Dear Friends,
This is an appeal for funds. I keep my appeals on my blog to a minimum. It’s only when I’ve exhausted other resources that I spread my arms here.
I am a part of a group that actively supports a slum in Bangalore. Our core activity is running an interest-free Micro Finance service, to encourage women entrepreneurs to set up small business/trades of their own. Over the years we’ve undertaken many projects to improve the struggling lives of the slum dwellers. Our other initiatives have been:
– We’ve started a clinic at Rajendranagar Slum that consults ailing patients for a minimum fee of Rs. 10/.
– We regularly conduct tailoring classes for girls/women so that they are either self-employed or get employed at the local garment factories. Till date we have trained 60 women.
– We have hired and have on our payroll English Teachers to help the local Govt. School children of the Slum to learn English so that the transition from an Urudu/Kannada Medium school is easier.
One can see a lot of the work that we’ve done at our Foundation’s website by clicking here.
Rs. 5,000/- that’s all it takes.
Another of our intiatives have been to ensure that maximum children at Rajendranagar Slum have a full year education. We have been distributing scholarships over the last three years. This year our requirement has been about Rs. 8,00,000/- to sponsor 170 children. We have raised Rs. 6,00,000 and are Rs. 2,00,000 short. We have gone the extra mile and put these kids in school, promising the school that we will somehow arrange the funds and pay them their fees. Now since the fees are still overdue, the school is stopping these children first from sitting for test or exams and now some kids are forced to sit in the playground all day and not attend classes.
I implore you please contribute generously. I have personally met these children. They are bright and one can see that they have potential for greatness. If only someone would help them. If only we’d help them. Why should they live in tin sheds while our children live in high-rise apartments. Why should we have good clean toilets, were as they have to expose themselves in public to relieve themselves. Giving them a basic education is the first step to ensure that they and their families lead better lives. If 40 of us contribute just Rs. 5,000 each, these kids can step inside the school and attend classes again. Rs. 5,000 is just Dh 500 or just $100/-
You can contribute here:
You may write the cheque favouring Swabhimaan and please send the cheque to:
Swabhimaan
B 405 Raheja Residency, 3rd Block
Koramangala, Bangalore
India
Mob: +91 9945436757 (Contact: Venkat)
Please do let me know or Venkat (+91 9945436757) know once you’ve sent the payment so that Venkat can look out for the same.
Thank you so much guys!
By the way the above picture is not some stock image. It’s a picture that I clicked at Rajendranagar Slum of kids waiting outside an Aanganwadi (a Government Play Home) waiting for it to open.
Here’s a small presentation that you can click through to learn more about Rajendranagar, our activities and Scholorship appeal.