Minutes of Asha Seattle meeting on 09/04/08

Venue : RTC LWSD No 414, Morton Johnson Room, Redmond, WA

Attendees: Binay, Manohita, Vijay, Ken, Hareesh, Smita, Kalpana, Nagendra, Jaya

 

Project -   ISC Pune – Presented by Smita and Deb – First time funding request

Basic summary:

  • India Sponsorship Committee
  • 335 children, 14 teachers in Pune, Yarawada district
  • Children of migration workers
  • Programs: Gender education, Vocational training, General education (Support classes)
  • 20% gender, 70% general and 10% vocational.
  • Other parts of the project – Pashan – 236 children, Wakhad – 150 children
  • General Education (Support Classes):
    • Basics in support classes, emphasis on English and Maths
  • Library programs – 26 boys of 8th and 10th standard use them
    • Computer programs – L&T outreach – children from 4th standard – twice in a week
  • Past 5 years 100% of 60 children completed primary education
  • Stumbling blocks for children - English and Maths

Questions:

1.       Why Karuna Trust remove funding? – They want to support other parts of ISC Pune work

2.       How teachers are divided – 1 teacher per group. If >25 students, then 1 assistant teacher

3.       Drop rate? – 15-20% for > 8 and 25% for 10th standard. 50% of 10th class would pass

4.       When do English classes start? – 5th and 6th grade. Moving towards 4th.

5.       ISC – any programs for students who aren’t part of the system? – Reenrollment program.

6.       Expenses for 1 or 2 coordinators?- 2

7.       Training for teachers? – Training outsourcing, workshops etc.

8.       Extracurricular activities – Diwali and summer vacation camps – 2 week

9.       Sessions – within grades, different grouping while teaching – permutations and combinations. 1-7 and 8-10 grouping.

10.   Materials – sheets, markers, papers etc.

Gender Education:

Helds workshops for Gender education.

180 children – 1 session for 3 months

1 sabha

Children from 4th to 6th grades – to avoid stereotypes

1 period/week in schools plan for this gender education

Children and girl health – main topics

Regarding sexual abuse children can help themselves

Questions:

1.       Benefits? – Consolidate the feedback input from society

2.       How old are they – 10 to 18 years

3.       Expansions? Yes, if possible from nearby areas.

4.       Income generation skills? – Like candles etc. Not much vocational training lately.

Budget :

10,25,000 Rs/- from Asha

Questions:

1.       Office Assistant salary – 4 to 5 years no

2.       Admin Expenses line item in both categories

3.       Salaries (6 months) line item

Voting:

                First time –Rs 10,25,000/- ASAP - 6 Yes, 2 Abstain, 0 No

Approval contingencies:

                Answer Budget questions 2 and 3 above.

 

 

Project - VIkasana Bridge School – Presented by Manohita – renewal

Basic summary:

Asha Melbourne, then to Asha Florida, then to Asha Seattle – Vibhavaree, Pavan and Manohita

  • Site Visit Report – Good
  • 2007 budget included computers
  • 2008 budget includes beds
  • UFlorida trying for WAH support for Vikasana organic farming sustainability project
  • 25 kids only
  • Hostel environment
  • All education provided
  • Sons and daughters of migration workers
  • Through WAH UFlorida wants to fund organic funding

Questions:

1.       How long will students stay – As long as needed. Typically 1 year for bridging purpose only

2.       UFlorida involvement – co owner

3.       Site visit summary? – Good, no negatives

4.       Why not more than 25 kids – just one teacher, handles it all

5.       Education? – yes, to all

6.       When did we start funding? 2006 and 2007

Budget

4 months funding sent, 8 months left – 2,65,700 Rs.

15% inflation rate or so

Been there for the last 5 years or so

8 months funding – little more than twice of 4 months budget we sent

 

Voting:

                Is this project our chapter/do we own along with UFlorida?  9 Yes, 0 Abstain, 0 No

                Funds already approved

Approval results:

                We need to find secondary and tertiary stewards

 

Project – Center For Learning – Presented by Hareesh – First time renewal

Background: 

  • Gurveen with her father, mother and sister founded CFL in 1982 (25 years back)
  • Took a loan, started school. Mother and father and sister also worked in the school.
  • Gurveen’s sister moved to USA 4 years back.  Father passed away and mother is only able to come for two hours per day. Others joined the team and were trained but three years back another second level team left and Gurveen is trying to build the team afresh.
  • Asha Association:
  • Gurveen involved in Learning for Network with Jayashree, Ranjani and Anita Balasubramanian.
  • Anita visited Gurveen’s school in 2005 as part of a workshop. Met, impressed, and took the proposal.
  • Anita forwarded proposal to other Asha chapters. Didn’t succeed because of no bandwidth.
  • Swati/Anita/Srijan found email and forwarded newly to Asha Seattle/Shailesh.
  • Shailesh received 2006 proposal. Now the latest proposal. I picked up this Hyd project. 
  • Talked to Anita for 1 hour, Gurveen for 0.5 hr, been in regular communication since then.
  • Anju Anand in Hyd and can visit the school whenever needed.
  • Activities:
  • Studies in education and related areas.
  • Publication of Edu-Care, a forum for concerns about education and society (appreciated by NCERT)
  • Children's Education Centre, catering to all sections of society
  • Adult Learning Network – catering to all ages and sections of society
  • Teacher training (consultancies), Creation of educational resources
  • CFL 2007 Annual Report Summary:
  • 65 students (72 max) – 26 fee paying, 38 sponsored.
  • Year of parents’ support, Teachers shortage.
  • Film festival, Teacher’s Day, Independence Day celebrations;     Handmade cards, arts (drawings, writings, paintings)
  • Students invited present/old teachers to celebrate 25th year on their own.
  • 8 parent-teacher sessions, 2 issues of Edu-Care, 2 five-day teacher education sessions.
  • Fees collected 2.6Lakh Rs/-. Total donations 3LRs/- (SRTT has granted 5L and sent half), 1LRs/-interest
  • Gurveen invited for National seminar at CESS, Univ. of Hyd , consulted for the course of Philosophy of Education to be offered by TISS, Mumbai as part of MA Education, invited by Wipro-WATIS, Association with CRY etc. in the past.

Site Visit:

Already within one year as last project site visit was done in November 2007. Another kicked off. Good site visit.

Questions:

1.       How many students? 70

2.       Budget distribution? – SRTT, CFL (through fees) and Asha

3.       Education? – Alternate education?

4.       Doesn’t she go everywhere? – Yes, Gurveen gives workshops.

5.       Workshops for their teachers? – No for outsiders as well

6.       Site visit? – Last year and another is kicked off as well

7.       Running alone? Future? May be Anju, for now, no one.

8.       Funding for next year? SRTT might pull out, but I said there might not be funds from us.

Budget :

                Same as last year – 3K rs extra – 1,99,600 Rs.

Voting:

                Funds approved – 9 Yes, 0 Abstain, 0 No

Questions to answer:

1.       Recognition of 10th class certificate?

2.       Success rate?

3.       Distribution of students in grades?

 

 

Minutes taken by Hareesh Veldandi

 

 

 

 

<<Asha-Seattle Home