Navin Desai Memorial Fund

Gaurang Desai
February 17 – 18, 2010

Background

• I visited India in January – February this year!
• At the invitation of Ram Ingole, my brother Prakash and I visited Nagpur for a 24 hour trip to observe the noble efforts of Ram and his supporters, well wishers and young children who are undergoing a life transformation!
• My impressions of this experience follow in this report!  The observation can not be described completely!  You have to visit the place your self to experience to feel what I came back with!
• But this is an attempt to highlight what is happening there!

Vimlashram Gharkul

• Vimlashram Gharkul is a place where about 38 children from different ages are getting a home and nurturing to get an education to make a life!
• Children are being taught to be part of a big family doing many chores and help each other along with education and also a healthy life style!
• The home is a 4 story building, with ground floor being leased for retail shops (which generates extra financial support for this project)!
• Key Persons who are guiding this organization are: Ram Ingole and Pinky Singh

Vimlashram Gharkul

Students

Students

Staff

Staff

What we observed

• Look at the sparkle in the eyes of these children! You could sense they were excited about the life they are embarking on!
• They were also very lively and well mannered!
• In addition to the guardians, there were also other supporters, from Nagpur, who were very much involved in participating in this project, which may be perpetual!

Navin Desai Residential School

• This project started in Year 2005 on a location  in Panchgaon, about 25 Kilometers from Nagpur
• This school has undergone a major foundation stage, with few key milestones:
  • School Building foundation complete for 8 rooms
  • 3 rooms plus Kitchen and an office completed
  • Being used for schooling of 80 students in grades 1-3
  • Students are provided with 2 sets of uniforms for boys and girls
  • The building is also used after school hours as residential place for these students plus 25 more students (for grades 4 and above) who are going to other schools nearby during day time!
  • The students are provided with guidance and leadership of a staff of 13 ( 3 in Kitchen and 10 teachers including vocational class teachers and volunteers)
  • There are additional 6 volunteers, who are actively supporting both the students and the teachers
• A separate document has been prepared which pro vides background and profiles of some of the students at the school. Please check the Word file NDRS_Students_Profiles.
• In addition to the schooling, many new projects around the school have been undertaken in last 2 years, which is making this place a hot bed of activities that will serve these children and youth in this area a wonderful environment to build life, thanks to all leadership, staff, local volunteers and sponsors from all over the world.

Additional Projects

• Gardening, where variety of vegetables are grown for the students to consume as a part of their lunch and dinner – The students were active participants in developing this garden under the guidance and supervision of the staff and volunteers
• A Cow Shed is being built, which will be used to house 13 cows, which are being taken care by a team of students and volunteers group. The plan is to increase # of cows to 20 in fall of 2010. These cows are providing the milk for the residents in the school.
• Thanks to a donation of $ 4,000+ from a local donor, the foundation of a Guest House is already in place.
• See some of the photographs of what we saw at the school:

Student Assembly	Looking Forward
Teacher	Study & Entertain
Lunch Room	Cow Shed
Inspired by Indira Gandhi, Sant Tukaram & Swami Vivekanand	Navin Desai
Prakash, Ram & Gaurang	Ranked Students with Teachers

Vocational Training Program

• A major program to provide vocational training for the youth (16-20 Years) was started in 2009, which is now being expanded this year to provide training to youth in multi-disciplines:
• Driving, Security, Handyman, Computer Repair
• The concept is a novel one – The program imparts multi-vocational skills to a student, enough to allow some one  to land a reasonably well paying job (Rs 6,000 - $ 136 / month)
• The first batch for the students in this program has already started.
• A generous donation has been received to start this program.
• Now the program is also being enhanced by providing the residential facility for these students, which is being created by converting a Rail Bogey in a dormitory. This approach allows housing 40 students for a cost of $9,000, as opposed to $27,000 using a traditional building.

Since the Summer 2008 Vocational Program, the school has made great progress thanks to the tireless efforts of the staff and continued generosity from our supports.

Please click here for the full report.

Shri Dorabjee Tata Trust Mumbai donated Rs. 4.95 lakhs (Appx $11,800) for conducting vocational training programme for poor boys and girls of the area around Navin Desai Residential School.  Accordingly a programme was conducted from 11 May 08 to 11 Jun 08 for 287 children above 16 years of age.  The children were given choice of discipline from amongst 11 different vocational training that was organized.

Mr. Ramesh Kacholia and myself visited the school from 02 to 04 June 2008 and were impressed by the training being imparted there.  The list of 11 disciplines is given at Annexure 1, along with names of the instructors.  Photographs of students undergoing training for some of the disciplines are placed at Annuxure 2.  Most of the instructors were practicing their vocations at Nagpur and were well qualified.  There were honorary volunteers from the area who gave their full time in administration of the training.  Photographs of these volunteers and some of the instructors are placed at Annexure 3. Read the rest of this entry »