THE NDF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM – Giving LITTLE ones a BIG help

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. This allows those from marginalised families to build a life and get out of the vicious cycle of poverty. This crowdfunding initiative of mine is a campaign that is being done by me and my fellow students at the school to raise funds, that will help educate brilliant students who come from economically stressed families. This gift of education will help them build careers and get them out of the vicious circle of poverty that has plagued their families for generations.

My aim is to raise 20000 INR to fund the education of 1 child for two entire years. I am doing this with the Nargis Dutt Foundation (NDF) which has been running their program now for over 5-years and has already impacted over 500 students (90% are from the city of Mumbai).

These funds are used to educate daughters and sons of drivers, maids, daily wage labor etc and thus transform their lives. The focus is on educating them from the 1st to the 12th grades. There is a separate program for a college education.

The team at NDF believe that education is the key to empowerment. This impacts both meritorious girls and boys from financially stressed families. The fees for their schools are typically around INR 20,000 per annum. The program funds approximately 50% of the fees and the rest comes from the parents. The team at NDF believes that there needs to be a commitment from the parents also to ensure there is a focus on their child’s education.

Every year they support 150 students with their school fees. Complete due diligence is done from their end w.r.t. to meet the child, the family, and documentation. They take an application letter, ration card, school fees structure, electricity bill, and results. (Read the details below to see their compliance process). The funds are always given to the school directly.

Any additional funds I raise with your help will be used to fund more children or the same child for a longer duration of time. So if I raise 40000 INR I can fund the education of these two children for two years instead of one year. That will be so cool.

CASE STUDIES:

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

• NDF screens talented kids
• Checks their economic situation (due diligence done).
• Ratifies facts with the school they are studying at.
• Ensures that parents fund 40 to 50% of fees.
• NDF will fund the balance.
• Monitors performance and progress of the child.
• Shares report cards with funders.

ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN:

Pic: This is me

My name is NIRVAN THOTA and I am in Grade 7at the Billabong High International School at Santacruz (W), Mumbai.

I have undertaken this campaign because I think the gift of education is something that is critical to any student. The children that I would like to support and give a scholarship to are doing very well at school. They are doing well at school despite adverse economic circumstances and conditions at home. Many of them have parents who are daily wage labourers, house help and need our assistance. The fact that raising 20000 INR can support a child for two entire years is something that I am very excited about. I could also raise for example 50000 INR and support the same child for 5 years. That would be amazing.

Getting a good education will definitely transform their lives and the lives of their families. Many of their parents cannot even read and write. Imagine how much education will impact them. Please support my campaign and let us together bring light into the lives of these fellow students.

Our Partner

NARGIS DUTT FOUNDATION

Based out of Bandra in Mumbai they are a non-profit organisation that has been doing exemplary work in the field of health, education, rural development and during national calamities. The Nargis Dutt Foundation has come a long way since its first chapter in New York in 1981 and has today spread across several countries. Although promoting cancer healthcare remains our core value, we have also diversified into supporting many causes in Education, Health and Social Awareness. Sensing a need to bring about awareness in the areas of student suicides, general healthcare, the elderly and the importance of platelets, we have conducted several campaigns across Mumbai in association with various schools, colleges and NGO’s.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are raising fund to educate bright children from needy homes. Once the campaign ends we will post an update to keep you & the funders abreast of the beneficiaries. Feedback will be given as a report with pictures and a fact sheet about the students who got the scholarship. 

TAX BENEFITS

This campaign had 80G tax benefits for all Indian funders. This campaign does not accept funds from holders of foreign passports.

FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET

To ensure that there is complete transparency the team at NDF will post feedback about 2 -3 months after the campaign gets over telling us which student has got the scholarship. This takes some time as they need to screen candidates and allocate them to me. The details will then be posted on the UPDATES section of my campaign and will be in a format like the one below. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an SMS and EMAIL alert to you. Click on the link on the email and you can read about which child benefitted. That's transparent right.

Sharing an example of the FEEDBACK FORMAT that we will be given to all my funders.

You will also get a report card like the one below at the end of the term of the student.