India

March 10

We started to think of the students who could be eligible for such a thing, a scholarship to further their education in a private school. We didn’t have to say it, but we knew they had to be a girl. A girl who has worked hard and would be capable and willing to face the challenges. The challenge of fighting their parents to go to school, the challenge of people the girl from the slums, dealing with the sneers and let downs, a girl who was strong. As we mentally looked at the class they all fit, but we would have to start with one.

PappanKalan has thought about starting up a fund for scholarships to send students to private schools for sometime, but doing this takes some time. As the time rolls on the idea starts to become a reality. I have rattled my brains with possible ways to come up with funds for this, the upper level of the new school, and some other needed supplies. I have read up on common fundraising methods, but I have decided I want to do something a bit different. One idea I have had is to sell some of the photos I have taken of the children and the community. These photos could be any size and would be sold by donation. I don’t know how successful this idea will be, but let me know if you are interested. I would also like to speak about my experiences to try and get some donations. I don’t know how to set these types of things up nor do I know how many people would be interested in the idea. If anyone has any suggestions please contact me! Seeing that my first journey to India is coming to a close, I have been stressing out trying to figure ways to help this poor community out from back home. I also want to get better cameras for my class one. They love photo day and I thinking having cheap digitals might really help their learning, because after they take photos we could instantly review them as a class and only have the good ones printed. This is obviously a difficult task to get anyone to donate digital cameras to a slum in India, but they have really learned a lot through these photos. I urge anyone who might know someone who works for a camera company or something like that talk to them. This would really change these boys life. Again, I also urge anyone who could help or is interested in any of these options to contact me. Having a school is obviously extremely important, but getting some of these girls in private schools is also on the top of the list.

“Why go to a private school when there is government schools?” someone asked my when we were discussing this idea. The answer is sad, but simply- government schools in the slums are awful. Since the government set up free education there is no really competition. When a teacher is hired they are pretty much in that position for as long as they would like. So, because firing a teacher isn’t a normal thing in government schoolteachers never really have to teach. And a lot of times this is exactly what happens. In fact, it is said that at any given time at a government school only 50% of the teachers were present, while only 66% of the principals were present. The other 50% of teachers who are actually there often do nothing. They just sit as their students talk or just wait for an education. The only reason many children go is just for the lunch and uniform that is provided. Teachers and principals have taken this job so lightly that there has been cases of them making children watch their kids during class. Students have also been made to clean the school or their teachers’ house.

This is why even in the poorest neighborhood parents are fighting to get their kids in private schools. Private schools are there to make money so the elements of competition exist. Owners of these schools constantly have to check on their teachers and really think about whom they are hiring so that they can bring in the most students for a greater profit. Despite a lot of these schools being run out of someone’s house for a little over $1.50 a month, the children are getting a better education, simply because they are getting an education.

I just find it amazing that even in a country where 51% of children are malnourished people are still fighting to save every penny they have to send their children to the best school they can find. It really shows the people’s willingness to learn as well as the parent’s love for their children.

When I hear these girl’s dreams of going to a real school and that their parents said they could, but they can’t simply because of money, I can’t help but feel upset. These girls are intelligent and they really want to learn. It is unfair that they can’t have the opportunities to achieve such simply goals. This is why the scholarships for these women or any of the children would be such an amazing thing to start.

The reason these scholarships would focus on women is because of the following reasons- 1. When parents try to educate their children the girls will be the last ones they send to school, meaning they have a lesser chance at becoming educated in these areas 2. When a women gets an education and that gets here a job not only does that give her and income and power in her marriage, but it also give her a say in the community 3. And lastly, it creates a chain of education. Women not only offend become teachers in the community, but the also are the ones who are always at home with the children. When a woman can teach the children and help with their schooling obviously the child’s intelligence will continually grow.

Seeing that hundreds of children in PappanKalan are going without education it is obvious to see why they need this new school. And seeing how these women have the rights to, have the intelligence to, as well as the dreams to go to school, I hope you can see why getting them there is a must. Now, that I only have two more weeks left of working, I beg you guys to help make these dreams come true. Any ideas you have for when I return to help raise money let me know. Of course I can accept free donations, but I also would like to do things to thank you for donations as well as for following my journey. It really has meant a lot to me and what you do to help will really help the children. That is why I want to do things such as sell photos, give talks, have a dinner, anything really. So please send me an email with ideas or request.

glaserj@xu.edu

Abdul and I (photo- Rajkumar)