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SITE VISIT SUMMARY _______________________________________________________
Basics Name: Steph Allie Heckman Site visited: Smaraami Foundation Country: India Dates of visit: February 12 & 13, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? Yes Was this your first time visiting the project site? Yes If not, has it changed? How? n/a List some expectations you had going into the trip: Went with an open mind. Were these expectations met? N/A
The Project Describe the mission of the organization: To provide clinical diagnostic services to the local free, government hospital – Niloufer. Do you feel the organization is working to satisfy its mission? Why or why not? Yes, the organization has succeeded in serving the needs of the patients of the hospital and in fact is now collaborating with the local government to increase the public sector’s scope of services. How has the organization progressed since its inception? Yes – see above. In addition, the hospital is due to be moved to an improved location in a new building currently being built across the street. Describe the personnel: A small group of qualified clinicians (5) ensure that services are available 24/7 to all patients. This means that patients no longer need to wait up to 2-3 days for results and the doctor is able to commence treatment at a much quicker rate. This is literally saving thousands of lives a year. Do you feel the needs of the organization are being met? No. The organization requested that we find a champion to raise approximately $5000 a year to supplement the $6k raised by current champion, Kavitha Earneni. This would cover the salaries for all staff for one year.
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The Community Describe the community: Poor families in urban community and nearby communities. The organization primarily serves newborn children, infants, young children, and mothers. Hyderabad is a busy, cosmopolitan city with a middle and upper class community. The organization also successfully raises funds from the local community. Do you feel the needs of the community are being met? Yes. Death rates within the newborn ICU have dropped significantly. From 12 infants to 6. You can see how critical the services of this organization are when you see that an average of 6 infants continue to die on the wards each day.
The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes. The organization is serving children and their mothers affected by poverty. Priorities: $10k per year raised for salaries by One World Children’s Fund champions. Contact and connections with bio-technology companies in the US to provide in kind contributions so that their services can be replicated in other hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.
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SITE VISIT SUMMARY _______________________________________________________
Basics Name: Steph Alie Heckman & Katie Boswell Site visited: Nari Jagran Manch Country: India Dates of visit: February 5&6, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? Yes – Allie No – Katie Was this your first time visiting the project site? Yes If not, has it changed? How? n/a
The Project Describe the mission of the organization: To empower marginalized women & girls living in rural communities around Bodhgaya. Do you feel the organization is working to satisfy its mission? Why or why not? Yes, Sister Mary works incredibly well with the local women and girls and has gained the trust of the community. How has the organization progressed since its inception? The organization now provides women’s training, micro-credit, family planning information, sewing groups, education, and agricultural training for hundreds of women. Describe the personnel: Local women, who are part of the community they serve. Do you feel the needs of the organization are being met? Yes
The Community Describe the community: Rural, poor, strong, and courageous. Women’s rights, especially among the Manji people have still to be recognized by the wider community. Nari Jagran Manch is helping make this happen. Do you feel the needs of the community are being met? Yes
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The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes, almost 100% of the women served are mothers to multiple children. Their daughters often attend the groups and trainings. The young girls also receive assistance with accessing education. Priorities: Increase the prize/ incentive micro credit program – offering incentives to women who pay back loans quickly is yielding positive results. One World find a champion to raise $10,000 a year for Nari Jagran Manch – through major donors and foundation grants.
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SITE VISIT SUMMARY _______________________________________________________
Basics Name: Steph Allie Heckman & Katie Boswell Executive Director & International Program Manager Site visited: People First Educational Charitable Trust Country: India Dates of visit: February 4, 2013 February 6th, 2013, February 7th, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? Yes – Allie No – Katie Was this your first time visiting the project site? Yes If not, has it changed? How? n/a
The Organization Describe the mission of the organization: To provide opportunity to vulnerable children living in and around Bodhgaya, Bihar, India Do you feel the organization is working to satisfy its mission? Why or why not? Yes. People First has grown over the years which has allowed the dedicated staff of People First to serve more children in the surrounding area of Bodhgaya. This includes schools educating children from Kindergarten through to year 10 (the final year of school). In addition, there is no other secondary school for girls for students attending Dhobi School, so if it were not for People First, the girls from this community would not receive an education. There are plans for the Indian government to introduce a school in the coming years for girls in this region. The teachers and staff of People First are well trained and there is very little turnover within the personnel. How has the organization progressed since its inception? The organization now runs a rescue center for 500+ children in addition to the schools. In addition, People First also now runs sewing centers for women’s groups, and health projects – providing health and hygiene education and access to nurses and family planning services. Describe the personnel: Dedicated, compassionate, and knowledgeable. Well respected in the community. Recognition received from state and national government. Do you feel the needs of the organization are being met?
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The Chairman, Deepak Kumar, and Founder, Nick Hansen stated that they would like to: 1) Increase teacher salaries 2) Improve the condition of Dhobi and Buttra Bigha schools 3) Increase the funding to the Rescue Center so that they can meet the increasing demands on its services. Currently, Rescue Center is their primary priority. See below in priorities. The Community Describe the community: Rural communities in the surrounding area of Bodhgaya. Do you feel the needs of the community are being met? Yes. In Buttra Bigha there is no other school. In Dhobi there is no other school for secondary aged girls. Kanjiar Kindergarten is the only kindergarten of its kind in the area. People First continues to monitor the services provided by the government to ensure they do not duplicate services as things improve throughout the state of Bihar. Street Children of Gaya Railway Station and surrounding areas are served by the professionally run Rescue Junction Center. Each year more than 500 children are rescued and rehomed – either at local boarding schools or reunited with their families. People First works closely with local officials, police departments, and family members. The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes – People First is serving children through education, healthcare, and shelter. People First is aligned with One World’s values and works with respect, transparency, compassion, community, reciprocity, and generosity. Please list any fundraising priorities that the organization identified: Rescue Center will be losing 37k in funding. There is a plan to receive funding from the government to support their services, but there will be a need to invest further in Rescue Junction Center. Unless additional funding is secured, they may need to cut some of the educational services, depending on alternative government education systems.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
SITE VISIT SUMMARY _______________________________________________________
Basics Name:Steph Allie Heckman & Katie Boswell Site visited:Prajna Vihar School Country: India Dates of visit: February 6, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? Yes – Allie No – Katie Was this your first time visiting the project site? Yes If not, has it changed? How? n/a
The Project Describe the mission of the organization: To provide education to poor children living in and around Bodhgaya. Do you feel the organization is working to satisfy its mission? Why or why not? Yes, the school is a thriving place of education with 500 children and 20+ teachers. The building is well equipped and Sister Shoba works with a reliable and committed group of teachers. How has the organization progressed since its inception? Still the same mission and service since it began. They have recently bought land adjacent to the school building where they now hold some classes and assemblies. They have also planted some trees in this area. Describe the personnel: Dedicated, local, qualified Do you feel the needs of the organization are being met? Teachers’ salaries could be increased, as Sister Shoba highlighted. She also recommends the building of some new classrooms and science/computer labs.
The Community Describe the community: Lower caste children from Bodhgaya and surrounding villages. 1/3 children are from higher caste so as to encourage integration across the community between children and marginalized families. Do you feel the needs of the community are being met?
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Yes. This school provides quality education and is respected in the community.
The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes – serving children affected by poverty with education Priorities: FCRA form – One World can not donate funds until this has been received. Sister Shoba expects this to be received this year. One World will send the Prajna Vihar Board a letter stating the need for FCRA to be received within the next 12 months. If this is not received, One World will consider re-allocating the funds to an organization with a greater need. One World will discuss with Prajan Bihar Board & Champion. School priorities:
Science, computer labs
Classsrooms – additional 3 to be built
Increase teacher salaries (currently at 5000 rupees a month)
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SITE VISIT SUMMARY _______________________________________________________
Basics Name: Steph Allie Heckman Site visited: Hellen Kellar Institute for the Visually Impaired Country: India Dates of visit: February 10 & 11, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? Yes Was this your first time visiting the project site? Yes If not, has it changed? How? n/a
The Project Describe the mission of the organization: To provide opportunity for individuals with visual impairment so that they and their families can live productive, independent, self sufficient, and healthy lives. Do you feel the organization is working to satisfy its mission? Why or why not? Yes. The individuals living at Hellen Kellar are proud, independent, and self sufficient members of their community. Furthermore, the founder, Dr. Ramkrishnan, who has been blind himself since the age of 5, inspires the residents to strive for an independent and full life. Many residents had previously not thought this was possible as they had been shut out from every day life prior to living at the institute. They had also been a burden on their families as they were not able to secure employment. Hellen Kellar provides FT employment for all residents. How has the organization progressed since its inception? The organization now serves 5 deaf young women and 3 individuals with physical impairments. Describe the personnel: Many of the staff are blind or otherwise physically impaired. Other staff includes family members of the residents. There is an incredible amount of compassion and respect throughout the organization. Do you feel the needs of the organization are being met? No. Dr. Ramkrishnan proposed a project to harvest and filter rain water so that the residents have access to clean, drinking water all year.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
The Community Describe the community: A mixture of families living in extreme poverty and some less so. A range of ages from young adults to the elderly. Do you feel the needs of the community are being met? Yes
The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes, the organization is serving caregivers and family members of children affected by poverty. No children are directly served by Hellen Kellar, but the income and opportunity this institute provides to extended families can not be overstated. Priorities: Water project (See above)– full budget provided. Requested disbursement in April. Need to supply letter to Dr. Ramkrishnan in order to receive a temporary FRCA form prior to disbursement.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
Basics Name of visitor(s): Katie Boswell Partner Organization visited and country: Jagriti Vihara, India Dates of visit: February 8th-10th, 2013
The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? No Was this your first time visiting the Partner Organization? Yes If not, has it changed? How? N/A
The Partner Organization Describe the mission of the Partner Organization: Jagriti Vihara works with villagers to create awareness of health, environmental and social issues, so that they can play an active role in rural development and changing the social order. Describe the services provided:
Children’s education: Jagriti Vihara supports village education, both directly running schools and supporting communities to get government schools. For example, I visited a school in Dumaro village - Jagriti Vihara supported setting up this school and convincing the government officer to give a grant for the buildings and teachers. This has been a 35 year effort and the school now has 376 students and 5 teachers.
Health: Jagriti Vihara raises awareness of health issues and organizes health camps locally, for example anti-malaria camps in nearby villages. The new hospital will be an important milestone in meeting the health needs of local people, who currently have to travel very far (70 km to Ranchi) to access hospital care and suffer from health problems such as malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory disorders and snake bites. I visited the hospital building (which is now complete apart from a few details such as the plumbing) and heard about plans for hiring staff and opening the hospital – see more below under “current needs and funding priorities”.
Women’s self-help: microfinance services, social awakening / awareness training, and also livelihood training, such as weaving.
Livelihood training: Jagriti Vihara trains local people in skills such as weaving, carpentry, workworking, and tile-making to help them make their livelihoods more sustainable. Jagriti Vihara also preserves local crafts and culture through the Jagriti Vihara Museum which gathers together local artifacts from tribal communities.
Work with villagers to improve their relations with other parties: I visited Birsa Nagar, a village near the mining area and also saw one of the mines. Similarly, Jagriti Vihara worked with villagers in Dumaro and local government officials to support the building of a bridge connecting the village with the local area during rainy season (which had previously not been built because the river was on a government administrative boundary and both sides claimed they were not responsible for a bridge).
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Environment: Working with villagers to preserve the local environment through awareness raising, tree planting, well digging, irrigation and rain water utilization projects.
Describe the personnel: 7 Executive Committee members and village committees overseeing work at the village level. How has the Partner Organization progressed since its inception? Jagriti Vihara started working in a local village and now works in around 60 villages. What are the Partner Organization’s current needs and funding priorities? Many of Jagriti Vihara’s needs are covered by the supporters in Norway and Sweden, including Jagriti Viharas Vanner (Friends of Jagriti Vihara, JVV). However, the funding for the hospital is not covered and this is a high priority moving forwards. Running the hospital is likely to cost around 250,000 rupees per month (50,000 for a doctor; 15-20,000 for each nurse/lab technician; 100150,000 for medicines and equipment). There is great potential for Champions to fundraise using the fact that it only costs $5 to fund the average person’s hospital visit (maybe a powerful message for raising small amounts from lots of people via social media?) – these figures may be refined later on but they could be used as a fundraising tool. The Community Describe the community: The local community is rural and mostly consists of tribal adivasi people. The main tribes are Munda and Oraon (who each speak their own language but also communicate in the shared Nagpur language and also some communicate in Hindi). There is also a small community of Birhor, an endangered primitive tribe. How are members of the community involved with making decisions about the Partner Organization’s services? At the village level, village committees work with Jagriti Vihara to make decisions about village-level work. Jagriti Vihara takes a long-term approach, winning people’s trust over time and encouraging community ownership of projects. The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the Partner Organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes. Most importantly, Jagriti Vihara works directly and respectfully with local communities on longterm projects to improve their lives. What is the Champion fundraising goal? From Champion Report: “Our goal is to continue supporting the hospital till it stands in its own feet. We will like help them by connecting to partner organizations and individuals, apply for grants if there is an opportunity, and at the current estimate raise $20,000.” How does the Champion fundraising goal fit with the Partner Organization’s need and priorities (outlined above)?
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At current estimates, the Champion fundraising goal can help support the first year or two of the hospital’s operation. This is an evolving situation as the hospital is not yet operational and costs may be slightly different to those projected.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
SITE VISIT SUMMARY: NIRVANAVAN FOUNDATION _______________________________________________________ Basics Name of visitor(s): Katie Boswell Partner Organization visited and country: Nirvanavan Foundation, India Dates of visit: February 13th – 14th, 2013 The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? No Was this your first time visiting the Partner Organization? Yes If not, has it changed? How? N/A The Partner Organization Describe the mission of the Partner Organization: The Nirvanavan Foundation is committed to encouraging others to help themselves, working to better the environment and to improve the quality of life of the local population. Describe the services provided: The Nirvanavan Foundation’s services focuses on two main activity streams:
Bodhivriksha Education Program: working with 12 schools (Bodhivriksha Shala)
Childline: hosting this national service for the Alwar area, with a dedicated Childline team who service a 24-hour phoneline for children in distress and conduct regular outreach to different areas every month.
Describe the personnel: The Chairperson is Nirvana Bodhisattva. The two main teams are the Bodhivriksha teachers and the Childline team. How has the Partner Organization progressed since its inception? Founded in 2001, the Nirvanavan Foundation has grown over the years to support 12 schools as well as the Childline service. One demonstration of its success has been that children from the Bodhivriksha schools are increasingly going to government schools after graduating. What are the Partner Organization’s current needs and funding priorities? The Nirvanavan Foundation needs funding to support the operation of the Bodhivriksha schools, including providing sufficient salaries for the teachers who are currently paid relatively low salaries, which could cause them to leave. The Community Describe the community: The schools and Childline service serve diverse communities of children, many of whom are marginalized from mainstream society. In particular, the Nat and Kanjer communities served by
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some of the schools are stigmatized for their involvement in prostitution. Families may be reluctant to send their children to school, as they can make money without an education. How are members of the community involved with making decisions about the Partner Organization’s services? The Nirvanavan Foundation has been working over many years with families and communities to win their trust and persuade them of the benefits of educating their children. Schools hold regular community meetings to discuss children’s academic progress as well as broader issues. The Childline team conducts regular outreach sessions to different communities in the area. The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the Partner Organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes, the Partner Organization is aligned with our mission to improve the lives of children and One World’s values of Community, Compassion, Generosity, Respect, Transparency and Reciprocity. What is the Champion fundraising goal? To be confirmed with Rucha, Sai and Jeff in their Champion Report. How does the Champion fundraising goal fit with the Partner Organization’s need and priorities (outlined above)? Rucha, Sai and Jeff are committed to working with Nirvana to identify the ongoing priorities of the Foundation and to provide a steady source of income to meet the Foundation’s needs. They are new to the Champion role so the funding may increase over time, which would potentially allow the Foundation to increase its teacher salaries to retain teachers for the long term.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
SITE VISIT SUMMARY: ZAKAT FOUNDATION INDIA _______________________________________________________
Basics Name of visitor(s): Katie Boswell Partner Organization visited and country: Zakat Foundation India (ZFI), India Dates of visit: February 10th-13th, 2013 The Visit Was this your first time visiting this country? No Was this your first time visiting the Partner Organization? Yes If not, has it changed? How? N/A The Partner Organization Describe the mission of the Partner Organization: ZFI organizes collection of Zakat, Sadaqaat, Fitra, Imdaad and other charities and utilize these for the welfare of the poor and needy. It aims to help the poor and needy stand on their own feet, become financially independent and socially empowered. Describe the services provided: ZFI provides a wide range of services. The main areas in which ZFI works are:
Ophanages: ZFI runs the Happy Home orphanages for boys and girls, which I visited with Mr S. M Shakil and Mr Mumtaz Najmi. The children receive shelter, food, clothing, medical assistance and entertainment at the orphanages and receive education at God’s Grace School, a local English medium school, which I visited with Mr Nasir.
Medical services: ZFI runs the Mercy Home charitable medical center in the Bawana area of Delhi, which I visited with Mr Shaab Naseem.
Livelihood training: ZFI runs the Shanno Tailoring and Knitting Institute to teach sewing and related skills to young women in Bawana, which I visited.
Stipends and food items for indigent persons: ZFI runs a monthly distribution of food items to widows and other indigent persons in Daryaganj, which I visited with Mr Asrar Ahmed. They also support an endowment for a family in Mumbai with Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy, which has been partly funded through money sent via One World.
Relief work: ZFI provides assistance to those affected by riots and natural disasters, including children who come to the Happy Home orphanages from all over India. Most recently, ZFI has provided shelter to Burmese Rohingya refugees who have been forced to flee their country. I passed the shelter area on the outskirts of Delhi.
Empowerment through participation in governance: In 2007, ZFI established the Sir Syed Coaching & Guidance Centre (SSCGC) in Delhi, to provide intensive coaching to
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
academically bright but financially needy minority candidates (including Muslims, Christians and women – all under-represented groups) for civil services competitive examinations.
Empowerment through RTI requests: ZFI has used the RTI Act to request information on various government programs and schemes.
Interfaith work: ZFI is closely affiliated with the Interfaith Coalition for Peace – their offices are housed in the same building, Zafar Mahmood is the President of both organizations, and Rev. Packiam Samuel (Secretary and Treasurer of the Interfaith Coalition for Peace) collaborates with ZFI on certain projects.
Describe the personnel: The President of Zakat is Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood. He is supported by ZFI Coordinator, Gladys S., and by the ZFI Board of Trustees comprising 6 (?) members. There are also regional resource persons and other members of ZFI who volunteer their time for the organization. How has the Partner Organization progressed since its inception? ZFI was established in 1998 and has a strong tradition of what Zafar refers to as “micro works”, helping the poor and needy in line with Islamic social values. More recently, ZFI has been branching out into “macro works” such as the SSCGC and Zafar sees this as a priority moving forwards, since every successful SSCGC graduate who gains employment in the civil service has the potential to positively affect the lives of a million other people. What are the Partner Organization’s current needs and funding priorities? Immediate priorities include updating / renovating the new Happy Home Boys orphanage, which recently moved to a new site. The boys have plenty of space, but ZFI would like to create a permanent dining area for them (they are currently using a temporary set-up) and other improvements as appropriate. Also, the downstairs area of the building is intended to host ZFI’s major medical facilities, which is a work in progress. In conversations with Zafar, he discussed the ever-present need to expand funds to meet all the needs of the community, as well as a specific upcoming project to open a new orphanage in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Other priorities noted in the latest ZFI leaflet include:
Increasing the number of widows & indigent persons getting stipend or monthly food items.
Increasing the number of ZFI-sponsored candidates under various employment programs.
Making available more medical vans in the needy areas.
Helping applicants with diverse needs in the queue for assistance (more applicants can always be helped if ZFI receives more funds).
Construction of a larger SSCGC building complex to accommodate and coach 500 students together under one roof.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org
The Community Describe the community: ZFI works in diverse areas with different communities. Its work is focused predominantly in areas with large Muslim populations, such as Bawana and Daraganj in Delhi, but it serves all communities in those areas. For example, widows receiving monthly rations in Daryaganj included Hindu widows as well as Muslim widows. The SSCGC targets Christians as well as Muslims for entry into the civil service, where both groups are under-represented. The Partnership with One World Children's Fund Is the Partner Organization aligned with the mission of One World? Why or why not? Yes. What is the Champion fundraising goal? To be confirmed with Saad when he finishes his current rotation and submits his Champion Report. How does the Champion fundraising goal fit with the Partner Organization’s need and priorities (outlined above)? Saad and Soumya raised an impressive amount of funds over the Ramadan period in 2012. Hopefully, they will be able to repeat this again in 2013 to support the ongoing needs and priorities of ZFI.
NB: Zafar will be in the US in May/June (for 4 weeks starting May 19th) and would like One World’s support to find speaker opportunities and organize meetings with like-minded organizations. One World will be in touch to discuss a Founders Circle event featuring Zafar and will also think about organizations (e.g. foundations supporting India, interfaith organizations, foundations supporting children & orphanages) with whom we can put Zafar in touch.
1016 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129 Ph. (415) 255-3014 www.owcf.org