Funding Tuition Centres
Funding Tuition Centres
Most schools in villages around Pondicherry close by 16:00 and kids are back home soon after. Many of these homes are often without electricity or adequate lighting/space for them to continue studying, doing their homework, etc. RCP (Mid-Town) decided to fund tuition centres, which would provide a conducive environment for the children to study outside of school hours.
Teachers who could provide tuitions were identified and asked to conduct classes from 18:00-20:00. The results were very encouraging indeed; what started as a pilot test was drawing more and more kids from the surrounding villages. Soon, RCP (Mid-Town) had to rent additional space and identify more teachers. Taking note of this wonderful initiative, an NGO from Belgium took charge of funding, as well as running the entire project. This ongoing program has run successfully for several years now.
This project evolved from multiple small tuition centres to a large privately funded school; located at Kombakkam (~5 km from Pondicherry town), this school is known today as the Gandhiji School, which caters to the educational needs of 200+ children.
Chetak’s Value Addition
At his own expense, Vikram took the initiative to visit the funding NGO in Belgium on two separate occasions. Thanks to his command over the French language Vikram could effortlessly communicate with the donors, understand their expectations and intentions and establish a friendly work relationship. Secondly because of his prior experience in working with numerous organizations he was able to quickly facilitate the trust building process between the two establishments involved. His personal skills and work ethic soon lead him to become one of the trustees of this institution. And now the Belgian NGO relies heavily on Vikram’s experience and advice.
Memories
Free Spectacles to Village Seniors
Free Spectacles to Village Seniors
Based in Pondicherry, the world-renowned Aravind Eye Hospital, which is at the forefront of providing free high quality eye care, decided to donate spectacles to over 150 village seniors. The RCP (Mid-Town) decided to raise the required funds to sponsor the entire project, valued at USD 750 ($ 5/pair). Within no time of announcing this project, the Rotarians networked with their family and friends to raise the required funds.
Chetak’s Value Addition
Ever eager to help, Vikram once again led by example; he not only contributed generously towards this noble cause but also took it upon himself to achieve the set target.
Memories
Akshay Patra - Bottomless Bowl
Akshay Patra – Bottomless Bowl
Thousands of children, either orphaned or with a single parent, find it extremely difficult to pay their school fees. In principle, schools have no other option but to send such children back home. RCP (Mid-Town) launched a fund “Akshay Patra” to address this problem. The purpose of this fund would be to provide school fees for such students who are generally on the verge of being rusticated for non-payment of fees.
RCP (Mid-Town) soon formed a team to short list schools that could be helped through this fund. The passion and sincerity of the team raising the funds were infectious and within a few months, the team raised USD 10,000! After having selected specific schools, the team spoke to each principal to assess the need for such a funding. The principals were then asked to submit an eligibility list for such students. The response was phenomenal and 2000+ children were recommended. The team finally chose approx. 800 students from this list in order to distribute the collected funds.
Today, the fees are being directly paid to the respective school authorities thereby avoiding any potential misuse. This project still continues with a prayer that the “Akshay Patra” should never dry up and the deserving children continue to benefit.
Chetak’s Value Addition
Vikram was one of the first contributors to this fund, donating approx. USD 150. He visited various schools to identify and evaluate those that merit such a grant. In order to avoid any potential bias, another Rotarian independently assessed this list as well. After mutually agreeing on the selected schools, Vikram and a fellow team member talked to the principals of these schools to get the eligible students’ lists. Moreover, after the funding was approved and disbursed, Vikram spoke with various children to ensure that the funds reached them. In addition, he put in place an informal mechanism to assess the performance of these children.
Memories
Nirvana School - Sponsoring Education for Children
Nirvana School
Nirvana School, situated near the coast in Kotakuppam, Pondicherry, was started by private funding, with the aim of benefiting the fishing community of the surrounding region. Launched in 1985 with only a few students, today it has more than 300 of them. The children come from different communities in surrounding villages and the school provides for a harmonious environment where these students pursue knowledge.
The Rotary Club of Pondicherry (Mid-Town) has been associated with Nirvana since a decade. Among other projects, the Club has provided them with a clean drinking water plant (using Reverse Osmosis Technology), funding for toilet blocks and play equipment. The Club also regularly holds health camps.
Chetak’s Value Addition
We introduced our client Ms. Claudia to Nirvana School. She, along with her employers from Switzerland, sponsored 15 children for three years and showed keen interest to support the expansion plans for more classrooms etc. Read more: Claudia’s SECTION & CCG Groups
Today the classrooms stand as testimony of an unbreakable bond of dedication and love for the underprivileged:
- 3 Classrooms built in Oct 2010. Through Computa Center (company based in UK) volunteers & MMF (Charity based in UK) Project evolution (Funding raised USD: 20,000)
- 100 students are placed for education in her sponsor classrooms (Funding raised: USD 3,000/year since 2012)
- Around 40 saplings being planted around the school
- Most of the plants have grown to become trees that provide for a good environment
- Through her reference, renovation for 4 rooms and 1 toilet has been completed. These rooms are used as Office room, Staff room, Storeroom, Music room. (Funding raised: USD 5,000)
- Through her reference, 30 students are continuously sponsored since 2012. These students get free 3 sets of uniform, shoes, ID card, Full year (6) exam cost, stationeries, etc.(Funding provided: USD 3,500 every year since 2012)
Memories
Community Rehabilitation Programme
Community Rehabilitation Programme
About Satya Special School
The Satya Special School helps any person with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of the degree or kind of disability, socio-economic condition, age or gender. The objective of the school is to eradicate the stigma associated with disabilities, especially intellectual ones. By empowering children, making them confident and self-reliant, the school helps improve their quality of life through better health care and individualized rehabilitation programmes. Today, with the help of 106 staff members, Satya Special School is pioneering a number of unique initiatives in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Currently, the school caters to over 764 children with special needs through various services. The organization functions from four urban and three rural centres.
Read more about the school: http://www.satyaspecialschool.org
Chetak Travels & Satya Special School
Chetak has been associated with Satya Special School since 2010. Over the past years, Chetak has worked with various organizations/clients to promote the welfare of handicapped children. Chetak’s philosophy towards its clients is more than just providing travel services: we facilitate/help our travellers invest in meaningful projects that benefit society at large. At Chetak, we are proud to have helped in various such projects to date.
In June 2010, Satya Special School (SSS) launched the Community Rehabilitation Programme in collaboration with CIAI (Italian Centre for Inter Country Adoptions). The main objective of this programme was to provide health and education services to Children with Special Needs. The emphasis was to identify those children who were deprived of basic education, due to either their degree of disability or their lack of financial resources. The objective was achieved through two unique programmes: (1) setting up village rehabilitation centres for children capable of attending day schools (2) providing mobile rehabilitation services (such as physiotherapy, speech/occupational/play therapies and special education) for those not able to attend day schools. The most important aspect of rehabilitation in both these projects was to make the children as independent as possible. More than 75% of the children have shown improvement in both their physical and academic skills, thanks to this programme.
Chetak’s Value Addition
A Swiss couple, living in the outskirts of Pondicherry, was instrumental in setting up this project. However, to scale it up, additional funding was required. Through the founder of SSS, the directors of Chetak were made aware of this project. After speaking and coordinating with various international organizations, Chetak enabled the required additional funding for this project. In addition, Chetak handled 70+ international volunteers from Santander Bank and The Body Shop Foundation (UK) that came to India to build an important part of the facility (i.e. Rehabilitation Centre at Kodathur). It now serves as a unique integrated facility providing free services and is the only village centre that offers hydrotherapy. It serves as a model for providing quality rehabilitation services to CWSNs.
Funding Raised
USD 40,000
Memories
Prosthetic & Orthotic Unit
Prosthetic & Orthotic Unit
About Satya Special School
The Satya Special School helps any person with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of the degree or kind of disability, socio-economic condition, age or gender. The objective of the school is to eradicate the stigma associated with disabilities, especially intellectual ones. By empowering children, making them confident and self-reliant, the school helps improve their quality of life through better health care and individualized rehabilitation programmes. Today, with the help of 106 staff members, Satya Special School is pioneering a number of unique initiatives in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Currently, the school caters to over 764 children with special needs through various services. The organization functions from four urban and three rural centres.
Read more about the school: http://www.satyaspecialschool.org
Chetak Travels & Satya Special School
Chetak has been associated with Satya Special School since 2010. Over the past years, Chetak has worked with various organizations/clients to promote the welfare of handicapped children. Chetak’s philosophy towards its clients is more than just providing travel services: we facilitate/help our travellers invest in meaningful projects that benefit society at large. At Chetak, we are proud to have helped in various such projects to date.
Prosthetic & Orthotic Unit
Inaugurated on 4 Nov 2015, the Prosthetic & Orthotic (P&O) Unit at Satya Special School helps provide assistive devices for affected children. Initially, this unit was built to serve the students of Satya Special School, but now it produces prosthetic limbs for students across south India. This P&O unit not only provides artificial limbs at subsidized rates, but also saves the beneficiaries frequent trips to Chennai for measurements, fittings and trials. So far, 50 children have profited from this unit.
Chetak’s Value Addition
Having prior knowledge of this funding requirement, Vikram floated the idea to his regular French client (Ms. P). He requested her to present this case during the Rotary Club meeting in Loucevienne (France). Upon confirmation from Ms. P, Vikram personally attended the Rotary Club meeting in France. His presence provided first hand information regarding the project and made a huge impact to the outcome of the funding. The Rotarians from this club in France were eager to pool funds for this cause. Soon, the P&O unit became a reality, thanks to the funding provided from France. Moreover, this helped build a successful partnership between the two Rotary clubs. This unit continues to help 1000+ patients every year.
Funding Raised
USD 3,000
Memories
Private Screening of Margarita With A Straw
Private Screening of Margarita With A Straw
Directed by Shonali Bose, Margarita with a straw focuses on a girl child affected by “Cerebral Palsy”. This movie talks about the struggle Laila (played by Kalki Koechlin) faces with normal activities in her life. The film made its world premiere on 8 September 2014 as part of the Contemporary World Cinema Programme at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It went on to be screened at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, BFI London Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) and Istanbul Film Festival. It was released in India on 17 April 2015.
Chetak’s Value Addition
The directors of Chetak partnered with Satya Special School and the Rotary Club to help screen the film in front of an elite audience. At first, Vikram booked a hall with a seating capacity of 300, following which he organized the logistics for the entire event. Next, he took up the challenging job of raising funds, which would be used for aiding children suffering from Cerebral Palsy. During the Rotary Club meeting, Vikram sold five tickets (valued at INR 300 each) to every Rotarian. To get the ball rolling, Vikram was the first Rotarian to purchase 10 tickets himself. In addition, he also ensured that many of Chetak’s clients participated in this event. In a matter of three days, all tickets were sold and a large amount of money was raised. Moreover, a large corporate house volunteered to sponsor the dinner (funding that wasn’t initially planned), which in turn increased the total funds raised. Through this private screening, Chetak helped raise funds for Satya Special School. Cherry on the cake: Ms. Kalki Koechlin was there in person during the screening of her movie, which provided added glamour to the event.
Funding Raised
USD 1,100
Chetak Travels & Satya Special School
Chetak has been associated with Satya Special School since 2010. Over the past years, Chetak has worked with various organizations/clients to promote the welfare of handicapped children. Chetak’s philosophy towards its clients is more than just providing travel services: we facilitate/help our travellers invest in meaningful projects that benefit society at large. At Chetak, we are proud to have helped in various such projects to date.
About Satya Special School
The Satya Special School helps any person with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of the degree or kind of disability, socio-economic condition, age or gender. The objective of the school is to eradicate the stigma associated with disabilities, especially intellectual ones. By empowering children, making them confident and self-reliant, the school helps improve their quality of life through better health care and individualized rehabilitation programmes. Today, with the help of 106 staff members, Satya Special School is pioneering a number of unique initiatives in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Currently, the school caters to over 764 children with special needs through various services. The organization functions from four urban and three rural centres.
Read more about the school: http://www.satyaspecialschool.org
Memories
Early Childhood Intervention Programme
Early Childhood Intervention Programme
The ECI Programme caters to the needs of 75 children between the age of 0-6 years with Special Needs. This programme has the distinction of being the only specialized centre in Pondicherry, providing rehabilitation services to Children with Special Needs (CWSN) not only in the city of Pondicherry but the neighbouring districts such as Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kalakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, etc. The facilities and services offered by SSS match international standards and the results are testimony to the commitment and dedication of the Satya staff. In the year 2013-14, as many as 25 CWSNs have been integrated into mainstream schools. Around 10 children are under the follow up programme. Read more about the programme: http://www.satyaspecialschool.org/programmes/
Chetak’s Value Addition
This program started in 2010 with the help of Chetak’s client, who was based in Switzerland. Chetak had organized the client’s visit to India, during which Vikram and Tarika personally introduced their client to the founder of SSS. During this meeting, the client inspected the facilities and evaluated the feasibility of the project. Post a successful discussion, this client provided seed funding for the entire project. Ever since, the project has been running successfully with additional sources of funding.
Total Funding Raised
USD 50,000
Chetak Travels & Satya Special School
Chetak has been associated with Satya Special School since 2010. Over the past years, Chetak has worked with various organizations/clients to promote the welfare of handicapped children. Chetak’s philosophy towards its clients is more than just providing travel services: we facilitate/help our travellers invest in meaningful projects that benefit society at large. At Chetak, we are proud to have helped in various such projects to date
About Satya Special School
The Satya Special School (SSS) helps any person with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of the degree or kind of disability, socio-economic condition, age or gender. The objective of the school is to eradicate the stigma associated with disabilities, especially intellectual ones. By empowering children, making them confident and self-reliant, the school helps improve their quality of life through better health care and individualized rehabilitation programmes. Today, with the help of 106 staff members, SSS is pioneering a number of unique initiatives in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Currently, the school caters to over 764 children with special needs through various services. The organization functions from four urban and three rural centres.
Read more about the school: http://www.satyaspecialschool.org
Memories
Discover Turkey & Greece
TURKEY & GREECE
Duration: 9 Nights/10 Days
Places: Istanbul → Cappadocia → Istanbul → Athens → Delphi → Athens
Day 1-3: Istanbul
Istanbul, historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium, is Turkey’s most populous city as well as its cultural and financial hub. Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally. Istanbul’s strategic position has given it a cosmopolitan populace, although less so since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. In addition to seeing the big four attractions (Aya Sofya, Topkapı Palace, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar), leave enough time to explore the other sights and enjoy the local life of the city.
Day 4-6: Cappadocia
Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notable sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians. The main ‘must-see’ attractions are the two large open-air museums and the best of the underground cities. However, there are also many small, all-but-forgotten rock-cut churches and monasteries, splendid hiking trails, several spectacular caravanserais and many dramatic rock formations well worth going out of your way to visit.
Day 7/8: Athens
The capital and largest city of Greece, Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. The city flourished during classical antiquity and was the birthplace of Socrates, Pericles, and Sophocles. The Acropolis is one of the world’s most breathtaking ancient ruins and the city’s exceptional archaeology museums display fascinating artifacts uncovered at local sites. Discover the dazzling Byzantine churches found all over the city and the village-like neighborhoods north of the Acropolis. You will also enjoy getting lost in the Plaka district’s narrow pedestrian streets.
Day 9/10: Delphi/Athens
Delphi is located approximately 180 kms from Athens. During ancient times, Delphi was regarded as the centre of the world and the place where heaven and earth met. In Mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite directions. Where they met indicated the center of the earth. Delphi is also known as the center of worship for the God Apollo, son of Zeus who embodied moral discipline and spiritual clarity. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delphi ranks with the Acropolis in Athens, Olympia, and the island of Delos as one of the most important sites of the classical period of Greece.
Discover Israel
DISCOVER ISRAEL
Duration: 9 Nights/10 Days
Places: Tel Aviv → Jerusalem → Bethlehem → Ein Karem → Masada → Jericho → Tiberias → Galilee → Nazareth → Tel Aviv
Day 1/2: Tel Aviv/Jerusalem
After arrival at Tel Aviv, drive to Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world. During its long history, it has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times and captured and recaptured 44 times. The city is home to structures and ruins significant to the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As you walk through the hallowed passages, you will go through a life-changing cultural and spiritual experience. While walking in the Old City, make sure you walk along the ancient stone walls and experience the beautiful and historically rich views of the surrounding sites.
Day 3: Bethlehem
Bethlehem is located in the central West Bank of Palestine. The New Testament identifies the city as the birthplace of Jesus. Accoridng to tradition, Mary gave birth to Jesus at the place where the star is located on the floor of the The Birth Cave. Bethelehem now has a Muslim majority, but is still home to a significant Palestinian Christian community. In the center of Bethlehem is its old city, which consists of eight quarters, laid out in a mosaic style, forming the area around the Manger Square. The city is controlled by the Palestinian authority. Visit the Church of Navity, the Manger, the Crusader’s Cloister and the Grotto of St Jerome.
Day 4: Ein Karem
Ein Karem is an anscient village of the Jerusalem District. According to tradition, John the Baptist was born in this place, leading to the establishment of many churches and monasteries. It attracts millions of pilgrims per year who come to visit St. John (birthplace of John), Visitation church (named after virgin Mary’s visited to the summer house of John), Russian monastery (Al Moskovia), Greek Orthodox convent of St. John and the monastery of Notre Dame De Sion. In earlier periods, the village was a Canaanite site which evolved around the spring that gave its name (Ein Kerem – “the spring of the vineyard”).
Day 5: Masada
Masada is a rugged natural fortress of majestic beauty. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC. According to Josephus, the siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire ended in the mass suicide of approximately 1000 people (Sicarii rebels and their families who were hiding there). You will see the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth-century Byzantine church during your visit. The camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircle the monument constitute the most complete Roman siege works surviving to the present day.
Day 6: Tiberias
Tiberias is one of the four Jewish Holy cities, and the capital of the Galilee. The city was named Tiberias in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. It has a long history since it was established in the early Roman period. It was a religious, administrative and culture center of the Jewish nation after the loss of Jerusalem for 500 years until the Persian and Arab conquest. Many of the most important post-bible books (Mishna, Talmud) have been composed in the city which was the home of many Jewish scholars.
Day 7: Galilee
In today’s common usage, Galilee refers to all of the Israeli area that is beyond Mount Carmel to the northeast. Most of Galilee consists of rocky terrain, at heights of between 500 and 700 m. The Sea of Galilee is situated in northeast Israel, between the Golan Heights and the Galilee region, in the Jordan Rift Valley, the valley caused by the separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Visit the Mt. Arbel overlooking the Kinneret, take a tour of ancient Tsfat and enjoy a sunset cruise on the sea of Galilee.
Day 8: Nazareth
Nazareth is the capital and the largest city in the Northern District of Isarel. The city is known as “the Arab capital of Israel”. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph and Mary resettled in Nazareth after returning from the flight from Bethlehem to Egypt. According to the Bible, Jesus grew up in Nazareth from some point in his childhood. However, some modern scholars also regard Nazareth as the birthplace of Jesus. It is a center of Christina pilgrimage with many srhines commemorating biblical events.
Day 9/10: Tel Aviv
Day 9: Tel Aviv is Israel’s second-largest city and is situated on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The city boasts of a modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan culture. The place is popularly called the “White City” because of the UNESCO-listed Bauhaus-era buildings. Tel Aviv dates back to 1909 and boasts of a youthful and diverse population. Walk, drive or take cabs between the cultural exhibition pavilions of Haaretz Museum, historic Independence Hall Museum, bustling Carmel Market and Old Jaffa’s boardwalk
Day 10: Transfer to the airport and proceed to onward destination.