1. Jeevan Gnanodaya – Jan’12 Update  Project Website:  http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project- view.php?p=84 http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project- view.php?p=84

2. 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 10 th 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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 5 th 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.docxhttp://www.ashanet.org/projects- new/documents/84/JG-Site-Visit-Dec-5-11.docx

6. 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: *Asha1,652,37549.5% Public Donations1,550,00046.2% State Govt Grant120,0003.7% Parents18,5000.6% Total3,340,875

7. 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.

8. 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.  10 th exam coming up in March ’12. Students recently went to collect their exam IDs.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Asha Austin 2011-2012 Proposal No: Items: Per Day: Per Month: Price: Total Amount: 1.Rice @ rate 26 Rs per Kg30 Kg900 Kg1080010800x11=1,18,000 2.Wheat @ Rate 15 Kg-100 kg15001500x11= 16,500 3.Provision500 Rs500x30 15000x1=1,65,000 4.Vegetables400 Rs400x30 12000x11=1,32,000 5.Milk @ Rate 24 Rs10 LTR300x24 7200x11= 79,200 6. Gas Open Market Rate 500/- 500x6 3000x11= 33,000 7.Fire Wood150150x30 1500x11= 16,500 8.Evening Snacks150150x30 4500x11= 49,500 9.Transports 1000 1000x11= 11,000 Total 6,20,700

12. Asha 2011-2012 Funding  Support A Child: $120/child for 113 children Funding Source:Amount Raised:Notes: SAC Website$3202 donors SOH Online Fundraising$7948 donors *Request to disburse* SOH – Dell Matching$24309 donors Dell – Volunteer Giving$3002 quarters Chapter Gen Funds Jul-Dec 2011 $925*Request to disburse* Direct Donation20,000 Rs ~ $3881 donor Total:$515735 children with direct donor assignments Personal Target:$6000

13. 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

14. Latest School Pictures

30. Wedding Hall Pictures