BACKGROUND
The pandemic has impacted many of us adversely. The rise in Covid cases in 2020 forced a countrywide lockdown which in turn caused schools and colleges to remain closed till the situation improved. Most private schools switched to online learning but it became a task for government schools to cope with. Most students that attend these schools belong to low-income households and do not have access to computers, smartphones, tablets or even internet connectivity.
THE PROBLEM
Education has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. The last 15 months of uncertainty & extended lockdown leading to the shutting down of schools is a major education crisis. This has caused a sudden disruption to the learning of children. The switch from physical classrooms to online learning has been extremely difficult for students in low-income communities who have no access to Wi-fi or gadgets.
THE SOLUTION
Akanksha Foundation has decided to empower these students by distributing tablets. Along with the tablets, they will also be given high-quality earphones. This will be a comprehensive solution to their learning woes.
Due to the pandemic, Akanksha made the transition to remote virtual programs right in April 2020. Last year they supported all students from Grade 8–10 by providing them with a smart device & internet connectivity so that the learning never stops. This year, they have decided to do the same for Grade 3-7.
Each tablet costs INR 10000.
Funding INR 20000, will help 2 children learn from home.
Funding INR 40000, will help 4 children learn from home.
Funding INR 60000, will help 6 children learn from home.
This campaign is being done in partnership with Bombay Scottish school, Powai and Akanksha Foundation.
All funding has 80G benefits.
The overall requirement for Grade 3-7 would be approximately 4300 tablets. The gap which needs to be funded as of now is close to 1500 tablets & this is extremely urgent, given that the sooner we can provide for these, the lesser time our children have to suffer without quality education.
TABLETS TO BE DISTRIBUTED
THE 3 TABLETS THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BASED ON AVAILABILITY:-
1. Lenovo – V7/ 6505MC
2. Lenovo – M7/7305X
3. Wishtel – IRA W7258
SPECIFICATIONS OF THE TABLET:-
1. Screen size: 7 inch
2. Storage: 32 GB (Expandable)
3. Connectivity: 4G + WiFi
EXAMPLES OF STUDENTS YOU CAN IMPACT
ABOUT ME
My name is VAIBHAVI VENKATESWARAN'S. I am 13 years old and in Grade 8 at Bombay Scottish, Powai.
During this pandemic, we have realized how flawed our education system is. Just because some students live in underprivileged areas, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't get a good education. Most of their parents are daily wage earners, meaning they live by the day. Their first concern is putting food on the table so getting their kid's education is unheard of. We take most things for granted whereas these children don't have access to basic amenities. Just because a pandemic occurred and it isn't safe to be in classrooms doesn't mean that they should be deprived of their right to education.
So while we are sitting in our safe homes and living a life full of luxuries, we need to help them. These students don't have access to a smartphone, laptop, or internet. Which means that they cannot attend any of the online classes. There is a dire need for these devices. It's astonishing how much INR 10000 can affect an underprivileged student.
Please do support my campaign and let us together help bridge this digital divide and ensure that no one is left behind as everything shifts online.
LIST OF SCHOOLS WHERE THE TABLETS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED
ABOUT THE NGO
Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to build the largest network of innovative schools that empowers children to maximise their potential and influences systemic reform.
For over 30 years, Akanksha has educated children from underprivileged communities across Mumbai and Pune. It was first, through their after-school centres, and since 2007, through the Akanksha Schools.
Today, Akanksha is one of the largest urban networks of public-private partnership schools of its kind in India. Currently, Akanksha’s network has grown to 21 schools across Mumbai and Pune serving 10000 students with 600 educators and have Alumni of almost 3800. Looking ahead, we seek to expand our network of schools, share our effective practices and advocate for quality school reform for children across India.
TAX BENEFITS:
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as the NGO is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT Act. Foreign funding is NOT accepted.
FEEDBACK
To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from the NGO telling me who benefitted from the funding. The details will then be posted on the UPDATES section of my campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an SMS and EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. That's transparent right.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of those who were benefitted?
Yes, after the money has been collected and transferred by Fueladream to Akanksha Foundation. This process will take two to three months from the time the campaign has ended. The details will be posted on the ‘UPDATES’ section of this campaign and you will also receive an email notification.
When do we get the receipts?
The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How can we fund this campaign with a cheque?
Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd account details are as below
BANK NAME: HDFC Bank Limited.
BRANCH: Koramangala( Main Branch). City: Bengaluru - 560095.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 50200013106778
IFSC CODE: HDFC0000053
Please draw a cheque in favour of "Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd", and deposit the cheque into the Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd HDFC Bank account (any branch across INDIA). After you deposit the cheque, please send an email to ranga@fueladream.com AND vineeth@fueladream.com with the following funder information.
1) Name of Funder:
2) Full address with Pin code:
3) Telephone/Mobile no and Email ID:
4) PAN of funder:
5) Cheque number:
6) Amount funded:
7) Whose campaign are you funding. (Name of the person OR campaign number/ID):
After the funds are received and the above details are verified, the fund amount will be transferred to the respective campaign. This can take from 1-3 working days.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept and is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations and ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation and you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
