I run so they can READ
I am training to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) this year. I have taken up this challenge to raise funds for Asha for Education, a non-profit organization, working to bring socio-economic change in India through education of underprivileged children. It is a significant time commitment and challenge to train for a half marathon. I am however constantly motivated knowing that the funds I raise could mean the difference between education and poverty for underprivileged children.
Why Asha for Education?
Asha for Education is a low-overhead, 100% volunteer-driven 501c(3) organization that works on education in India with the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change. It has been rated a 4-star charity on Charity Navigator for 7 consecutive years for being a low-overhead, transparent, and accountable organization. Importantly, it means your donation has a big impact on children, teachers, and schools who need our help, support and motivation.
My GOAL
My goal is to raise $2600. Funds raised will go towards education, food, therapy and medical expenses (with certain project partners) for underprivileged children supported by Asha-Austin. Following are some projects currently funded by them:
- Gramin Shiksha Kendra’s Girirajpura School (GSK), an alternative education school, in rural Rajasthan, India, with ~100 children, helped setup by Asha-Austin in 2015. Asha-Austin supports the operational expenses of the school for ~16k USD annually, towards teacher salaries, teaching and learning material. Further, Asha-Austin helped construct a classroom in 2016-17 (Video).
- Mathru Foundation (Mathru), a residential home for children with physical disabilities, in Bangalore, India. Asha-Austin supports the operating expenses of the home, since 2015, for ~9k USD annually, towards food, education and medical needs for the 22 children (Video).
- Khushboo Welfare Society(KWS), a school for children with mental and multiple disabilities, with ~115 children, in Gurgaon, India. Asha-Austin supports their new initiatives program, since 2016, and funds salaries of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, arts teacher, music teacher, dance teacher, computer teacher, yoga teacher and pottery instructor for ~15k USD annually (Video).
- Nethra Vidyalaya – Varija School (Nethra), a residential school for children with visual impairments, with ~114 children, in Vishakapatnam, India. Asha-Austin supports the salaries of seven teachers, imparting Maths, Science, Social Science, English, Computer Science, Braille, and Martial Arts and Yoga, since 2018, for ~10.5k USD annually (Video).
- Navjyoti Swawalamban Seva Sansthan (Navjyoti), has three programs, Asha Samajik Vidyalaya (ASV) school in Nagepur catering to ~250 children from classes I to VI, Kishori Kendra (KK) with 10 centers for vocational training for ~200 adolescent girls, and 30 self-help groups (SHG) for women’s empowerment in eastern UP. Asha-Austin supports the salaries of teachers for both ASV and KK programs and coordinators for the SHG program, since 2019, for ~13.5k USD annually (Video).
- Sangamam-Rajatalab (Sangamam), a pilot program in collaboration with Asha-Rajatalab and Asha-Chennai, imparts computer education and use of visual aids to teach concepts in Maths, Science and English, to ~700 children through Asha teachers in six government schools in Rajatalab, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Asha-Austin supports the salaries of teachers and cost of setting up the computer lab with laptops, furniture, projectors, etc., since 2019, for ~7.5k USD annually (Photos).
What can you DO ?
Please consider donating through my fundraiser. Your contribution is tax-deductible (Tax ID: 77-0459884, Asha for Education) and the money raised is extremely invaluable in supporting Asha for Education, Asha-Austin chapter and Team Asha’s mission.
Support a child with your gift of education today. Enrich a life forever.
| $25 | Monthly therapy session cost for each special child at KWS (OR) Monthly food related cost for each special child at Mathru |
| $30 | Monthly support for education for each special child at Nethra |
| $50 | Monthly food, educational and medical related support for each special child at Mathru |
| $75 | Monthly operational cost for one vocational training center for adolescent girls at Kishori Kendra program of Navajyoti |
| $85 | Monthly teaching and learning material cost at GSK-Girirajpura (OR) Monthly computer-based education cost at each govt. school for Sangamam-Rajatalab |
| $100 | Monthly salary of a school teacher at ASV school of Navajyoti (OR) Monthly salary of an Asha teacher for Sangamam-Rajatalab |
| $240 | Annual support for each child at GSK-Girirajpura |
| $300 | Annual support for each special child at KWS |
| $360 | Annual support for each special child at Nethra |
How to DONATE?
I request that you make your tax-deductible donation on this secure page by clicking on the “DONATE NOW” button on the top-right, prior to February 16, 2020.
Company Matching
The majority of Companies match employee donations. This is a great way to double the impact of your donation.
- Search “Asha for Education” in your Company’s Giving portal
- Please ensure address & EIN (Tax-ID) are :
- Address : PO Box 398080, San Francisco, CA 94139-8080
- EIN: 77-0459884
- Provide details about your donation on the Giving portal.
- Note some companies want employees to donate through their Giving portal. Please check this before making the donation on this page.
- Please include “Vish Balakrishnan, Austin Chapter” in Description section.
- Please email me or austin.treasurer@ashanet.org so we may know to expect a donation match.
Please remember that whatever you can donate is valuable. Helen Keller once said “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. And I request you to take this journey with me towards my goal.
Thank you.