Jeevan Gnanodaya – Jan’12 Update Project Website:

http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=84

Project Description

Jeevan Gnanodaya School for the Deaf is part of the Jeevan Gnanodaya Charitable Trust. It has been functioning in Chengalpet since 1989.

The school shelters and educates speech and hearing impaired kids from poor, rural backgrounds.

When children are admitted, their hearing level is determined and they are given the hearing aid equipment necessary for them.

They are provided special speech therapy classes in addition to the regular curriculum.

The school has also started an ITI for hearing-impaired 10th grade graduates, where they will acquire technical and industry-based skills like fitting, turning, carpentry etc.

All the facilities provided by the school are free, including food and lodging.

The school started with 5 students and now has 113 students.

Project Description

With their focus mainly on children with hearing disabilities, most of them (at least 90%) have profound hearing loss, the project's goals are mainly two-fold: Provide formal education to children till Class 10, with

necessary speech therapy along the way. Preference is given to students hailing from very poor families and to children who have profound hearing losses (meaning a hearing threshold of close to 90dB).

Industrial Training: Skills such as turning, fitting etc. -- achieved via the ITI.

Since the ITI started, placement opportunities have become brighter, and students are getting reasonably good jobs.

Project Description

Vision and overall aim for the project Provide opportunities, support and rehabilitation

for hearing impaired children from underprivileged backgrounds.

Secondary Focus: Vocational training, Primary School

Area: Rural Number of School Children: 113 – 28 girls, 85 boys Number of ITI Students: 16 Number of Teachers: 8 trained, 6 untrained, 2 ITI Student:Teacher ~ 8:1 (Govt recommended: 7:1) Number of Non-Teaching Staff: 3

Support by Asha

Project has been supported by Asha-wide since 1999 and by Asha Austin since 2009.

Funds sent from Asha Austin: $12,042 Austin: Previously educational materials, now food budget

(previously supported by Atlanta) Seattle: Salaries for “untrained” teaching and non-teaching staff. Urbana-Champaign: Funding for specially trained sign language Instructors

No other NGO support Last Site Visit: December 5th 2011, Shanthi Ravikumar

and Vatsala Venkatesh (Charanya Ravikumar’s mother and aunt)Site Visit Report: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/84/JG-Site-Visit-Dec-5-11.docx

2010-2011 Project funding

2010-2011 Income

*Asha Austin supported ~12% of total Asha donations.

This amount is expected to be more in 2011-2012.

Source: Income: Percentage:

*Asha 1,652,375 49.5%

Public Donations 1,550,000 46.2%

State Govt Grant 120,000 3.7%

Parents 18,500 0.6%

Total 3,340,875

Updates from Jun – Dec 2011

School reopened after the Summer break on June 3rd. 6 new female specially trained teachers recruited this

year - from Thiruvannamalai. 2 BA educated, 4 Diploma holders - special training to

teach deaf children. 4 teachers staying in the hostel, 2 on their own Teachers typically have a 2-yr contract

Mr D’s son Jeevan is attending a Sign Language training course – one year diploma course in Coimbatore.

No leave after quarterly exams since the term started late due to Tamil Nadu elections. With the new government, syllabus went through some changes. Textbooks were received late from the state board. Quarterly exams covered only 2 months of material. 

Updates from Jun – Dec 2011 ITI: Results came out in November 9 students passed their exams, 2 have already

started working. Job placements: Mr. D has approached a few

companies, and is waiting on feedback. It has been harder to find jobs for students from far

off areas like Pudhukottai/Erode since parents want jobs in companies nearby and not in Chennai city. Example: BHEL (Bharath Heavy Electrical Limited) in

Pudhukottai.   10th exam coming up in March ’12. Students

recently went to collect their exam IDs.

Updates from Jun – Dec 2011 Primary school fees used to be 1000 Rs. This year, the

government asked for a fee increase. Mr D to scan and send the government order to us. LKG/UKG: 3000 Rs., 1st: 3500 Rs., 2nd: 4000 Rs., 3rd/4th:

4500 Rs., 5th: 5000 Rs.  This additional fee is to spend on teachers, books,

stationery, uniforms, other resources, and ensure a certain standard is maintained in the school.

238 children in the primary school. Parents are okay with this. Other schools charge 10-12K, so

in comparison, 4-5K is reasonable. 90% of the payment used for school. Mr D uses 5-10% for

loan repayment, etc.   JG needs to register with the Tamil Nadu government every 3

years. Renewal coming up next June 30th. 150,000 Rs needs to be paid as a registration fee.

Updates from Jun – Dec 2011 School plans to become self-sustaining by 2013 primarily from stable

revenue flow from the Wedding Hall project. Wedding Hall: Dates being inquired for the Jan/Feb time frame after

the inauspicious period in December. Construction is almost complete.

Full-time staff will include 2 managers, booking agent, and 2 watchmen - day and night.   Extra help needed only during actual weddings, will be hired on a

contract basis.  Plan is to fund wedding hall labor costs (manager/watchmen using

the hall income eventually. Currently Mr D funds the watchmen (8000 Rs/mth). No manager expenses yet, only when the wedding season starts is the manager required. 

Wedding hall booking advance money expected a month before actual event, which will also help with payments.

30000 Rs loan repayment cost per month. Mostly comes from local donations. 

School plans to become self-sustaining by 2013. 

Asha Austin 2011-2012 Proposal

 No:

 Items:

 Per Day:

 Per Month:

 Price:

 Total Amount:

 1. Rice @ rate 26 Rs

per Kg 30 Kg 900 Kg 10800 10800x1

1= 1,18,00

02. Wheat @ Rate 15 Kg - 100 kg 1500 1500x11 =

16,5003. Provision 500 Rs 500x30   15000x1 = 1,65,00

04. Vegetables 400 Rs 400x30   12000x1

1= 1,32,00

05. Milk @ Rate 24 Rs 10 LTR 300x24   7200x11 =

79,2006. Gas Open Market

Rate 500/-  500x6   3000x11 =

33,0007. Fire Wood 150 150x30   1500x11 = 16,500

8. Evening Snacks 150 150x30   4500x11 = 49,500

9. Transports   1000   1000x11 = 11,000

        Total     6,20,700

Asha 2011-2012 Funding

Support A Child: $120/child for 113 childrenFunding Source: Amount Raised: Notes:

SAC Website $320 2 donors

SOH Online Fundraising

$794 8 donors*Request to disburse*

SOH – Dell Matching $2430 9 donors

Dell – Volunteer Giving

$300 2 quarters

Chapter Gen Funds Jul-Dec 2011

$925 *Request to disburse*

Direct Donation 20,000 Rs ~ $388 1 donor

Total: $5157 35 children with direct donor assignments

Personal Target: $6000

Disbursal Request

Now: $1719 (SOH online + chapter general funds)

Mar/April 2012: All pending matching + project-specific donations

Details of all matching/project specific funds expected will be shared with treasurers

Latest School Pictures

Wedding Hall Pictures