OPEN is partnering with IGNITE to provide Engineering and Teacher Training polytechnic education to deserving poor students. IGNITE selects these students from lists of poor students with excellent board exam marks; these lists are provided by the school managements. IGNITE visits these students' homes to verify that the students are indeed needy, and monitors their progress through the diploma. IGNITE's aim - that a student's education directly provide a livelihood - meshes perfectly with that of OPEN.

In December 2005, OPEN provided $6,000 for scholarships for 30 of these students.

OPEN is also funding the B.E degree in Engineering for a student called Vinodhini. Her father is sick and unable to work, and her mother works in a phone booth. Vinodhini came 2nd in her class and was accepted at Engineering college, but could not afford the fees. OPEN is providing the money as an interest-free loan.

More information on these students can be found on our Educate a Child page.

Tamil newspaper Dinamani profiles IGNITE founders and mentions OPEN on March 8, 2006: article in Tamil, click here.

OPEN-IGNITE Alumni: LToR Sheik Mohammed, Manikandan and Udayakumar were sponsored by OPEN; are employed now and are sponsoring a couple of school students on their own.

OPEN-IGNITE Deepavali 2008: Function at Cariappa School, addressed by Mrs. Sushila Joseph of IGNITE

OPEN-IGNITE Deepavali 2008: Students and IGNITE officers at Cariappa School