Good thought to ponder this morning?
We stand for SDG4 and SDG5.
Gates Foundation
Progress is possible, but only if you create it.
In 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals to end poverty, fight inequality, and stop climate change by 2030. What’s your number? Goalkeepers2030
https://www.facebook.com/11309713071/posts/10160294545253072/
If girls in rural areas are not making it to schools, education should be brought to them either remotely or educators in mobile schools going to rural areas! Pardada Pardadi Educational Society
Beti Bachao!
Beti Padhao!
https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/articles/3-ways-you-can-support-girls-and-women-in-afghanistan/
A great article on the importance of educating girls!
https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/08/19/why-educating-girls-is-even-more-important-than-people-realise
Here is an example of how any one can easily raise money using FB fundraiser!
https://www.facebook.com/donate/167440228687856/4093464044114063/
If you know an young girl who can benefit from this, please let her know about this scholarship available from Girl Up.
The Girl Up Scholarship Fund just announced a new round of scholarships for young leaders in Sports thanks to the help of WWE! *Update: STEM scholarships are not available this round
Please visit https://www.girlup.org/scholarship for more info and apply by September 17.
Inspiring older generation for the next generation of girls!
https://fb.watch/v/5xQ4C3X52
“One thing that I have learned from these women is tenacity, but tenacity coupled with optimism. The optimism that we can bend the curve, we can defy expectations, and that we can make dreams come true.”–Diva Dhar, Gates Foundation economist
We need to support ANEW as it copes with Covid Pandemic to continue delivering girl and women education under these trying circumstances!
ANEW – ‘Association for Non-traditional Employment for Women’
The new normal!!
Batches are split to help students attend sessions at ANEW in small groups!!
Covid impact highlights digital divide and mental health issues!
https://link.medium.com/KZEjpuX9Zkb
Protsahan is helping children learn during the Pandemic school closures.
https://www.facebook.com/106400072733741/posts/6127557010617987
Well said!
Melinda French Gates
Here’s the message I shared at last week’s Forum–the largest gathering in 26 years of people working for gender equality:
It is precisely when we confront how broken things are that we have the most power to reimagine them and lay a foundation for a more resilient society. Finally, we can center women and girls in all their diversity instead of marginalizing them.
We need your support to educate & empower girls!
UN Girls’ Education Initiative
Estimates predict that 20 million more secondary school-age girls could be out of school after the COVID19 crisis.
http://ow.ly/iXsX50FmBv8
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/why-women-have-suffered-more-financially-during-the-pandemic
Very effective forum. I attended some sessions virtually!
https://www.facebook.com/1834646273486845/posts/2968188050132656/
Gates Foundation makes a big commitment to gender equality today at the UN Women Generation Equality conference in Paris.
Gates Foundation
While we have seen progress over the past quarter century, nowhere on earth are women on equal footing as men.
That’s why we’re committing $2.1 billion over the next 5 years to advance gender equality. One can learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/actforequal
This is happening in Paris starting tomorrow. We support SDG#5, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/genderequality
UN Women
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/generationequality Forum in Paris starts tomorrow! It’s a landmark event to accelerate progress on gender equality.
One can also visit https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/actforequal and become part of building an equal future! Register now and join us virtually:https://unwo.men/DMF450FjU1F
Our focus for 2021 and beyond will be on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for girls. “We need…to break the glass ceiling and expand opportunities for women and girls in science,” says Batyrkanova, who works to promote STEM education for young women and girls, including courses on soldering, 3D-modeling, and 3D-printing.
Protashan is leading the efforts for STEM education for girls.
We’re ecstatic for our girl champions and so proud of them! 30 girls graduated from our STEM courses, which prepare them for digital, financial, and career-ready skills, between March and June 2021. Taking steps towards becoming working professionals, university students and, most significantly, digitally informed and empowered youth. They continue to inspire us with their magic every day!
Please join us and Kriti Sanon in supporting Protsahan Foundation based in New Delhi to help the victims of Covid-19.
https://fb.watch/6okVAcw7qa/
The lovely and humble Kriti Sanon – immensely celebrated and loved Bollywood actor – stands in solidarity with Protsahan India Foundation’s work on the frontlines for most marginalized children impacted by Covid-19. Listen to what she has to say!
My mother was an young widow facing enormous challenges of bringing up four children by herself! Here is what we can do!
“Empower widows to support themselves and their families and live with dignity by ensuring access to education and training opportunities, decent work and equal pay, and by reversing social stigmas that exclude, discriminate, or lead to harmful and violent practices against widows.”
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/6/explainer-what-you-should-know-about-widowhood
Post Covid-19 initiative to introduce STEM education to girls is a top priority for us. Please donate today!
The risk of regression is real. So it is crucial that, even if governments of poor countries have to tighten their belts, they prioritize spending on education and girls. Donors should help, too. Persuading girls to stay in school longer is not only a way to teach them Science and Maths; it is also a chance to vaccinate them and teach them about birth control, consent and self-assertion. It can even be an opportunity to advise parents about the downsides of child marriage and sharing a COVID-19 Update.
- 1) VHS Hospital, Adyar, Chennai – INR 1,086,000
Maquet Servo-S upgradeable ICU ventilator has been delivered to VHS hospital, Adyar, Chennai on June 1, 2021. It has been installed in the COVID ward of the Hospital and has been put to immediate use to save lives. - 2)Hindu Mission Hospital, Chennai – INR 1,100,000
Adult-Pediatric Hamilton C1 with HFO (ICU Ventilator) was delivered to Hindu Mission Hospital, Chennai on June 10, 2021. It has been shifted to COVID ward of the hospital. - 3)Annaii Hospital, Chennai – INR 450,000
20 Oxygen Cylinders have been delivered to Annaii Hospital, Chennai on June 9, 2021 for use in it’s COVID special ward. - 4)Provision of Food at Trichy, Tamilnadu – INR 150,000
Food distribution to the blind, physically challenged, homeless, mortuary workers, Ambulance drivers at Trichy in association with an NGO (Vrudhashram) has been done from May 17 to June 10, 2021. On an average 2,500 food packets were distributed. - 5)Vivekananda Mission, Attappady (COVID treatment center for Tribals), Kerala – INR 450,000
Funds provided for the purchase of capital items and consumables for COVID treatment facility in Attappady covering Tribal villages. The center is currently located in Dr.Abdul Kalam School in Pattimalam, Kerala with 50 beds (20 beds with Oxygen support).
Please donate generously, so we can reach more people in need, impacted by Covid crisis in India.
Girls to know and be inspired by, for all young girls and women everywhere!
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/compilation-girls-to-know
You can do your share of addressing this critical issue impacting women everywhere!
“Supporting girls to get 12 years of quality education is one of the smartest investments we can make as the world recovers from Covid-19. Otherwise we risk creating a lost pandemic generation,” said Mr Johnson.
Today is International NURSES day!
We thank all the home nursing assistants and hospital workers for choosing this profession and serving with commitment especially during this Covid Crisis.
Our thanks extend to the NGOs – ANEW and Sarva Vidya for imparting the training to many of them in India.
Happy https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/mothersday Cheers to all the phenomenal mothers around the world who provide care, laughs, lessons, protection, inspiration, strength, love and so much more.
I have a special fundraiser now for Covid Relief in India. Please review and consider donating to this effort. Your support is urgently needed to execute this in a timely manner and save lives.
https://www.facebook.com/donate/1011574672923734/3801897036604100/
Protsahan is based in New Delhi. Please support their efforts to care for children without one or both parents impacted by Covid tragedy in India.
As COVID claims thousands of victims, it creates a thousand more in its wake. Countless children have lost one or both parents to COVID and are left without any caregivers. Protsahan’s frontline workers are actively involved in identifying vulnerable children in our communities and providing them shelter, support and care.
The Reuters covered our work today. To aid our efforts, please consider donating to our Ketto campaign.
Make a difference this Mother’s Day. Shop for gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/45-4708552 to generate donations for Surya-Chandra Foundation.
Protsahan, NGO based in New Delhi for disadvantaged girl children is stepping up during COVID to help young children who have lost their parents due to the Pandemic.
We need to educate and empower girls, so that they can decide for themselves when it is appropriate to get married!
In India, Tasmani, 15, stopped her impending marriage by informing the local authorities. We need to empower girls to say no to child marriage and strengthen systems that protect girls’ rights. https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/endchildmarriage
Story & photo: UNFPA – UNICEF
Young girls who understand the impact of climate changes on planet earth better than some politicians!
You can help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you! Simply follow the instructions below to select “Surya-Chandra Foundation” as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They’ll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us. It is really easy:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
3. Select “Surya-Chandra Foundation” as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
The vulnerable girls need your help!
Protsahan India Foundation
At the height of the pandemic, Protsahan is making sure to not give up on any little vulnerable girl who needs support and care. Sometimes its a meal, sometimes access to a digital device or tuition support, sometimes access to sanitary pads, or sometimes access to a caring teacher who will not let her fail.
Nice to do list for everyone! A ton of work ahead.
UN Women
To-Do:
- End gender-based violence
- Challenge gender norms
- Empower each other
- Celebrate diversity
- Break stereotypes
- Reject the binary
- End discrimination
- Speak up for justice
- Fight for an equal future
- Stand up for human rights
Vinodini Sudhindran, President-ANEW, an NGO we have supported since 2013, receives the NGO AWARD 2020 at Infinity Social Welfare and Research (ISWAR) Foundation’s CSR Summit.
Ms. Vinodini was also invited by them to be on their expert panel for the event for a discussion on women empowerment.
Thank you ISWAR Foundation… we are humbled by the honor and recognition. We would like to thank everyone involved in the planning, organizing and conduction of the event
If you have a teenage daughter, you might want to encourage her to seek a role with Girl UP! Girl Up
Here are the 5 action plans that came out for International Women’s Day. Surya-Chandra Foundation is engaged in a few of the activities:
1) Helping girls learn and thrive 2) Rehabilitating victims of violence and abuse
There are many small things all of us can try to do for advancing gender equality. Please read through the action plans to learn more details.
Don’t forget March 8th is International Women’s Day!
International Women’s Day
Women are no longer taking a back seat, waiting for equality. Women are leading the world to a better future. March 8, is the day to join the fight for women’s rights. Are you with us?
Generation Equality
Did you know you can generate donations while shopping for your valentile or any other occasion at no extra cost? Simply start your shopping at smile.amazon.com to confirm “Surya-Chandra Foundation” as your charity of choice, and AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchase price to our organization.
We earned a 2021 Gold Seal of Transparency! Learn more about our organization’s impact at
guidestar.org
Girls can do anything. Sometimes all they need is the opportunity to shine and break the gender bias. 
Our NGO partner ANEW had a successful job fair. Please see the details in a Facebook Posting
Today, Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman sworn in as the Vice President of the United States.
Photo courtesy of Hillary Clinton
Get to know YouthInvest, a Jharkand based NGO focused on girl education for school dropouts.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
An excellent definition for Empathy
Sad but true!
Instagram posting
An excellent analysis of lessons from Covid-19 crisis
A blog posting
You grow, girl
Did you know Girl Up’s leadership development programs have impacted 75,000 girls in over 125 countries around the world? We are inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change. Tap the link below to learn more about Girl Up today!
https://girlup.org/about
Very good advice to all young Parents out there!
Do you know one of these women personally? If so, please introduce our Foundation to her. Thanks.
Forbes Article
Surya-Chandra-Foundation wishes Season’s Greetings to all our Patrons, Donors and Volunteers .
Girl Up announces STEM and S.T.E.A.M. Program
“We hoped to equip young activists with STEM and arts (S.T.E.A.M.)-related entrepreneurship skills that could be used to address community-based gender inequalities.
Additionally, we hoped to provide participants with a welcoming environment in which they could create new connections, share ideas with one another, and feel empowered with their unique skill sets.” – Girl Up Pacific Coast.
With 25 eager and ambitious participants, the Pacific Coast Regional leadership team was set for the S.T.E.A.M. Into Action program! Tap the link below to read more about their event. https://girlup.org/voices/pacific-coast-regional-leaders-s-t-e-a-m-into-action
Sangeeta Bhatia – an excellent role model for young girls!
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0404/04-bhat-nf.html
At Surya-Chandra Foundation, we focus on goals 4 and 5 — these are Quality Education for Girls and Gender Equality in all walks of life.
ANEW opines on Gender Equality and Gender Based Violence
“Talk to MEN and BOYS, include them in the discussion” says Cani, a committed member of team ANEW. Being a mother of two lovely boys, she feels the right place to start is at home !
Including men and boys in the discussion is crucial to end Gender Based Violence.
GBV against women and girls, should be recognised as NOT A WOMEN’S ISSUE ! The perpetrators of the crime, are the issue !!! It is important that they are a part of the discussion on GENDER EQUALITY.
Gender Based Violence is based on one gender feeling superior to the other, whereas in reality, as humans, we are ALL equal!
Gender Equality is the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. For gender based violence to stop, gender equality must be addressed.
The discussion must go on!
Surya-Chandra Foundation solicits donations.
You can make an impact while you shop for Black Friday deals. Simply shop at
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/45-4708552 and Amazon Smile will donate a percentage of the sales amount to Surya-Chandra Foundation at no cost to you.
Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful to all of our friends, supporters, and volunteers who make our programs possible.
We have supported PCVC in their efforts to rehabilitate burn victims in Chennai, India.
https://www.facebook.com/307774869416725/posts/1567672870093579
Job Offers for Sarva Vidya’s Nursing Assistant Trainees
Thanks to all our donors and volunteers, Sarva Vidya batch of 2018-20 have all gained employment in a very high sought after demand for Nursing Assistants.
Anniversary Message
23rd Anniversary Message from our NGO Partner ANEW in India
https://youtu.be/TTBHO7hhihg
International Girls’ Day
Today, we celebrate the day of international girls everwhere! “Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday.” – Sally Ride, American Astronaut and Physicst.
Please join BollyX-The Bollywood Workout fundraiser for our cause on Sunday, August 23rd at 11 AM ET.
July 30th is World Day for us to raise our voice against human trafficking! Women and girls do not have s price tag. Women and girls should not be sexually exploited.
ANEW entry level IT training course students took their exam online due to Covid-19 lockdown in India!
We met with two waitresses at Writer’s Cafe – both rehabilitated burn victims from PCVC, an NGO that needs support to rehabilitate more of these young women!
On January 26th, we met with Sarada Vidyalaya high school students and interviewed several of them to learn about their progress through Sarva Vidya After School Program. Completing secondary school is a game-changer for girls. But the odds are all too often stacked against them.
On January 20th, we met with Ms.Prasanna Gettu of International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) to learn more about her untiring contributions to fighting gender based violence. She recently received the Anne Klein Women’s award for 2020 from Heinrich Boell Stiftung in Germany.
Anne-Klein-womens-award-2020
On Monday, January 13th, in a hall filled with Alumni Graduates, Current Students, Educators, and Other Dignitaries, Sarva Vidya Success Stories Book (a compliation of 50 heart warming stories) was released by Director Sue Nakappan. Several Alumni spoke with enthusiasm and gratitude to share their life journeys enabled by the education as Care Givers received at Sarva Vidya.
Please visit our fundraiser to learn about how you can help burn victims of domestic abuse.
https://www.facebook.com/donate/535163337303669/
29% of women aged 18 to 49 experience some form of domestic violence in India!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-N2zOwNIw
Over 18,000 cases of stalking was registered between 2014 and 2017 in India. 4 out of 5 women faced some form of harassment or violence in public in India. 92% women faced some form of sexual violence in public spaces in their lifetimes. Can workspaces support women in addressing sexual harassment in public spaces?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=eONtqrh990w&t=221s&fbclid=IwAR0lZnOy7lfqnFczCi68NdmO83c2Fr_MY9N_kYaO7Jr5ikf2JrkqwEdYOjY
Visit with Primary School Girls and Boys in Iguazú, Brazil.
“Gender inequalities persist. Women represent less than 40 per cent of those employed, occupy only about a quarter of managerial positions in the world and (according to data available from a limited set of countries) face a gender pay gap of 12 per cent. About a fifth of those aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical or sexual partner violence in the past 12 months. There is simply no way that the world can achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals without also achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.”
From the SDG Progress Report 2019 issued by the U.N. Secretary General
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2019.pdf.
September 10, 2019 Press Release
Contact: Murli Nakappan, Founder and CEO
Surya-Chandra Foundation
info@s-c-foundation.org
Join in the Fun
September 10, 2019. Simi Valley, CA. The Surya-Chandra Foundation, a charity that provides funding to help women eclipse poverty and inequality in India, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a free and entertaining event. The community is invited to join in the fun for an afternoon of dance, music and food. Admission and parking are free.
The event will be held on Sunday, September 22, at the Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, located at 5005 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The Foundation was started by Directors Murli and Sue Nakappan to help young girls and women in India to overcome extreme poverty. According to Murli Nakappan, founder and CEO of the Surya-Chandra Foundation, “More than 1.3 billion people live in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 a day, and more than 30% of them—400 million people—live in India.”
The Foundation, whose mission is to stop violence against women, empower underprivileged women to rise above poverty and inequality through encouragement, basic education and vocational skills, is a not-for profit corporation.
“Investing in girls’ education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Investments in secondary school education for girls yield especially high dividends. Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families,” says Director Nakappan. Educated women recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. “Education helps girls and women to know their rights and to gain confidence to claim them,” Director Nakappan adds.
The Surya-Chandra Foundation, named after the founder’s two sisters, began its operation by helping six female students to pursue higher education in India. During the last five years, the Foundation has raised over one hundred thousand dollars and has helped 1143 girls and women to empower themselves by overcoming gender inequality.
“Fighting against poverty and domestic violence is of global importance,” says Director Sue Nakappan. “We hope the community will come to support us as we work to eliminate both.”
Please RSVP “Yes” to info@s-c-foundation.org. For more information, call (818) 991-8895 or visit:
https://s-c-foundation.org/
https://www.facebook.com/empowergirleducation/
Donations are welcome.
Surya-Chandra Foundation
Empowering women to eclipse poverty and inequality
Celebrating Sixth Anniversary An afternoon filled with music, dance and snacks September 22nd, 2019 3 PM to 6 PM
Rancho Santa Susana Community Center
5005 E Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley, CA 93063
Event Sponsored by Sue and Murli Nakappan
Cultural Event Supported by Below Schools & Families
Program:
2:55 PM: Seating, please be seated by 2:55PM to help us start the program on time
3:00 PM: Welcome by Sue and Murli Nakappan
3:10 PM: Invocation Songs by Sangeetha Sadhana Carnatic Classical Music school
3:25 PM: Introduction to Surya-Chandra Foundation
3:40 PM: Bharatha Natyam by Natyadwani Dance School
4:05 PM: Presentation
4:15 PM: Dance by DanceBolloywoodDance School
4:30 PM: Break, snacks
4:45 PM: Presentation
5:15 PM: Dance by DanZiFit
5:30 PM: Q&A
Sangeetha Sadhana: Vijaya has been teaching music last 13 plus years, disciple of Sri Daruri Seshachary, Sangeetha Natak academy awardee. Vijaya is a professional career woman for past 25 plus years along with passion for music and fine arts focusing on self-esteem of children through music and bringing community together with a belief in women’s strength and empowerment.
Natyadwani: Guru Arathi Srinivas, a disciple of Guru Smt. Geetha Ananthanarayan, is a virtuoso in Bharatanatyam, Kalakshetra Style. She is gifted with the talent and has imbibed the artistic nuances of classical ballet dancing and choreography skills. Arathi has been teaching through her well-established school in Thousand Oaks. Along with dance, Arathi has acted in theatre and teleseries. She has won awards and accolades from many prestigious sabhas.
DanceBollywoodDance: Monica Sarin has been conducting classes in local community and taught in UK for 15 years.
DanZiFit: Zini Joshi has been teaching Zumba and Bollywood dance since 2016. DanZiFit is where FITNESS and PASSION for BOLLYWOOD DANCE meet!!
*All contributions should be made as check payable to ‘Surya-Chandra Foundation’
We want to share some update(s) for 2nd quarter 2019. Surya-Chandra Foundation is participating in the Gala Committee for Boys & Girls Club of Conejo Valley. The upcoming event is on September 14th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, CA.
In other news, 180 girls attended the Bridge Course for College Bound. Our NGO Partner, ANEW in India conducted this productive training course and issued certificates for successful completion.
Surya-Chandra Foundation congratulates ANEW graduates of summer school program for 180 college bound girls!
The course saw 180 girl students go through varied sessions on Digital literacy, Career guidance, Spoken english & communications, Dance fitness and Self defense training.
We kicked off the year with a donation to ANEW for their new vocational training for 10 Girls in Logistics Operations. All ten of them are gainfully employed with a median salary of Rs. 8,000 per month. We also supported the summer bridge course at ANEW for 180 girls pursuing college education. Their training included: Digital Literacy, Career Guidance, Spoken English, Dance Fitness and Self Defense.
Our NGO partner ANEW receives an award from the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Proud to be the recipient of “The Women Achiever” Award under the SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR (NGO) category, by FICCI FLO, Chennai Chapter. 
ANEW President, Vinodini Sudhindran, receiving the award from the Honorable Governor, Mr. Banwarilal Purohit, at the awards ceremony held on 25 February 2019
It’s been a wonderful year for Surya-Chandra Foundation, but we couldn’t have done it without you, our loyal supporters. Since inception, we have supported the education and empowerment of 953 girls and women over five years.
We have helped hundreds of young women at ANEW to receive vocational training as Home Nursing Assistants, IT entry level, and Vision Care Technicians. This April, we sponsored a bridge course for 150 Girls to prepare for and pursue college admission after completing high school.
We have funded scholarships for 60 young women in 2-year Nursing Certificate program at Sarva Vidya Nursing Institute for 2017-19. We added scholarships for 60 more in the next batch for 2018-20.
We provided full scholarships and nutritional meals for 78 girls in secondary schools for 2017-18. We continued similar support for 71 Girls for 2018-19.
In 2018, we also started partnering with PCVC — a non-profit organization, based in Chennai, working for more than a decade offering support services to women & children impacted by domestic violence & interpersonal violence and creating opportunities for understanding and stopping violence in homes. They offer rehabilitation services for burn victims. PCVC has provided the following support for 100 women in 2018: • Wound Care Materials • Pressure Garments • Regular Medical Tests • Food & Nutrition • Physical Therapy
We have the opportunity to expand our programs for hundreds of deserving girls and women in 2019 and beyond.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We support ANEW in their efforts to fight gender based violence in India. 1. Voice your support against GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV)
2. Speak to someone for help, if you are an ABUSED / an ABUSER
3. Form of violence can be PHYSICAL, SEXUAL or PSYCHOLOGICAL
4. BREAK the SILENCE.. Speak up against Violence
5. Do NOT normalize Violent Behavior
6. SUPPORT Survivors… Stand together for Human Rights
7. STOP Child Marriage
8. STOP Sexual Harassment
9. EDUCATE the Girl Child
10. Encourage women to become FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT
11. Encourage women to MAKE DECISIONS at all levels (at home & work !)
12. RAISE ASPIRATIONS of Girls & their Parents
13. Empower MOTHERS
14. Promote GENDER EQUALITY
15. Talk to MEN & BOYS
16. Raise the socio-economic STATUS of WOMEN
ORANGE DAY @ ANEW
We’re committed to Empowering Women & promoting Gender Equality – #Participate_SpreadAwareness – Participants are encouraged to wear a touch of ORANGE on the 25th of every month in solidarity with the cause.
Although school enrollments have shown an upward trend over the past decades, retention and consequently transitions to successive cycles of education are a matter of concern. The number of girls who discontinue education before completing Class 5 is 24.4% which increases to 41.3% at the level of Class 8. Domestic duties, especially in the lower-income group households mean that the girls have to stay back and cook, run errands or take care of their younger siblings in order to support parents, who are typically out at work.
We must educate our sons and daughters about these issues. Sakshi is a great example for them to learn from.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/10/13/656973135/a-super-girl-scout-makes-movies-to-make-life-better-for-vulnerable-girls?linkId=59881329
A heart warming story from our NGO partner ANEW.
https://www.facebook.com/199717360070100/posts/2250552598319889/
ALUMNI AWARDEE 2018 (Computer Skills)
Prathipa was born and brought up in Triplicane, Chennai. After school she wanted to enroll for B.Com but as her older sister was already studying in college & there was a severe financial crunch in her family, she was unable to afford college education. Instead, she found herself a job at a department store and managed to use her first salary to fund her B.Com enrollment fee in distance learning education. But times were difficult and she wanted more. That is when a relative suggested ANEW to her and she hoped for a chance to grow through ANEW.
Prathipa joined ANEW for the three month course in computers and completed her course by February 2008, after much difficulty in being regular to classes. On nearing completion, she took up part-time work at Imax Cinemas, City Centre, and waited anxiously for a placement opportunity through ANEW. Soon she successfully interviewed and got placed in Sudhindran & co, Royapettah, in the admin department making use of her computer skills, with a starting salary of Rs.5000 p.m. She has stayed with the same company since, and now having completed 9 years draws a salary of Rs.16,500 p.m.. Working in an audit firm, Prathipa keenly learnt a lot about auditing, accounting and taxation which helped her in clearing her B.Com exams as well.
Prathipa considers ANEW her first home and her office her second!! She is very grateful to both for supporting her in everything she does. The exponential learning curve she has had at her workplace has allowed her to dive deeper into career advancement and she is currently pursuing MBA through distance learning education! Confident and ever-willing to learn, Prathipa is truly a role model for many young aspiring students. She strongly recommends ANEW, for it’s ANEW that has given her a life when she had nowhere to go.
Early Marriage & Secondary Education in India
Early marriage is a common phenomenon in the Indian subcontinent. It is estimated that as many as 47% of the women were reported to have been married by 18 years of age. Moreover, this phenomenon is certainly not losing ground. In fact, estimates project that 130 million girls in South Asia will be married as children between 2010 and 2030. The moment a girl hits teenage, the parents want to get her married off. Concern for safety of girls is one of the chief reasons why girls are married off early. This looms large as chastity and virginity of girls is greatly valued in Indian society. Parents and community members feel that, “early marriage protects the girl’s marriageability which can be destroyed by pre- marital sexual violence or choice.” Traditionally, girls from lower castes and poorer backgrounds constantly face molestation and violence from the upper castes and child marriage is seen as a strategy to protect girls from sexual abuse.
Due diligence Meeting with Sarva Vidya Management, interviews with Students, and performances.
In 2017, we supported 78 girls in the After School program for tuition & nutrition. They also received 100 per cent scholarships for their regular school fees for about $8,000.
We also supported 58 young women in the 2 year Nursing Assistant Training program with partial scholarships at a cost of $2,500.
Vision Care at Sarva Vidya — with Sai Healing Trust Volunteer, Priya Dharshini on January 30th, 2018.
In partnership with Sai Healing Trust we have also delivered monthly medical Check ups for all Sarva Vidya Students since 2016.
The International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) will launch a national support line for women burn survivors and a national domestic violence hotline.
https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/state-domestic-abuse-victims-to-get-hotline/articleshow/63420952.cms
We all have scars, but not all of them are visible like Yashodha’s. Like all scars, there is more to Yashodha’s story than meets the eye, and she wants to share it with you.
Listen, as she tells you her story about being subjected to domestic violence, feeling trapped, and how she finally found the strength to put her darkest days behind her.
🎥: Pooja Batura Pathak, Lov Pathak
https://www.facebook.com/287195427978924/posts/1786121714752947/
This short film captures the heart wrenching stories of several women who have been rehabilitated at PCVC in Chennai. Do you have 12 minutes which could help with supporting us in the long term? Just watch & share this film which describes in depth all of their work at PCVC.
https://www.facebook.com/VidiyalPCVC/posts/850528445154524″/
Young Vision Care Technicians recently trained by ANEW. In 2017, we have supported the vocational training in Vision Care for 10 Girls for about 800 Dollars.
India needs to get out of this awful practice of rejecting girl children and the fear of dowry payments to get girls married. This is only possible if boys and men start rejecting dowry and start treating women as equal partners in life.
A truly inspiring story from Rajasthan.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=I1kvbQiC
Eye Camp for Sarva Vidya girls held on Jan 30th. Director Sue and I were there in person to experience this annual event.
Venue: Sarada Vidyalaya Middle School Campus, Ramanathan Street, T.Nagar, Chennai
Time: 10.10 AM to 12.45 PM
Medical Team
Sri Sankara Eye Hospital Pammal
Dr.Bhuvaneswari
Dr.Neelofer
Dr.Arul
Support Team
Mr.Ganesan (Sankara Eye Hospital, Driver)
Priya Darshini (Shree Sai Healing Trust)
No. of Students Tested
A Total of 127 students were tested
Sarva Vidya Nursing Assistantship Course: 46
Sarada Vidyalaya Middle School: 81
Happy New Year to all of our friends and well wishers!
Course : Tally Certification
Date – 22/12/2017
No. Certified – 50 trainees
Certificates distributed by Team ANEW
Chief guest : Rtn.Dr. Nandakumar. N,
Director – Community Service-Development, RI District 3232
Course : Basic Computers
No. Certified : 31 trainees
Date : 12.12. 2017
Did you know? Slavery still exists to this day.
We must stop the pervasive means that women and girls are trafficked and sexually exploited.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/12/op-ed-ed-phumzile-16days-day11br>
5 things you can do to end violence against women.
#16days #orangetheworld
https://www.facebook.com/unwomen/videos/10155007641676905/https://www.facebook.com/unwomen/videos/10155007641676905/
Home Nursing Certification –
Chief guest : Mr. Johnson, HR, Madras Medical Mission (MMM) Hospital
No. Certified : 31 trainees
Batch no : 98
Date of certification : 10.11.2017
If you are in the area, please join us!
Christine La Garde, IMF Director speaking in Seoul, South Korea yesterday!
“One avenue that has worked in all countries around the world is to boost the proportion of women in the workforce . Korea and Japan, for example, could further increase their focus on reforming secondary earner taxation and boosting childcare benefits and tax incentives for part-time work.
Emerging and developing countries, such as Cambodia and India, can benefit from expanding girls’ access to high-quality education and promoting women’s access to finance.
Taken together, these initiatives could become an economic game changer. By some estimates, closing the gender gap in the labor market could boost GDP by 9 percent in Japan, 10 percent in Korea, and 27 percent in India.”
Do you know some one who might be ignoring domestic violence? Share this with them!
This real story has all the ingredients of 21st century concepts — manufacturing automation applied to an old line industry, smart job creation, women employment, and made in USA by an immigrant from India! I love this story!
http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/06/technology/manufacturing-suuchi-ramesh/index.html
“People say, ‘I want to earn enough and then give back to society.’ I don’t think there is ever enough one can get, there is never a perfect time to do what you wish to do and yet you can .. NOW. I don’t want to become old and then fulfill my wishes. I believe in POWER OF NOW and AGE is just a NUMBER. – Sakshi Sharma 😊
Our awesome intern raised INR 25,000 in span of a month on Bitgiving to add some lovely books to Protsahan’s library for our little girls. Kudos to her passion. And she is only 19 years old! ❤️
https://www.facebook.com/chennai.usconsulate/videos/10154282157265817/
A short film that delivers the message very succinctly!
https://www.facebook.com/chennai.usconsulate/videos/10154282157265817/
This entry won the FIRST place in the Action Against Gender Based Violence (GBV) film festival by
U.S. Consulate General Mumbai
: “Silence the Violence” – it’s not just the spouse who suffers. Let’s #ActOnGBV to #EndViolence against women. #16Days
How one woman in Rajasthan is fighting early marriage through education for young girls?
https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/girls-voices/letting-girls-believe-in-their-dreams-again-ushas-story-india/?fbclid=IwAR3fdN8P3KiZkC5y3g6FW3zhgI8RRkGRtB04PwYYDzWHYw1RVobWwHR-VhM
An eye opener for 2017!
Nasreen Sheikh lives with her parents and two siblings in a Mumbai slum. She’d like to become a doctor, but already she believes that being female is holding her back. “If I were a boy,” she says, “I would have the chance to make money … and to wear good clothes.” I expect Nasreen will learn that gender alone doesn’t preclude a good life (or, for that matter, ensure it). But let’s be clear: In many places girls are uniquely at risk. At risk of being pulled out of school or doused with acid if they dare to attend. At risk of genital mutilation, child marriage, sexual assault. Yes, youngsters worldwide, irrespective of gender, face challenges that have only grown in the digital age. We hope these stories about gender will spark thoughtful conversations about how far we have come on this topic—and how far we have left to go.
Year-end report to IFA for 2016 Sarva Vidya Project
Project Scope & Objectives
Consistent with our mission — to stop violence against women, and empower underprivileged women to rise above poverty and inequality through encouragement, basic education and vocational skills — we collaborated with IFA (India Friends Association) to provide 50 per cent scholarships for 60 Girls from the State of Tamil Nadu enrolled in the 2-year Nursing Certificate program for the years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.
- This program is offered by Sarva Vidya Institute to prepare the girls for employment at the local hospitals.
- Together, we provided half of the 2-year course fees for each of a total of 60 girls. We required that the remaining half must be paid by the students themselves thus establishing their personal stake in this effort.
- The total budget for this project, consisting entirely of the course fees, was $8770 over two years. The cost of providing this scholarship for all 60 girls is US$4,385 for each year.
- IFA made a commitment in the amount of US$5,000 for both years (US$2,500 per year), and SCF agreed to contribute the remaining balance of US$3,770 for both years (US$1,885 per year).
Without this scholarship, each girl would have had to pay Rs.9,500 per year in fees for the program. All of these girls came from disadvantaged families with monthly income less than Rs.10000. By mandating each girl’s family to pay the remaining 50 per cent (Rs.4250 per year) to be admitted into the program, we made sure that all participants had personal stakes in the program. This reduced the possibility of drop outs any time during the two year program.
Accomplishments & Challenges
We are pleased to report that all 31 students in the 2015- 2017 Batch have progressed in their second year towards the goal of completing the program as planned. There were 3 drop outs from the 2016 -2018 Batch with 27 remaining from a total of 30 students originally enrolled.
Following are the details about the 3 Drop Outs and the reasons for the same:
| Anandhi. V | 13th Sep. 2016 | Wanted to undergo Police Training and applied for the same at Arakkonam |
| Dillibai. S | 9th July 2016 | To attend to her sick mother |
| Maalisha. M | 9th Sep. 2016 | Undergoing Teacher Training at Madhuranthagam |
For Practical Training, all girls in both 1st and 2nd year of the programs are assigned to hospitals that offer necessary clinical experience and located at the nearest proximity to the living quarters of the girls.
To monitor the progress on a continual basis for all students, Sarva Vidya has administered monthly tests for all theoretical class work as planned and observed steady progress among all participants during the year 2016 since enrollment.
Sarva Vidya is also administering an effective annual clinical evaluation program through feedback from Senior Nursing Personal and/or Medical Officers at the hospitals where practical training is received by the girls, and to receive their clinical evaluation in the form provided by them. One model evaluation form of two current 2nd year students for their 1st year performance is attached below: 
Plans and Expectations for 2017-2018
We expect that all 31 students of 2nd year will complete their course work and graduate in June 2017 as planned. We are confident that all 27 students in the first year of the program will continue to stay in the program and progress to the 2nd year in July 2017.
Photographs of Girls at Class rooms and Hospitals
A local TV Station in Chennai is capturing the essence of ANEW, an organization we have been supporting since the launch of our Foundation.
We were featured on Thanthi TV today
Please circulate this video to help ANEW reach out to deserving candidates
ANEW hopes to train AND place 1000 girls per year .. 044 2621 0492 ( Anna Nagar, Chennai)
India Friends Association (IFA) based in Camarillo, CA has partnered with us in supporting 60 Girls in the 2-year Nursing Certificate program for the years 2016-18. We have jointly provided 50% scholarship for these girls at Sarva Vidya.
Our associates, Sai Healing Trust in Chennai has provided the following micro-nutrient supplements to Sarva Vidya, for the 88 children of Sarada Vidyalaya Middle School on 18th July 2016.
1) Vitamins A&D
2) Ferrous sulphate (Iron)
3) Vitamin B complex(as syrup)
Our Associates Sai Healing Trust in Chennai conducted the first medical camp for the current school year at Sarva Vidya on July 4th.
Shree Sai Healing Trust has commenced regular medical clinic services for the students of the Nursing Assistant Course of Sarva Vidya Trust, T.Nagar, and the students of Sarada Vidyalaya Middle School, Chennai, on Monday, 4th July 2016.
Venue: The camp was conducted at the Sarada Vidyalaya Middle School, Ramanathan Street, T.Nagar, Chennai, from 11.00 AM to 1.00 PM.
Visiting Doctor: Dr. Lakshmi Ramanan
Volunteers:
Mr. Manikandan
Mr.Lava
Mrs. Priya Darshini
A total of 60 students of the Nursing Course (I Year-16, II Year-26, Graduating Group- 18) were examined by the doctor, and medicines were prescribed as required.
The doctor spoke to the students on a one-to-one basis on taking care of their health and counseled them regarding common gynecology issues and how to manage them. Micronutrient supplements were given to the students.
Shree Sai Healing Trust provided the students of the Nursing course with female hygiene supplies.In the meanwhile, the 88 children of the Sarada Vidyalaya were provided with Vitamin A and D, B-Complex and iron supplements, by the Trust, through the headmistress of the school. 26 students of the middle school, (and one member of the staff ), who had various chronic complaints like stomach-ache, head-ache, eye problems etc., were examined and required medicines were provided to them. The doctor also counseled the children during the course of examination on good habits and habits to avoid.
The doctor’s visit is planned to be once every month for the benefit of the students, and prescribed medicines, supplements and female hygiene supplies will be provided to the students of the Nursing course following the doctor’s consultation. Shree Sai Healing Trust shall provide the middle school students with micronutrient supplements on a weekly basis, and any child requiring medical consultation will be attended to during the doctor’s visit.
We celebrated our 3rd Anniversary by holding an event for our donors and associates in Agoura Hills at Isabelle and Rajen Gupta’s residence.
Son preference often causes parents to divert limited resources to sons and neglect daughters.
In India, and around the world, son preference takes many forms. It can cause families to divert limited resources to boys and neglect girls and to marry their daughters off at a young age. In India, 47 per cent of girls marry before age 18 – and child brides are much less likely to be in school and much more likely to be victims of sexual and gender-based violence than other women and girls.
A cultural preference for sons also results in pre-natal sex selection and higher mortality of girls due to neglect – too tragic but all-too common occurrences that have contributed to 117 million women who should be alive today missing in Asia alone.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/investing-girls-cash-incentives-help-promote-gender-equality-india#
There is a shortage of 200,000 secondary schools in India. 40% of schools do not have a separate toilet for girls. At Surya-Chandra Foundation, we want to encourage girls to complete secondary school, because:
1) An additional year of schooling for adolescent girls reduces infant mortality by 5% to 10%.
2) Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to be child brides than those with little or no education.
3) An extra year of secondary school increases a girl’s potential income by 15-25%.
India has 113 million adolescent girls – which is nearly 10% of its population. Despite these numbers, they are a largely invisible group.
They can become successful agents of change. When they are empowered, educated and kept healthy, a range of issues such as maternal mortality, child survival and gender-based violence can be resolved, and the cycle of poverty broken.
Investing in girls translates into better futures for women, children and families, which ultimately leads to intergenerational impact.
We strengthened our relationships with ANEW and Sarva Vidya — both organizations helping young women — to educate and empower girls from very low income families and distraught segments of society.
Sarva Vidya On January 19th, we visited Sarva Vidya in their new School location in T.Nagar, Chennai. Sue and Murli met with Ms. Thenmozhi, Mrs. Saraswathi, and Mrs. Namagiri. Ms. Thenmozhi is in charge of operations and administration, while Mrs. Saraswathi and Mrs. Namagiri are responsible for the education of girls in the Nursing and After School programs respectively. There are about 70 girls in the 2-year Nursing Certificate program, and about 85 girls in the After School Program called NCLB. The girls in the After School program range in ages from 11 through 16 attending Grades 6 through 11. First, the girls are given some Nutritious Snacks, and then they are tutored in English, Mathematics, and Science subjects in separate classes depending on their Grade level. Most of these girls belong to poor disadvantaged families and they lack a conducive environment at home to do their daily homework. We spent some time talking to the girls, and interviewing a few selected girls, specifically sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Conejo Valley.
Please click on the link below to watch the short video of these interviews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfAjjvhc_Vg
Surya-Chandra Foundation is pleased to report the following: 1) We are fully covering the cost of the meal program for the current school year. 2) We are also covering the tuition fees for 20 deserving girls.
ANEW On January 20th, we visited ANEW in Anna Nagar, Chennai. Sue and Murli met with Ms. Tanya, in charge of Administration and Mrs. Vinodini Sudhindran, President. We also met with 15 young women in the 6-month Home Nursing program. Most of them were in their 20s or 30s, trying to earn a livelihood especially coming from broken households and heart-rending life experiences. You can click on the links below to learn the stories of two such young women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC37jaQPRLM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4WCpJZbbYk <
Surya-Chandra Foundation is pleased to report that we are fully sponsoring the education of 15 girls in the Home Nursing program. On March 8th, as part of International Women’s Day celebrations, Rotary International in Chennai honored both Ms. Vinodini Sudhindran, ANEW President, and Dr. Annalakshmi, ANEW Treasurer with Women Achiever Awards.
Boys & Girls Club We are partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Conejo Valley to increase awareness among the young minds about the plight of girls in developing countries. Several girls at the Johnston Club and Sequoia Club have pledged monthly contributions through their fundraising efforts to support the Sarva Vidya After School and ANEW Home Nursing programs. Recently, Anderson Club also participated through one time contribution of $110 for the girls in India.
Awareness through Social Media We are also focused on using social media (Facebook and Twitter) to educate others about the critical issues faced by women in developing countries like India. These issues include the following social and economic issues:
1) Female Feticide 2) Girl Trafficking 3) Early Marriage 4) Poverty and Inequality of Women 5) Violence against Women 6) Girl Education 7) Women’s Health
We are proud to sponsor 20 girls in Sarva Vidya ‘NCLB’ After School Program for 2015-2016. We are also providing Nutritional meals for all 85 girls in the same program.
The Boys & Girls Club of Conejo Valley is raising money for us to support young girls stay in secondary school — another powerful voice to educate and empower girls!
Surya-Chandra Foundation thanks the boys and girls at Johnston and Sequoia Clubs for their contribution in 2015 and 2016 to help educate and empower girls half way across the world in India.
In a world filled with greed, fear, anger, and hatred towards fellow human beings, these children have shown unconditional love and compassionate concern for the girls they have chosen to help.
The girls in India are from impoverished families, who try to eke out a living on less than two dollars a day. Without the support from our boys & girls:,
1) they will not receive a nutritional meal every day in the After School program 2) they will not have proper school supplies including books, notebooks, pen, and pencils 3) they will not stay in school until they complete high school 4) their parents might marry them off early without their consent 5) they might be abused by others 6) they could become victims of trafficking for slave labor or prostitution 7) they might experience early pregnancy, and worse yet die due to complications of unwanted pregnancy
Truly inspiring life story!
https://yourstory.com/2015/08/ashweetha-shetty/?fbclid=IwAR0l1ki7aZOI6yk0z3U0npTTwAvx8T3l6DRskvf9B9NjEt89iT-cCrbKx0g
Get to know the sustainable development goals (SDGs): http://www.culturalweekly.com/sustainable-development…/
We need your support to educate and empower girls, so they can earn a livelihood and avoid early marriage!
Here are some facts that you need to know:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEhKu3T51Q
You probably know these facts — Nearly 1/2 of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty — less than $1.25 a day. But, did you know that almost 30 per cent of those living in extreme poverty are actually in India, not Africa or China? That is almost 400 million people! Mind boggling, is it not? How many of these are girls and women? This is estimated somewhere between 60 to 70 per cent in India, amounting to roughly 250 million girls and women./
This slide presentation provides a good overview of the progress and impediments to empowering women in South India.
https://www.slideshare.net/Shabanajalal/women-empowerment-15657091?fbclid=IwAR0t_T5z7itfA0SRSAN-u4TiU6Tin826ITcatSxQm-9vhXEKzrm2YPlt1ik
Second Anniversary of Surya-Chandra Foundation
Hello Friends,
With as little as $10 per month, a girl child is ensured a nutritious meal and tuition to nurture the body and mind. By committing to do this, you will impact her life in the most positive way possible!
What happens if we don’t help this poor girl? She becomes one of the 31 million girls who do not complete secondary school, could end up in early marriage between the ages of 12 and 16, become pregnant, and may become a victim of domestic violence!
What happens if you decide to help this poor girl? She completes high school, marries at an appropriate age, has fewer children, may even work outside the house, lead a healthier life, and as a literate and educated woman, she will ensure that her children are also educated to ensure a better life for them!
You can make the choice today!
http://www.youcaring.com/…/nurture-the-body-and…/339479
India unfortunately holds the top spot for trafficking girls!
http://equalitynow.org/…/Global_Sex_Trafficking_EN_v4.pdf
Very good analysis on Child Marriage issue! http://www.cfr.org/peace…/child-marriage/p32096
Five important steps to empower girls through education! https://blogs.worldbank.org/…/five-steps-improve-girls…
Gender inequality in India! http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_inequality_in_India
Education is the Great Equalizer! http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/3122253
Melinda Gates on the status of women’s health! http://beijing20.unwomen.org/…/oped-health-melinda…
As reported in Sunday March 22, 2015, issue of Hindustan Times, we are happy to report that one of the charities supported by Surya Chandra Foundation was nominated for Dasra Girl Power Awards. Our hearty congratulations to ANEW Management for this outstanding achievement.
On January 13, 2015, we met with Avvai Home Management to discuss our potential participation to assist the girls in their newly introduced computer science curriculum. We are awaiting details of the Girls who need sponsorship from us.
We are happy to report that we met with Dr. Annalakshmi at ANEW on December 17th, 2014 to discuss priorities for 2015 and our continued support for the Nursing Assistants Training Program. ANEW offers need based training programs in various areas, after a feasibility study involving the number of beneficiaries and the employability rates on completion of the course. The courses are of short duration, considering the economic background of the students, so that they are financially independent as quickly as possible.Underprivileged women who have completed middle school level education, are eligible to train as nursing assistants at ANEW. This course is supplemented with spoken English and Personality Development classes. The trainees are required to attend orientation programs at the Banyan (Home for destitute women), KarnaPrayag (adoption centre), Little sisters of the poor (Home for the aged) and SCARF (Centre for Schizophrenia), as part of their course work. They also undergo practical training at Sundaram Medical Foundation (SMF), Appasamy Hospitals and Bone and Joint clinic in Annanagar for hands on training in speciality care. Basic physio therapy sessions are also provided as part of the course. On completing the 6 months course work, they are certified by the SMF as nursing assistants. Alumni students are provided with refresher courses to update their skills. This course has the widest reach, among women who are the most vulnerable and are at the lowest rung of the social ladder. The trainees are in high demand for their services, as nursing assistants to take care of the patients at home. The average salary of a nursing assistant ranges from Rs.7000 to Rs.9000/month. Since 2013, we have supported this training program by sponsoring 10-12 students each year. For 2015, we are funding 12 deserving young girls from impoverished families.
On December 15th, 2014, we met with Sarva Vidya Management to discuss the support for their 2-year Nursing training programs with 31 students in the second year and 38 students in the first year. Sarva Vidya Trust is an educational trust started with an aim to empower and enable girl children to enable the society. They believe that each child successfully educated and enabled with a satisfying job will contribute to the upliftment of their family as well as their society. Thus they work towards imparting job oriented value based education to receive training as Nursing Assistants. Sarva Vidya provides this vocational training by conducting a two year Diploma course for Nursing Assistants. (There are 38 students for the first year and 31 students in the second year program.) We provided scholarships for all 69 girls to partially cover the cost of their education in the sum of Rs.2,250 for each student. Names and pictures of these receipients can be seen in our Gallery. A complete roster of students receiving scholarships can be seen here.
Some of the students from Department of Sociology, University of Iowa did their internship at ANEW and share their experience in the subject blog. Some of the pictures of these interns engaging in two-way discussion with the ANEW students can be seen in our Gallery. Our thanks to these interns for sharing their experience at ANEW, in Chennai, India.