Benares School Newsletter 2009

8/7/2019 Benares School Newsletter 2009

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and parents permission, they can move to the hostel.

Here they are well cared for, and it is from here thatthey can transfer to private schools. As such, their

schooling is not interrupted by their parents leaving

during summer to return to their villages.

Jeevan is an exceptionally generous enterprise. Themanager, Sheelu, keeps the organisation running

smoothly. He diligently teaches the children discipline;

after school they help clean up and cook. They also do

their own laundry.

Marien and I have known Sheelu since 1996. We met

him as a young teacher at the time when we periodicallytaught for three months at the Deva Public School.

Talking with Sheelu

In the meantime, Sheelu has got his degree in law and isnow studying to become a judge. He adores children and

does not plan on giving up his position once he becomes

a judge. He is a most extraordinary man, who alsofunctions as a judiciary advisor to the Ashray Trust, one

of our partners.

I attended the open house day at the Jeevan School. Itreally moved me to see these homeless children play

the tabla and dance so beautifully, all with such dedication.

Many of their parents attended the open house day,

maybe too because of the good meal served to all of them,which is not so common for those poor people.

______________________________________________

Ashray Social Centre(of the Ashray Trust, www.ashray.org)

The Benares Schoolfund Foundation provides financialsupport for the Ashray Social Centre, to purchase books,

uniforms and other basic equipment for their AshraySchool. The foundation also helps pay for the costs of

evening classes, which offer the children tutoring andhomework assistance.

The Ashray Social Centre is situated in the middle of the

Nagwa slums. It contains the Ashray School, along with ita small health clinic.

This school is by no means luxurious. Due to lack ofchairs or tables, the children sit on the floor and have to

use their schoolbags as writing desks. However, theschool offers a good education, which is what matters.

The childrens lunches consist of an egg and a piece offruit, along with a spoonful of delicious Chayunprash-

syrup, which, apparently, contains all the vitamins,minerals and ayurvedian spices to help prevent illness.

The Ashray School offers schooling up to grade 5. After

that, the children must transfer to a different school to

continue their education. As such, our co-operators,Surendra Srivastava and Manish Bhatia, have taken on

the task of selecting pupils in the fifth grade whom theyconsider to be eligible for further financial aid by our

foundation.

The evening classes are as well attended as ever,

especially by our individually sponsored students. Here,the children requiring homework assistance are given the

extra help they need. It also provides the obligatory extraschooling for the older students.

A few days before I returned to the Netherlands, I offered

a field trip, on behalf of the foundation, to all the children

and staff at Ashray. This delightful surprise would nothave been possible without a generous donation from one

of our sponsors, who suggested it to be spent onsomething fun. We all took the bus to Sarnath, quite an

unforgettable event. Many of the children had never gonebeyond their own slum, let alone travelled by bus.

At the end of the day, we held a grand picnic, which, in

India, always comprises a warm meal. Indians seem not

to fret over preparing such a feat. At 6am, they get up tostart chopping up vegetables; the remainder of themorning is spent baking and cooking, and at 3pm they

have the meal served and ready for 100 people.The Dutch napkins seemed to delight everyone as well.


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Little Stars School (www.littlestarsschool.org)The foundation supports the school by covering the costsof tuition for 43 students. We also provide two teachers

salaries, school and accommodation fees for four orphangirls, along with an extra sum for the schools general

requirements.

The school is in state of complete renovation. During myvisit, they were building a new sanitary compartment, forthe girls who reside at the hostel (the school takes care of

23 orphan girls). At present, they are renewing thesleeping quarters. Naturally, these are indispensable

facilities.

Further plans include an annex on a recently bought patch

of land nearby. This will allow the school to extend up tograde 10. These plans were previously mentioned in last

years newsletter. Only a ten-grade school can qualify itsstudents for professional education.

The higher grades will be housed inthe new building. Other essentials for a ten-grade school

will be added, such as a computer room, a chemistry andphysics lab, and a library.

Furnishing these extra rooms has been made possible by

a donation from the Rotary Rossendaal Donkenland, which

was also aided by the proceeds of a benefit concert onMarch 6, 2009, held by young musicians under the

direction of our president, Marien. Together with a sumwe had previously received, we can expand the library

to a fully functioning facility.

The school pays great focus on cultural education, too:it offers various classes such as music (tabla and sitar),dance, art and drama.

During my stay I attended an art

exhibition, made by the students. Their artworks were

displayed on Assi Ghat, which is the most highly-visitedplace in the area.

The weeks before, a real artist had visited the school to

teach them. The drawings wonderfully demonstrated allthat the children had learned.

The artworks were for sale, so I bought Rukmanis (to myleft in the picture):

The exhibition as well as the school received loads ofattention from the local media. It was lovely to see how

the children presented the artworks to the general public,proudly pointing out their own pieces.

Hundreds of children had come to the event, not wantingto miss a thing.

The Little Stars School, furthermore, ensures regularrefresher courses for its teachers. They are well qualified

and incredibly dedicated.

Our 43 pupils enjoy going to class and are doing verywell. I had the pleasure of meeting them again this year,

including their parents.

The foundation is extremely pleased about its

collaboration with principal Asha Pandey. Upon aninvitation from friends, Asha came to visit the Netherlands

this past January. There she had the opportunity to visit

schools and talk to sponsors.She was definitely not impressed by the cold weather.

How do you survive? she exclaimed, chilled to the bone,as we showed her the water works in Zeeland.

______________________________________________Special thanks to Hieroglief printing-office in Roosendaal


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Ashray Social Centre in today's India

"Showing they are loved"

India can launch a rocket to the moon, while inNagwa people starve.

Shachi Prakash, director of the Ashray Social Centre,

and her staffmembers Surendra Srivastava andManish Bhatia talk about their inspiration and

dreams.

Shachi Prakash Surendra Srivastava Manish Bhatia

Surendra: " A poor country like India does not need

rockets to be sent to the moon. The rich are becomingricher & the poor are becoming poorer. There are many

programmes implemented by the government to improvestatus of the poor people, but still in India we are unable

to get rid of this disease called corruption."Shachi: " Nowhere do we see this gap between rich and

poor growing more than in Nagwa. Since the financial

crunch this summer food prices have soared.

I have no comprehension of spending so much onoutdated space programs when people still do not haveclean water to drink & the cost of health care for

preventable diseases of children beyond their reach."Manish: " Main cause is education. Poor people do not

afford the higher education expenses so they don't get

better jobs and stay in their misery. For me the school isthe main part of Ashray."

Surendra: " We have no hopes that the residents abovethe age group of 20 years of age will ever change

themselves, but we certainly hope that the educationprogramme which we are running very particularly will

definitely change the thinking of the new generation.

When this new generation becomes adult they will be

educated & will do with self respect their duty towardstheir families & their nation. Instead of begging they willearn their livelyhood by hard work."

Shachi: " One of the most important things in Ashray ispassing on compassion & understanding to those who

suffer. That means something unseen: tending the filthy

wounds of a boy who is being a paraplegic, no one willclean him, or just sitting & chatting with the old women,

giving them a hug & a laugh. Showing they are loved."

School attendance and extra tuition

Manish: " In India school attendance is less in poor areas.

Because the parents are not educated, they give noimportance to education."

Surendra: "Low attendance is a social problem. Thechildren of middle & upper class families do not miss their

classes except when they are in fever. I don't remember

that I missed school one day; the same with my kids. Thereason of low attendance in poor families as per my

opinion is the general atomosphere of their houses. Mostof the fathers in these families get home drunk & they

fight with their spouses & children till late in the night,which results in children not going to school next

morning."

Shachi: " A child may have a part time job that helps thefamily income or if the parent is sick, may have to fill in for

the parent."

Surendra: " Teachers in most of the schools do not teachproperly in the class. They have made a rule that unless a

student askes extra tuition from them they will not pass

their class. Tuition has become an extra earning for theteachers."

Manish: " In schools classes there are often 50-60

students in one class, so the teacher cannot payattention to each student. That makes extra tuition

necessary."Shachi: " There is a shortage of good private schools

everywhere in the country. The competition is fierce

from 9th standard onwards. It is normal practice for

parents to send their children to coaching academies.When it comes to High School & Intermediate (schoolleaving) exams they are competing on a national level ,

& children must achieve very high marks indeed if theywish to continue their studies in university, where the

places are so few. The places are given on entrance

exam marks only.Ashray gives poor children free tuition, and this is an

essential responsibility."

Plans and ideals

Surendra: " By profession I am an accountant. I was

simply maintaining books of accounts of richer people &earning my livelyhood on remuneration given by them.

But right from my childhood - I was an emotional boy -I was always wanting to help the needy. I wanted job

satisfaction, I wanted to do something which would

benefit the society. I found it in 2003 when I got an

offer from Shachi ji to work for Ashray. This workappeared to me as a mission rather than a job, so Igladly accepted it.

Shachi: " As a nurse I've always the desire to helpthose less privileged than myself. I knew Father Francis

already for years; so when people from my home town

Droitwich, UK, asked me to suggest something for theirmillennium project, I suggested Francis' social work -

and they gave us the funds to build the house Ashray!"Manish: " I wanted to educate the people of Nagwa. For

them Ashray means now: free primary education,

medical checkup and treatment, free coaching forhigher classes and computer education.

Shachi: " The name Ashray' was carefully chosen ,

meaning shelter, home, sanctuary, safety in Hindi. Overthe years , to the people we serve it has become tomean just that!

I have so many dreams for Ashray! I want a bigger

health clinic, with space to keep patients overnight. Iwant a kitchen to cook a hot nourishing meal for all the

schoolchildren daily. I really dream bigI want a largebuilding , to be used as a boarding school especially for

girls , this school to be a vocational training school foryoung women; I want a large computer center and art

classes with lots of music & dance !

Manish: " I would like to open a school up to grade12th."

Surendra: " We all want Ashray to become an examplefor other organizations."


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Benares Schoolfund Foundation____________________________________________________

Our 40 individual students

The Benares Schoolfund Foundation pays for the tuition

of 40 individual students, attending various schools. Inaddition, each students family member receives a set

amount of protein-rich lentils (dal) per month.

The children are cared for by the Ashray Social Centre

staffmembers, mentioned above.

It remains extremely important to provide sponsoringfor individual students. For this, a thorough selectionand proper guidance are essential. Surendra and Manishput a lot of effort into carrying out these tasks, and doso with great skill. Director Shachi Prakash advises themin this.Our work would not be possible without their support.In this newsletter, they talk about their work, theirinspiration and about education in India. Each year itbecomes clearer that things are run quite differently inIndia than in Holland.

Surendra, Manish, Shachi and I made house visits toseven new students and their parents. This also gavethe parents the opportunity to meet a face behind theBenares Schoolfund Foundation.

It was really informative to see the homes of thechildren. Even in the smallest and poorest ofcircumstances we were received with great hospitality.

As for the rest of the students and parents, we met eachother again at a special, annual gathering in the AshraySocial Centre. Once again it became clear just how wellSurendra, Manish and Shachi know the childrensfamilies, their income, their problems and their currentsituation.

After the gathering, I met with our Indian colleagues to

discuss each child individually.

Puja Rajan Kiran

Most of them are doing well, both in and outside ofschool. Almost all of them attend the evening classes atthe Ashray Social Centre. Sometimes the childrensschoolwork and physical health require extra care. If

necessary, they receive tutoring or are sent to see adoctor or psychologist.

Newsletter2009____________________________________________________

Surendra and Manish take great care in upholding thequality of education. The Blue Bells School, attendedby six of our students, does not quite meet up to theirstandards. They plan, therefore, to transfer itsstudents to the Glorious Academy this coming schoolyear. Manish, Surendra nd the children speak veryhighly of this school, not to mention of the otherschools, too.

Also at the students gathering, Krystina, the nurse atthe Ashray clinic, taught students and parents basicgeneral healthcare. This made the long wait a bit morebearable for the children. Afterwards, they all receiveda Davitamon-pen, which I had brought along all theway from a drugstore in Wouw.

On my journey home I had with me a stack of picturesand reports, which were all sent to our Dutchsponsors.

___________________________________________

Financial overview 2008

INCOMESchool sponsors 21.000Funds and foundations 2.500Donations (incidental) 15.700From reserve funds 1.500Interest 925

_____Total income 41.625

EXPENSES

Little Stars School 9.800Tuition of individually sponsored students 7.130

Ashray Social Centre:- for benefit of our students(counseling, meals, health care, tutoringand homework aid) 6.950- for benefit of the Ashray school(books, uniforms and 2 computers) 4.360Jeevan School 1.500Divya Jyoti for the disabled 1.000

Administration costs(newsletter, postage, bank costs,Chamber of Commerce) 730

______Total expenses 31.470

NB 2008s high income can be justified by a few largedonations. !2.500 will be spent on books, !4.500 on our newproject, the Jeevan School (!1.500 each year, for 3 years).Finally, we will increase our buffer by !2.500, to compensateour higher expenses.

The foundation had built up a buffer of!25.000 in the past toguarantee, in case of losing sponsors, a continuous educationfor the children at all times.

Charity organisations are advised to keep a buffer that is

one-and-a-half times their years turnover. As of April2009, we will increase our buffer by !2.500.


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Budget for 2009

INCOMESchool sponsors 21.000Funds and foundations 2.500Donations (incidental) 2.120From reserve funds 2.935Interest 1.025

______Total income 29.580

EXPENSESLittle Stars School:

a. 43 students 4.800b. salary 2 teachers 1.400c. other schooling equipment 1.000d. support hostel 2.800

Tuition of our individually sponsoredstudents 7.130Ashray Social Centre:a. administration and counsellng students 750b. homework aid and tutoring 2.300c. meals 3.500d. health care 400Support Ashray school 2.500

Jeevan School 1.500

Unforeseen costs 750Administration costs for foundation

(postage, bank costs, Chamber of Commerce,newsletter) 750

______Total expenses 29.580

On behalf of the children of Nagwa, our sincerethanks go to all our sponsors and donors whohelped contribute this past year.

How can you help our foundation?

- As a school sponsor: for !23/month (or !275/year)you can provide education, books, a uniform, a goodmeal, homework aid and tutoring for one child.Furthermore, your money helps purchase teachingequipment for the Little Stars School, and helps pay thesalary of two teachers.

- As a (permanent) donor: all donations, whetherone-off or a fixed amount per year, will benefit thechildren and their education.

Your donations are tax-deductable.

Benares Schoolfund Foundation has been classified bythe Inland Revenue as an Institution Aiming for General

Welfare (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling).In case of donation by notarial deed, the costs are at thefoundations expense.Through the courtesy of Notariaat Leijser of Rotterdam, thesecosts are reduced to the minimum.The secretariat could provide the necessary papers (licence fordonation).

We kindly request new donors to give their address andcontact information to our secretariat.

Their future depends on your help!Board

Marien van Staalen, chairmanConny van Staalen-van Leeuwen, secretary/treasurer

Jacques BaartmansJoep Baartmans-van den Boogaart

Jantine UngerAlet Meurs

Theo van Pinxteren

Benares Schoolfund FoundationLenaertsstraat 6 4724 AM Wouw tel. +31 (0)165 301422

Chamber of Commerce: 20110334 Rabobank: 19 43 91 353IBAN nr. NL97 RABO 0194 3913 53 BIC RABONL2U

e-mail: [email protected]

Documents

Benares School Newsletter 2009