Amardeep Amardeep SchoolSchool

Indore, IndiaIndore, India

Amardeep Amardeep SchoolSchool

Indore, IndiaIndore, India

Director: Sheila GawandeDirector: Sheila Gawande

Presented to Bryan Rotary Club Luncheon Meeting: June 7, 2006

Indore is the largest city in the state. It is an industrial city and is known as the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Indore

The Problem• Economic reforms in India are creating

unprecedented opportunity.  But this only benefits people with good education.

• So far, only a privileged few can afford a good education.

• There is a great opportunity for economically backward Indians to break out of poverty and stagnation in the social and economic system.

One of three slums from where our students come in Indore. My mother’s maid lives here. This place is a 10 minute walk from my mother’s house

who lives in a nice, gated colony. In India, the lives of the poor and the rich intermingle on a daily basis and yet there is a huge divide – both cultural

and economic.

The woman in the picture is carrying water for daily use.

In summer, the city sends trucks such as this one 2-3 times a week for the people to store water.

More water problems.

A Small Solution• Set up a school for slum children in

Indore near my mother’s house.• Rent space and buy school furnishings.• Hire teachers.• Encourage parents to send their

children.• Set up a charitable foundation to raise

money for the school.

Our Plan• To provide targeted education to equip

our students for the Indian marketplace as it will be when they graduate– English language skills, Math and computer

skills.

• To be a source of high quality private school education, unlike the “education for the poor” programs found in overcrowded and poorly run government schools

• To produce at least a few quality graduates who will go back to their own communities to start businesses there and be engines of change.

This is the Amardeep School Front in Indore. The school opened its door on April 11, 2005. It is located on 115, Sreenagar Main Road, Indore. We have one large classroom and a small computer room. We have 2 teachers.

Inside the Montessori classroom:Inside the Montessori classroom: The children love it here. It is clean, cheerful and a happy place to be.

Mrs. Briganza, one of our dedicated teachers.

Lakhan is a serious student. A natural born leader - he loves to help other kids.

Building confidence: Kids get to address the class and talk about something of interest. Mrs. Briganza is providing encouragement.

Padma teacher is taking a tea break.

Sana (6) is learning cards and counters. She loves school and comes everyday.

Kitchen area. Prem Bai makes tea for herself and the teachers. Although illiterate herself, she understands the value of education. Every morning, on her way to work, she knocks on their doors to remind the children that they have to come to school. She feels responsible for children in her “basti”.

Gajendra (4) gets his first Montessori lesson from Padma Teacher. “How to roll a work mat”.

Parents’ day: Parents were invited to “observe”. In this case, we had to go to their homes and bring them for this special day.

Our 1st year Report Card• Low absenteeism (+)

• Of a total enrollment of 25, 18 attend regularly

• 50% of the students are making amazing academic progress (+)

• Have very skilled elementary grade teachers (+)

• No turnover

• Library with 100 English books (+)• Are slowly but surely gaining the confidence of

parents in the slums we work in (+).• Some parental involvement – still very minimal

(+, -).• Year-round school (+)• Hours: 8-12:30. Will extend hours by 2. (+) • Visits by local Rotary club (+)

• Immunization, regular medical checkups.

Older students. They had dropped out of their previous school. They come regularly now.

Two of the youngest - Priyanka and Alisha - working in “Practical Life” area.

Practicing additions and subtractions. This is Akash’s first school experience. His dad is a daily-wage carpenter.

Sana and Shadeb working on small motor skills: learning to write the numbers.

Rajkumar (age 10) loves to work with movable alphabets. He can recognize all the alphabets and likes to make 3 letter words. He has been with us for almost a year now. He never went to school before and spent all his time playing on the streets with marbles.

The Math Shelf. Aman (6) is deciding what he should work on. The children are free to choose their work once they have completed the daily assigned tasks. They love the “free” time.

Aman is the youngest of three brothers. His older brother Lakhan (9) also is a student of Amardeep.

Reshma, a sensitive 9 year old had dropped out of the Government school because the teachers mistreated her. She had been out of school for over a year when she started coming to our school. She loves it here. She wakes up early and gets dressed by herself a whole hour before it is time.

Reshma is very particular about hygiene and takes her teacher’s words to heart. She reprimands kids that come from her neighborhood for playing in dirt in their “school clothes”.

Reshma is a perfectionist and loves to draw. Here she is drawing a picture of a cow. She will not stop until it is perfect (in her opinion).

Lakhan loves to play computer games. The children wait patiently for their turn on the computer.

Major Challenges

• Reliable transportation• Absenteeism• Lack of parental involvement• Most kids work for their parents.• Funds for K-10 school building and

premises• Operating expenses as school gets

bigger– Every additional class of 25 students

costs approximately $5k operating expenses per yr.

Some of the children in our school come from this “basti” (urban slum) in Indore. I would like these children in my school, especially the younger ones.

I tried for 30 minutes to convince this mother (standing there in 105 degree heat) to send her little one to our school. I did not succeed that time.

This Year’s Goals (2006)

– Ensure reliable transportation to and from School. • Buy a mini bus, and hire driver.

– Move to a larger facility. • 4-5 classrooms, computer lab, library, backyard for

outdoor activities, cafeteria and stage.

Transportation: Out of 25 students, 16 commute to school in two such 3-wheelers. The rest walk.

Medium Term Goals

• Increase enrollment – 100-125 in 4 years

• Get accreditation:– Local education board.

Long-term Goals

• Own School Building and Premises in Indore.– Minimum area needed is 2 acres in urban area.

• Streamline classes from K through Grade 10.

• Earn accreditation by ICSE Board – Students take all-India Board exam at end of

grade 10. They then enter a +2 program (like high school) and then a 3-year college.

• Place at least 50% students in college, and the rest in vocational schools.

Disha is 3 years old. Her mother has big plans for little Disha.

Children take turns to serve snacks.

The kids made a welcome mat with flowers for “Pongal” festival.

Group Project: The class made a “community”. Each child made her/ his home, grocery shop, park, school and other typical landmarks. Here Reshma is using crayons as Naaz watches. The warm clothes were donated by the children of College Station and Houston, Texas.

Organizational Structure

Our school is run by a foundation. The foundation is:

• A not-for-profit company incorporated in State of Texas.

• Incorporated to fund and manage schools in India for children from very poor homes.

• IRS 1023 Application for recognition of exemption under Section 501 (c) (3) is pending.

• We have no employees. Every $ donated goes towards running the school.

How Can You Help?We need:• Books and educational CDs for children aged 3 -

10.• School supplies.• Teaching aids like charts, maps, posters.• Old magazines like the National Geographic.• Books, objects and toys of cultural / artistic interest.

• Financial donations in any amount.– Sponsor 1 or more children– Donate towards a specific program (snacks, transportation

etc.)– Donate towards general operational expenses of the school– Or donate towards the building fund.

For More InformationVisit our website:

http://www.thebabajifoundation.org/

Contact Information in India: Whenever you are in Indore, please visit us.

Mrs. Padma ShirkeP-11, Kalindi ParkSreenagar ExtensionIndore, MP IndiaPhone (731) 407 8590Cell: 98933 11609

Contact Information in Texas

Sheila Gawande704 Dover DriveCollege Station TX 77845Phone: 979 695 8517Cell: 979 739 6446sheilagawande@hotmail.com

Thank you!One child at a time, each of us

can make a difference.

Happy faces: Aman (6), Priyanka (5) and Disha (3 and half) are happy to be at school. This is their favorite time of day.