Send a Child in India to School for a Year

Dear Friend,

I very much hope that you are enjoying the holiday season. From all of us here at Seva Mandir, a very Happy and Prosperous New Year to you. May 2012 brings peace and success to you and to your family. We thank you for your kindness that you gift us always. With this letter, we love to share some key highlights of year 2011.

For Seva Mandir, the year 2011 has been a year of changes and success. Ms. Neelima Khetan stepped down after 12 years of her excellent leadership (total 25 years of association with Seva Mandir) in March. Ms. Priyanka Singh became our new Chief Executive in April 2011. Seva Mandir is ready to see many more years of its successful engagement with rural communities in Southern Rajasthan in her leadership.

In October, Seva Mandir became the implementing agency for the MNREGA projects for 32 sites in rural Udaipur. It is a significant achievement as well as an indicator of the faith of the 74 Panchayats in Seva Mandir’s work. These Panchayats have endorsed us to be their implementing agency for MNREGA. Of these 32 sites that were sanctioned, the work has begun on the 22 sites. Most of these sites of pastureland development and currently the building of boundary wall is going on.

In 2011, Seva Mandir has been included in two working (sub) groups –  {i) Child Survival & Development and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and ii) Girl Child} constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to review the existing priorities, policies, strategies, programs and their implementation for fulfilling the rights of children to survival, development (including early childhood care, early learning, elementary education). Also, to highlight emerging issues and recommendations, resources allocation and utilization for Twelfth Five Year Plan of Government of India.

Several of Seva Mandir's programs have seen a maturing in the last years. For example, in the villages where Seva Mandir organized regular immunization camps, the complete immunization of children is 60%, while in comparison villages it is only 35%.

Similarly, the work on Natural Resources is yielding a lot of benefits to the poor. Every year grass worth Rs. 52 lacs (5.2 million rupees) is being harvested from the common lands developed under this program.

In April 2011, Champa Devi from Vassela village was awarded the "Woman Exemplar Award 2011". It is another reason to look back and feel joyous to see that a community member of Seva Mandir was being recognized by rest of the society for her selfless services.

We are privileged to experience exciting stories of women like Champa Devi. A big credit goes to friends like you for this. Your support has always been the source of our emotional strength. It helps us keep going with our work. It is gratifying that with your support we have been able to create spaces where ordinary people can exercise truth force to bring about social and political transformation.

We hope you will continue to be with us in future too. Your faith and untiring support is very critical to us at the moment. Especially, when national and international scenario is changing rapidly for civil societies and the definitions of ‘development’ are being re-explored.

We believe that the full and deep impact of Seva Mandir's work lies not so much in the tangible development activities that it promotes, but more in bringing the poor and rich together and enabling them to  work for the commons of building more just  and oppression free communities.

We look forward to your continuing contribution in the year 2012 too. Wish you a very bright and successful New Year.

With warm regards,

Deepti

Dear Friends,

Greetings and Happy Holiday Season!

We hope you are looking forward to your holiday season. You have been adding to our happiness every year with your support and faith, we would like to extend our gratitude to you for your most generous and regular donations every year.

I am sharing the half yearly progress report of the program you are supporting - "Send a Child in India to School for a year". This year 1,178 children graduated from rural schools and were enrolled in Government Schools for higher studies. The 1,879 more children got enrolled in rural schools this year.

These children are also trying to realize their dreams of quality education. They are also on a journey like Santiago of the book 'Alchemist' who was searching for his treasure. Most of these village children are also shepherds as they also take care of their cattle, if they are not going to schools. Those who go to school may take care of their cattle after coming back home from rural schools. They may not cross the boundaries of their villages while taking their cattle out for grazing, but they do all aspire to see good things in their lives. They too, learn to communicate with the their natural environ. In order to make their dreams come true, you are supporting rural schools every year. In these children's lives, you appear as the Old King to help them translate their aspirations into real.

Thank you very much for all your support. We hope we will see many more children to have an access to education in Rajasthan in the years to come. Below my letter, there is a small story of hope which is a small gift to all of us for this Holiday season.

Please do take a look at the report enclosed and encourage us with your feedback. Your support to 178 rural schools is very critical for 5,749 children in Rajasthan. They all are our Santiago.

Thank you once again and with warm regards,

Deepti

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Story of hope:

The Rural School (Shiksha Kendra or SK) was set up in 1994 in Khara Fala, Jhadol with 50 children. For 3 years the community was very happy with the progress made by the school. In 1997 a Government school was set up near the SK. Most children got enrolled in the Government School.

Since now there was a government school the SK was closed down in Khara Fala. The village decided to take it to some other remotest hamlet of the village where there was no Government School. In the other remotest hamlet, the first year 30 children got enrolled. However in the second year, the enrollment was raised to 50 children because the parents were not satisfied with the performance of the Government school in Khara Fala. It meant that children who got enrolled in the government school began to come to the rural school which was located very far from their homes. Every year, more and more children got enrolled in the rural school. In village discussions the parents reported that they would not send their children to government schools because their children were receiving better education in the rural school.

Currently there are 107 children at the rural school. The children who have graduated in the past are excelling in their higher studies. Two children have acquired Bachelor degree (Under Graduation) , one is pursuing his Masters in Hotel Management, the other one is pursuing a Nursing course and 2 others are pursuing their B.S.T.C (Basic School Teaching Certificate).  

Some children who have more recently graduated from the rural school are also pursuing higher education including – two children are in their first year of under graduation degree (Bachelor), five children are in 12^th standard, 11 children are in 11^th standard and fifteen children are in 10^th standard.

The children who are graduating from the school have secured good grades in their higher studies too. They are all very happy to have access to quality education which will help them live a good life that they aspire to.

Links:

• More stories of children you are supporting

• Rural Schools Half Yearly Report 2011 (DOC)