Sri Saraswathi Shishu Mandir boarding school and its community are in one of the tribal areas in India. This community is barely scraping and the children at this school need help far beyond simple school funding.
The following are the details of the plan rolled out by our founder for Sri Saraswathi Shishu Mandir, Bhadrachalam:
- Providing rice for one year. Day’s brother owns a rice mill and has already sent 18 quintals (approx. 2 tons or 1800 kg) of rice for three months for the institution.
- Setting up a well-equipped computer lab with desktop computers, laptop, screen, projector, muti-function printer/scanner/copier and a 3-D printer.
- Technology serves as a force multiplier. This will enable the teachers and students to utilize learning software and games to make learning fun and easy
- Arrangements have already been made for 9 desktop computers. One laptop computer, projector, multifunction printer have been purchased and sent to the school.
- Train all teachers and students of Shishu Mandir in basics of computers and software.
- A member of the Fortune Fund Advancement Committee – India spent two weeks with the students and staff to train them on how to use the computers. Additionally, the school has been setup with a trainer who will handle mentorship of the teacher’s programs at Isha Vidya.
- A scooter has been supplied to Shishu Mandir to handle all of their local transport requirements.
- The Fortune Fund also plans to repair the existing van of Shishu Mandir and handle all of the associated costs.
- We would also like to setup a science laboratory and a sports & games facility.
- Items for these facilities have already been purchased and provided to the school.
- The Fortune Fund would like to provide an instructor for teaching classical dance to students.
In order to help fund these initiatives and plan for the future, the Fortune Fund Advancement Committee – US (FFAC) has established and “Adopt-a-Student” program wherein each sponsor would fund a single students yearly enrollment and schooling costs. The per person cost is $400 USD per year.
Currently there are 32 students enrolled in Sishu Mandir that need sponsorship though we hope to achieve at least 70 sponsorships. This will allow students that had to dropout to help their families survive to re-enroll.
By next year, it is our hope to have 100 students enrolled and sponsored.
Long Term Measures
- Setup a dairy farm to provide nutritious milk to children.
- Additionally, this will allow the community to sell any excess milk, thus making it profitable and therefore a self-sustaining dairy farm.
- Procure 3 to 5 acres of land near Shishu Mandir, Bhadrachalam. This land and its uses, enumerated below, would provide vegetables to the children and any income generated would further our goals of ensuring a self-sustaining community.
- This land will be used to grow the following:
- Grass for cows
- Fruits
- Organic vegetables
- Flowers
- Red sandalwood trees
- Honeybee stations
- Mushrooms
- This land will be used to grow the following: