Project LIGHT A SPARKA Network of Schools for the

Under-Schooled

India’s 200 Million Crisis

Om Charan Manju Kumari

“Our teachers don’t teach us…”

Even after 4 years of school, 90% of children in India from poorer households remain illiterate - UNESCO

A Brewing Crisis

.. and a need for an Intervention

Introducing SKILL Foundation

8 Years Journey

I will do it Sir!

SKILL Foundation’s Work

A non-profit organization with a mission to teach underprivileged children

Teaches English, ICT, life skills for free

Started out in 2007 in Patna, Bihar and now has other centers

Taught thousands of children to become more employable and pursue a dream

Completed 10,000 educational hours teaching more than 5,000 students

Learning Life Skills

Teaching Assistant Program Public Speaking Training

Yoga TrainingFootball Club

Curriculum

Vocational Skills

Life Skills

English, Math, Computer Science

Objective

The school supplements regular local schools Helps students become employable:

Improve their academic performance Get exposed to modern computing and

communication tools Learn life skills like public speaking, resume writing,

practical vocations Develop a well-rounded personality by learning

simple etiquette, a spirit of questioning, listening etc.

The Task @ Hand

SKILL Foundation is expanding into rural areas

Most of our students in Patna are from villages. They have to leave their home to study in Patna

For rural children, English is a foreign language

The digital divide between rural and urban children is grossly apparent. They have rarely seen or touched a PC

Deep-rooted caste, religious and gender biases.

For details, please look uphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/25674227278/

www.skillfoundation.com

Project Light a Spark

Build schools with a solar powered computer lab

Teach English, math and basic IT for free

To build a network of schools in villages – 6 schools by 2020 21 schools by 2050

Develop a model for small sustainable schools To serve children within a 2-3 km radius To catalyze rural entrepreneurship To minimize rural migration

Project Light a Spark - Goals

The first school building is planned in Banka – Siljori Panchayat

Land for the school

The Challenge in Banka

Serving the needs of the extreme poor - Banka is the third least developed district in India

In Banka, classes are held in the open because of lack of a school building

We often have to cancel lessons because of weather conditions

These disruptions lead to drop outs

Funding for setting up the school

We are looking to raise funds amounting to Rs. 40 lacs for the first school: Building construction - Rs. 20 lacs Solar Panels - Rs. 15 lacs 10 laptops – Rs. 3 lacs Other equipment – Rs. 2 lacs

Funding

Donors get a receipt and 80G certificate for tax concessions

SKILL Foundation has permission under FCRA for accepting foreign donations

We can discuss options of joint PR, co-branding and citation on the school building

India has many underserved districts where children require special attention

Need to bridge the digital divide as millions have no access to ICT making them ill-equipped for modern day jobs

The demographic dividend of a young population in India will disappear if we do not bridge the skill gap

The growing number of unemployable youth will eventually paralyze the India economy and the society at large

…we need to act NOW

Why should we care?

Thank you!

Look forward to your Support in this Effort

Registered Office: 3/301, Seawoods Estate, NRI Complex, Palm Beach Road, Navi Mumbai-400701Main Office: Gouri Kunj, Rajendrapath, Sheikhpura, Patna – 800 014 Tel: +91-612-228-6598, +91-99731-03967Website: www.skillfoundation.com, E-mail: shaliniverma@skillfoundation.com© 2015