these projects. By contributing to WAH, you can bolster our commitment to bring hope to thousands of underprivileged children in India. By donating a symbolic hour of your time, you can give Indian children the tools they need to free themselves of the confines of hunger and socio-economic inequality. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over," said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India. What better way to celebrate India's independence by helping liberate its people—this time from poverty. Celebrate India's Independence by donating to our Work An Hour campaign. Every small contribution counts. We look forward to your support.   With warm regards, Asha for Education

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Towards freedom & independence. Donate an hour. Empower a child.....

"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Gandhi      Prepare. Help Empower Work An Hour     13 projects 28 schools 2000+ students   Raised: $21179 Goal: $200,000 Contact Info: wah@ashanet.org www.workanhour.org

Dear Asha patrons, On August 15th, India will celebrate the dawn of the 64th year of independence from British rule. Powered by selfless leaders from Rani Lakshmi Bai to Mahatma Gandhi and the trio of Lal-Bal-Pal, India's struggle for sovereignty brought to the forefront the great capability of Indians to stand united for a higher cause. Challenges aplenty lay ahead - but so did hope, and the will to write it's own destiny. 63 years hence, despite India's independence, there still is true freedom to be accomplished. Many of India's children are trapped in poverty, mired in social inequality and suffer from lack of education. Caught in a web of hunger and work, these children are far from free—their active little minds being dulled by a life of struggle. Is there a way out? Is there hope for them to write their own destiny? "There can be no question of blind revolution, but of steady and purposeful education," said Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate in literature. Tagore's vision for political freedom was to inspire his fellow countrymen through education. Today, his words ring true in Asha for Education's Work An Hour (WAH) initiative, which endaevors socio-economic change through the critical requisite of education for all. This year, WAH contributions will go towards 13 projects dedicated to closing the divide between India's rich and poor, helping children overcome disabilities, and preventing child labor in India. But none of these projects can function without the generous support of donations from individuals that care. For millions in India, there are challenges ahead - but so is hope. Just as the people of India overcame the injustice of British rule, we're asking you to help us overcome the great challenge of socio-economic inequity in India with a contribution to our cause. In the same spirit of those that helped India realize its independence, you can join us in providing am impetus for the underprivileged to realize their potential. Your contribution can teach a girl how to read, or prevent a boy from being a child laborer, or liberate a family from poverty. Be an enabler for socio-economic change. Join our effort in bringing a better life to the children of India. Please donate to Asha For Education. Visit www.workanhour.org to find out more.    With warm regards, Asha for Education

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Every contribution counts. Take a minute. Make a gesture...

Prepare. Help Empower Work An Hour _ 13 projects 28 schools 2000+ students

It is the year 2010. The age of the internet - information readily available at one's fingertips.   But for millions of children and adults alike in the villages of India, education is still a distant dream. For them, the wealth of readily available knowledge is, but inaccessible. With over 70% of India's population living in rural areas, a good basic education might just be the factor that changes their world.  The factor that could be their 'impetus to succeed'.   Asha for Education's Work an Hour 2010 features 13 projects in India working to improve the lives of thousands. Today, we bring to you two projects - ACRD and MCF - which are working towards rural empowerment. Let us make a small contribution  towards these projects and bring hope to the thousands of children. Every minute is precious. Every rupee counts. Donate an hour of your work now. Visit www.workanhour.org to know more.

Mountain Children's Foundation Uttarakhand Mountain Children's Foundation works with 30 partner NGOs in Uttarakhand, reaching out to over 13,000 children and nearly 700 village level groups. MCF has historically been working on child rights, education, gender equality and other issues in Uttarakhand. The Right to Information project was started between Asha and MCF with a vision of empowering students with the RTI Act . The program was a bigger success than what we had  imagined when we started it. 21 partner NGOs were involved in 104 villages with around 4000 children and filed nearly 500 RTI applications. The RTI petitions encompassed issues ranging from education, playgrounds, electricity, water, roads and health to ration cards, panchayat, BPL cards, pensions, irrigation and child rights. Click here to read further.		Assam Center for Rural Development Assam Nartap High School and Bonpura Primary Schools in the Kamrup district of Assam were started as venture schools in the 1990s. Both schools are situated around 40-50 kms from Guwahati. Students come from poor laborer families living below the poverty line. Asha for Education's involvement with these schools started in 2004 with the construction of a school building and has since come a long way. Asha now supports the teachers, mid-day meals, stationary, excursions and is actively involved in the running of the school. These efforts have borne fruit with a high percentage of students passing the board exams. With Asha's help, ACRD aims for the all round development of the students through Quality education, vocational training and encouragement for extra-curricular activities and sports.  Click here to read further.
Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Joke of the day

वयात आलेला झंप्या शाळेतून just आलेला असतो.
तो त्याच्या बाबांना सांगतो, " बाबा..आमच्या नवीन शिक्षिका ...खूप खूप.....म्हणजे खूपच सुंदर आहेत...."
बाबा झम्प्याला म्हणतात," अरे झंप्या....तुझी शिक्षिका तुझ्या आई सारखी आहे....असं बोलू नये..."
झंप्या लगेच बोलतो,,," बाबा ...तुमचं हे नेहमीचं आहे हं जिथे तिथे तुम्ही तुमचीच सेटिंग लावता,,,