Greetings from OPEN. We wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season 2022, and a Happy New Year 2023. Schools and colleges in India are up and running post-pandemic and we are doing our best to support. We have scaled up the normal budgets both for our IGNITE college and polytechnic scholarship program, and for the English supplemental program for schoolchildren that is being run for us by Vidyarambam Trust.
Post-secondary education: Ignite scholarship program
We are happy to report that 100% of final year students for the 2021-22 academic year graduated on time, and 86% found jobs or had higher studies planned at graduation. Our partnership with the IRT (Institute of Road Transport) Polytechnic College is really bearing fruit in terms of funding employable children. Graduates are getting entry level jobs at monthly salaries averaging Rs.10,000.
We have 48 continuing college students, have accepted 24 new college students, and have a total of 25 students from IRT Polytechnic College. We expect our budget for this academic year to be around $27,000, benefiting about 100 children.
Students are predominantly in college for B.Com., B.Sc., 3 year Polytechnic, or 4-year Engineering degrees. Most students in this program are poor, with average family income of Rs. 8,000 per month, and we only admit new students to this program after income verification and house visits (or video calls, as appropriate in these pandemic times).
Supplemental education: English classes by Vidyarambam
We continue working with Vidyarambam Trust to bring their Easy Learning English supplemental classes to 3400 children, mainly in classes 5-8, at 9 Government schools in Chennai. Our budget for academic year 2022-23 is approx $33,000.
Owing to the nearly 2 year interruption in education during the pandemic, Vidyarambam are making a fresh start. This year, the same syllabus is being taught to children whether they are in classes 5 or 8, and as the class 5 students of today continue these classes in subsequent years, they will leave class 8 with a better mastery over the language than the class 8 students of today.
Vidyarambam have completed their mid-year test at these schools and are in the process of summarizing the results.
Keeping slum children in school: After-school center run by Turning Point Trust
The Turning Point Trust aims to keep children of slum dwellers in Kannagi Nagar, Chennai, in school. An after-school center for 65 children is being supported by OPEN. Students come to the center for help with academics.The center continued to be open for children through the pandemic and was somewhat of a safe haven for these children. As children continue to stay in school, increasing numbers are graduating and going to colleges and polytechnics. Turning Point conducts various activities for children to increase their exposure to the world, and counseling sessions about staying out of trouble. The children went on a trip on the Chennai metro and had a great time. A chess competition was also organized at the time of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai.
K-12 Education: Ganapathy Iyer Girls’ Higher Secondary School
We continue our support of Ganapathy Iyer Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Gopalapuram, Chennai, with tuition scholarships for poor children, and operating expenses for morning breakfast. Our budget is approximately $2,500.
OPEN needs you
The OPEN community has supported over 39,000 students in the past 18 years with over $1.15 million in grants. As always, our ability to fund these projects depends on your generosity. OPEN is a non-profit charitable foundation in India and in the U.S. Contributions in both countries are tax-deductible.
Contributions in USD may be made online or by check.
Checks payable to OPEN Inc. may be sent to one of:
Sriram Sankaran, 7213 Lembert Hills Dr, Dublin, CA 94558
Rajesh Ramadoss, 21 S Mountain Rd, Millburn, NJ 07041
Cheques in INR may be sent in favor of:
Open India Charitable Trust # 26/91, 3rd Street, Karpagam Avenue, R.A.Puram, Chennai - 600028 Phone : +91 77086-79797.
You may also donate online in INR thru NEFT/IMPS:
Bank: Canara Bank Branch: St. Mary’s Road, Chennai Account Number: 1 2871 01 01 8901 MICR Number: 60001 5037 IFSC Code Number: CNRB0001287
Please consider investing in India's future. To delay may mean to forget.
