Q1 finances

Income this quarter has been sufficient for the students in need.

MBR: 2,500
SV: 1,000
P: 5,000
GPS: 5,000
ACL: 6,000
DrB: 5,000
PN: 5,000
VM: 2,000
AC: 2,000
SBB: 1,000
AS: 9,000
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Total: 43,500
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This was used for food (hostel messes are closed for the summer), exam fees, admission fees, and some last minute purchase of guides and photocopying. Some students have also been admitted to schools and colleges for further studies.

Computer centre

I visited a village of Tamilians in Karnataka, and was most impressed by their desire to get ahead. The entire village presented a united front -- about 20 men got together to request me for some support.

They do have a government school in the village, but the teacher is not too good. There is also a private school, but only for primary school. There are almost 500 families in the village spread over a vast area as they tend to live in their farms. They are small and medium farmers with land ranging from 2 acres to 6 acres.

Their wish list:
1. English medium school
2. Computer classes
3. Spoken English classes
4. High school in the village
5. Additional coaching for students.

I told them that we need permission from about 19 different government departments and this is just not in our capacity.

We could set up a computer centre for their little kids, I suggested, provided the community cooperated and it was a community run centre. They have agreed to donate a room for a year for centre. They have also agreed that minimal fees should be charged - Rs 20-30 per student was suggested.

So, here's what we need:

1. 6 tables
2. 6 chairs
3. 6 computers (2 promised)
4. UPS system
5. 1 teacher (any volunteers among the Tamil/Kannada speaking population?)

Basically, I am excited about this as I will be helping people who want to help themselves.

Married at 15?

Married at 15, first child at 16, another at 17, drunk husband, cranky children, tired and anaemic mother, scraping by on a daily wage when work is available, living on credit when that is available... A hard life - drudgery, worries, endless hunger. That's what Thimmamma has. She is barely 30.

Fifteen-year-old Ratna is getting married on 11 June. A bright student, she dropped out of school five years ago to take care of her younger brother, while her mother went to earn a living. Her life is all set to follow the same pattern as her mother's. At 30, Rathna will be the thin, tired mother and wife, that her mother is today.

Her sister Radha is just a year younger. Will her future be any different? We, at Kanasu Trust, hope so. We have pulled her away from home and placed her in a hostel. She now misses her home so much that she bursts into tears at the slightest provocation. Not for her the carefree song and dance of the other hostel girls. Not for her the secrets, giggles, and happy hours in the evening.

We hope that being in the hostel will keep her away from the social pressures of marriage. Her mother has agreed that she will not be forced into marriage as long as she studies. "If she is here, then I can't reject the proposals all the time. I will be forced to marry her off. As long as she is studying somewhere else, she will be safe," said Thimmamma. Our only hope of keeping the child off the marriage market, is to keep her in school.

What does it cost? Not much. Bus fares, clothes, and fees all put together come to just Rs 2,000 per year!

Any donors?

P.S. Thank you CDS for your support for her.