Today is Shikshadaan Foundation’s second anniversary and yes my late father-in-law’s birthday as well. Some interesting things happened in this second year too …
For the first time we got money for ShikshaDaan through an innovative internet program. We received Rs. 1 lakh and we donated it to two amazing organizations, APD ( Association for people with Disability) and Salaam Baalak Trust. Read more about these organizations on these links – APD and Salaam Baalak Trust.
In the second year we continued to sponsor the 15 people we had sponsored in the first year and added six more. Three new students from Ananya Trust got funding for their college education … And also got Ananya Trust, support through our contacts for designing their hostel. I want to talk about one of these students – Prasanna. Krishnan met him and was just floored with his enthusiasm and zest for life. His father is an alcoholic and mother a daily wage worker… His younger brother unfortunately has taken to alcohol too. Prasanna has done his schooling from the National open school system through Ananya Trust. He stays at Ananya Trust and doesn’t want to stay at home and get influenced by his father’s habit. He has dreams of helping his family but wants to first get an education and earn well. ShikshaDaan is helping him get a degree in visual arts (multimedia). Prasanna is clearly the most exciting student we have funded this past year.
It will take another year of low key operations to get the regulatory compliances in place… But ShikshaDaan’s new dream is born already. It’s “Mission 120,000,00″ … Over the next twenty years we hope to help 1.2 crore people who cannot fund an education to get that education by funding it. . Audacious ? Yes, but what is life if it’s not audacious and big and hairy :):). This dream will be launched more formally on the ShikshaDaan website, but till then, ideas and funds are welcome.
Looking forward to year three and the new zestful people we will meet and help towards getting the education they covet. Happy birthday Appa and ShikshaDaan.
Good job!4 yrs back I initiated an NGO ‘BUJURG SWASTHYA SEWA SAMITI at Pachamba,Giridih, Jharkhand.We provide free weekly examination with free medicines&subsidized investigations for 60+ elderly pts.Our 32 members have treated over9000 pts.in our weekly camps&annual megacamps. Suggestions& donations would be welcome.