Asha for Education March Monthly Meeting Back 2 School Phase II Project Proposal Asha AZ Project Champions – Mukund Asha Chennai Contacts – Lakshmi and Rajaraman Support for Tsunami Affected Children

More than a year since the Tsunami hit the coast of Tamilnadu. A lot of children have suffered from this tragedy. Their schooling has also been impacted. Many children lost their school books, notebooks, uniforms etc. The schools play an important role in returning to these children a sense of normalcy. It further provides them a secure environment away from their home. Thus it is important that we get the children these materials so that they can resume their normal schooling activities. It is with this intention that Asha Chennai provided “Back to School” support for about 2500 children last year (for the academic year ). We are continuing to receive requests for the Back to School support for the year as well. The regeneration of many of the affected communities is a slow and ongoing process. Therefore this help is required for the continuing education of these children. Background

The schools that have been identified for support by Asha, are schools where a majority of the children are affected by the Tsunami. In a couple of cases the intended beneficiaries of the project are not children of a specific school but children from an affected village that go to different schools. There is no plan for long-term involvement with these schools. The volunteers (they are the people who have identified the needs working in these areas plan to follow up with the children in these areas at least once a week).

Some of the schools and organizations are identified below: The children will be from areas identified through CLEAD / UWF an organization we worked with in the earlier Phase I of the project. The children will be from Nadukuppam near Triplicane, Kasimedu Kuppam and Pazhaverkadu = 250 numbers from KG classes to college level- 4 to 18 years age These children go to different schools mostly aided by the govt. These schools do not get uniforms and have to make their own arrangements for notebooks. Children identified from govt. schools and aided schools in Akkarapettai by the headmistress of the Sinthanai Sirpi School. These children are from the neighbourhood of her school who go to the schools very close to hers in Classes children 5 to 18 years of age There is also a Balwadi very close to the Sinthanai Sirpi School In Akkarapettai where the children do need support with clothes and play materials, crayons and colours- 50 children 3 to 6 years of age Schools Identified

Since this list is continuing to expand, we are treating this as an open ended project. The list of schools and children actually helped as part of this project is captured elsewhere and would be posted in the webpage along with this proposal. We are currently requesting support for an additional 500 children at the cost of Rs 1000 per child.

Support Details & Budget For each student we intend to provide the following: Note books for children – The notebooks varies starting at 2 ruled, 1 unruled, 1 maths and 1 drawing notebooks for classes 1 and 2 to 1 unruled, 2 long composition books and 6 long unruled 200 page notebooks for classes 11 and 12. Pencil box for all classes with pencils and pens (higher classes). Colour pencils and crayons for children upto 6th standard. Geometry boxes for 7th to 12th standard children. One lunch box per child. One school bag per child. One activity book for fun and games for coming to terms with the effects of the Tsunami Two sets of uniforms or civil clothes (esp. for college students or Balwadi children) at an average cost of Rs 250 per set for each child. Note we will initially give one uniform for the children and give the other set after we are able to cover all the children. Total Cost per Child for the above items:Rs Total Support Required for the Project:500 * Rs 1000 = Rs 5 Lakhs Fund Requirement Information/Summary

Proposed Asha Arizona Funding Furniture for the classrooms etc. – Rs 1.3 Lakhs (~ USD 3,100.00) Teaching/Learning materials – Rs 1.2 Lakhs (~ USD 2,900.00) Teacher Salaries and Miscellaneous Expenses – Rs 1.5 Lakhs (~ USD 3,600.00) Total Cost for the Asha AZ part of the funding: ~ USD 9, Rs 4.0 Lakhs – USD $1= Rs 42 (This is what they get after bank charges) Current balance of Asha AZ Tsunami funds = USD 13,613.41