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.

Please click here for the full report.

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.

The training consisted of lectures, giving notes and practical training in the morning hours followed by lunch for all students.  This was followed by a combined lecture in the afternoon by guest speaker on common subjects like Character building, quality of life, social service etc for 2 hours.  One such lecture by a renowned speaker was witnessed by the undersigned (Annuxure 4).  Evenings were spent in sports and physical training.  Nearly 120 children who came from far off villages stayed back at the school at night and were provided with dinner.

Some of the products made by students are shown in Annexure 5.  Arrangements are being made for their manufacture by the students who will be provided raw material procured centrally and their marketing through stores in Nagpur.  Some students who have been trained as electricians and fabricators are likely to be absorbed by the workshop and contractors in Nagpur.  They are being helped to find a place to stay in Nagpur.  Selected students trained in light motor vehicle driving will be given training as body guards in Bhosala Military School Nagpur to improve their job prospects. Some of them will also be assisted in future for training in heavy vehicles to get absorbed in the stone quarries.

The programme was highly successful and with active follow up, will result in finding gainful employment for these students.  Navin Desai Residential  School has received added reputation through this programme as an institution created for helping the needy people of the area selflessly.

1. The first batch of 33 students has completed the first standard training. Except for 2 students who will need special coaching, rest have successfully cleared the first standard examination. Some 13 children who had left their schooling after few years were also allowed to enroll in the school and appear for examination for higher standards.  The school has recognition till fourth standard from the State Education Board. Examination was conducted by Navin Desai School for children up to third standard. For fourth standard, examination was conducted by the state board and all the children passed the examination. For higher standards (above fourth standard) exams were conducted by other schools after permission was obtained from the education authority of the state. All these students have cleared their examination and will progress to pursue next higher standard in the Residential school while appearing for examination in other schools. Thus all 46 children of first batch will continue with the school for the second year.  Meeting the children gave definite impression about their overall improvements through education and stay at the school.
2. Preparations are on for inducting the second batch of students. 29 students for first standard have already joined the school. We are likely to cross figure of 100 residential students for first, second and higher standards put together during current academic year 2008-09.   Additional room and toilet and bathing facilities are under construction. Two additional teachers have been hired.
3. During the year, support has been received from various sources like Smile Foundation Rs 2.36 lakhs/$5600 (education grant for school), Mumbai Group of Friends Rs. 6 lakhs/$14300 (for Residential School), Stitching Mitra, Netherlands Rs. 2.75 Lakhs/$6600 (for Parent Organization Vimlashram Gharkul), from various donors Rs 1.56 lakhs/$3750 (for adopting one year education of a child), Arpan Foundation Rs. 42,000/$1000 and Rs. 1.75 Lakhs/$4100 through Navin Desai Memorial Fund (for Residential School). Additional help in kind like dry/fresh ration has also been received.  It was indeed heartening that Mr. Ramesh Kacholia of Mumbai Group of Friends visited the school along with me.  Shri Dorabjee Tata Trust, Mumbai donated Rs. 4.95 lakhs/$11,800 for a vocational training programme at Navin Desai Residential School.  The programme was successfully conducted. A separate report is made out on this programme.
4. For creating source of in house funding, idea of having a cattle farm has been pushed.  Some cows were purchased which are multiplying and also providing milk for the children.  Additional 30 acre land has been taken on lease in the vicinity to permit growing cheaper cow feed.  It is proposed to build strength of 50 cows to make it a profitable venture.  Besides the three different donation schemes suggested earlier, it is proposed to add the fourth scheme for adopting a cow for Rs. 20,000/$5000.
5. It will be necessary to extend the building during next one year to accommodate third and fourth batch in July 2009.  The plan for this extension has been revised based on the observation made in the first phase of building.  The cost for this extension is estimated to be Rs 5 lakhs/$12000.  This amount is urgently required to be sourced for continued growth of the Residential School.
6. Talking with the children, teachers, staff and other local people; I got a distinct feeling that the school is delivering the promise with which the project was initiated. To see the transformation in the children brought about by education and to see the glint in their eyes of a better future was a greatly satisfying experience.
7. With the help of original donors of Navin Desai Memorial Fund and other philanthropists, the school has come a long way.  With their continued support it is bound to grow further and contribute to the upliftment of poor people of the region. The sincere selfless efforts of Mr. Ram Ingole and his team and their unflinching faith in the cause convinced me that this ambitious project will surely be taken to its logical conclusion.

It has been decided to start the first class starting July 15, 2007.  Following actions have been taken towards this end:

There are 104 stone quarries in Panchgaon area. Two counselors, Mrs. Karuna Kolhe and Mrs. Pinky Singh, BSW, have visited and talked to the labourers to motivate the parents of the children to send their children to school.

Some students and their parents were called to the school when we visited the school building. Efforts of the counselors were apparent from the fact that there were nearly 100 students ready to join and we had to select the first batch restricting the number to 50. The enthusiasm of children and parents during our interaction with them was remarkable considering the fact that education is still not considered desirable in this class of people. Admission Form and Indemnity Bond, to be signed by parents, have been designed to ensure that child, once admitted, will not be removed from school by parents till 12th standard and also that school will not be responsible if child runs away or succumbs to any illness or self inflicted injury.

Two teachers have been hired. We met them and saw them conducting a class.  They were found to be satisfactory.