Project Name: SEED

Name of WAH 2003 Proposal: Funding for Industrial Training Institute of SEED

Summary

Amount Requested (USD): 28,654(@Rs 47/US$1)
Cost Type: Infrastructure
Number of Children Served: 300
Project Location (State): Tamil Nadu
Category: children of convicts/ex-convicts
FCRA Approval: Yes
Nominating Chapter: St. Louis
Contact Person: Vignesh Nandakumar, Sundar Swaminathan
E-mail: vn1@ee.wustl.edu, sunswam@hotmail.com
Website: Project site
Another SEED site
Site Visit: February, 2003
Photos File: Uploaded File

Organizational Information

1. Name of the Organization: SEED (Society for the Educational & Economic Development)
2. Date of Establishment: May 13, 1981
3a. Registration Number: 075820014
3b. Tax Exemption Certificate Number: LR No. DIT(E) No. 1146(74)/111/82 Dt. 23-8-2002
3c. Exemption End Date: 1-4-2002 to 31-3-2005
3d. FCRA Number: NA
3e. MOA: On file
4. Brief long-term Objective: - To raise the social, moral, educational and economic status of the “socio-economic and downtrodden” in India
- To serve the socio-economic and educationally downtrodden for their upliftment and progress in consonance with the principles propounded by ‘Bhangi Mukti’ and ‘Bhangi Khasta Mukti’ of Mahathma Gandhiji.
- To look into the living conditions of the socio-economic and educationally downtrodden and suggest ways and means to raise their standard of living.
- To promote education for boys and girls of the socio-economic and educationally downtrodden in a manner economically viable for them as per the WARTHA SCHEME (i.e.) NAI TALIM, propounded by Mahathma Gandhiji
- To establish and organize crèche, balwadi, primary school, middle school, high school and college
- To establish and run Industrial Training Institute - To provide free hostel facilities for the socio-economic and educationally downtrodden
- To establish and run boys and girls homes for orphans and destitute

5. Creation and Activities: SEED was created to improve the conditions of children in socially, educationally and economically deprived segments of the society.
The children come from the following backgrounds:
  • Children of life prisoners
  • Children of murder victims
  • Children of leprosy patients
The activities include
- Sheltering boys and girls in the age group of 3 to 10 years
- Imparting primary level education in the Government recognized Mahathma Gandhi Primary School
- Training the kids in mat weaving, embroidery, doll making, plastic wire bag making
- Training in tailoring and embroidery for grownup children
- Sheltering boys between 11 & 16 years of age
- Imparting education in the Mahathma Gandhi Residential High School
- Training in management of dairy farm, agriculture & horticulture projects
- Imparting industrial training to the boys in highest age bracket in Dr. J.C. Kumarappa Industrial Training Institute (training as fitter or electrician or mechanic) Cutting & Tailoring training is offered to grownup girls
- Electronics:Mechanical trade, a new job oriented course is being offered to the destitute and socially deprived girls
- Lessons on “GANDHIAN THOUGHT” is imparted to the children in all centers to mould their character and life in the right direction Everything is provided FREE to the children with the ultimate aim of securing a decent life to them.

6. Number of Staff: 28
7. Annual Budget: Budget funded by St.Louis in 02-03
Annual Budget
8. Previous Funding: some ASHA chapters, SBI, Canara Bank, a French vol. Agency, NRIs in California etc
9. Previous Projects: SEED is a unique project which runs a residential primary and secondary school for children of life convicts and murder victims. Recently, SEED has started an industrial training institute to help impart vocational training for the children who complete secondary school. The I.T.I has instructors in fitting, welding, etc, and also in tailoring and electronics for the girls. Setting up and running an I.T.I is an expensive endeavor, and involves investment in terms of equipment, qualified instructors and raw materials. The setting up of the Ford, Saint Gobain and Hyundai factories close by has been beneficial to the students of the I.T.I, in terms of scope for employment, and procurement of used hardware. However, there is still a lot more to be done, some of which is addressed in this WAH proposal.

10. Founder Background: A.R.PALANISAMY M.A.,M.Ed.,B.L.,M.B.A. (You can get all the info from the newspaper/magazine articles that profiled him) Mr.Palanisamy is a very dedicated worker, completely devoted to the cause of running the centers. He recently voluntarily retired from his bank job position to be involved with SEED full time.

11. US Contact: Sundar Swaminathan
15449 Ardmore Creek Drive #4
Chesterfield, MO 63017
(636) 536-4588

Vignesh Nandakumar
323 Clara #22,
St.Louis MO 63130
(314) 249 9827

12. India Contact: A.R. PALANISAMY
(Opp. P.W.D. Inspection Bungalow)
Chennai-Bangalore High road,
Venkatrangam Pillai Chatram,
Sriperumbudur – 602 105
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Phone: +91 44 954111 362322

Alternate Contact:
Dr. Dilip Veeraraghavan,
Humanities Dept. IIT Chennai
Phone: +91 44 22578452, 22570026
13. Previous Sponsor for the Project: This proposal is for an one time funding, however the I.T.I project is a continuous ongoing project.
14. Previous support through WAH: SEED has been supported by various Asha chapters in the past, these include Asha St.Louis, Asha UIUC, Asha MIT and Asha Cornell. Asha St.Louis funded SEED’s recurring expenses for teacher’s and instructor’s salaries last year, to the tune of $4000, for the year 2002-‘03. Other funding from Asha has been towards infrastructural costs to build school buildings and dormitories.
15. Location and Demographic details: Dr. J.C. Kumarappa Industrial Training Institute, Irungattukottai.
The institute sits on a 1-acre land that was donated to SEED. It has different workshops (Mechanical - Fitter, Electrical and Mechanical – Motor Vehicle) where the students do the practical and get hands-on training. Most of the machines in the workshops were bought with the money donated by different ASHA chapters (and the name of the chapters are prominently painted on the machines!).
Stats about the institute:
Year of ITI & Number of students: I - 61, II - 37, 6-MO - 06, Other ??, Total 117

“Electronics – Mechanic Trade” center of the I.T.I, Irungattukottai This is run only for the destitute & the socially deprived girls. They have just started this program and there are 6 girls enrolled in the course. This is in a separate facility and it is only for the girls.

Mahathma Gandhi Residential High School, Utkottai
The school is located in a 6-acre farm and is 4-5 kms from the main road. The school campus consisted of – the classrooms (a big room with dividers to separate the classes), science block, motor room, well, volleyball ground & long jump, circular seed (a classroom), agri-horticulture land (to grow the crops & vegetables needed by SEED), staff quarters, kitchen & store room, computer room (with 2 unusable 286 PCs), library (only 1 cupboard of books), medical center.
Stats about the high school:
Standard & Number of students: VI - 12, VII - 14, VIII - 15, IX - 11, X - 11, Total 63

Mahatma Gandhi primary school in Sriperumbudur
The main office of SEED is also located in this facility. There are around 100 kids in the residential school. They are housed in halls/houses (25 in each house) with a house-mom taking care of each batch. In addition to the classrooms, the center also has a medical room, library, kitchen and storeroom. The kids are also trained in mat weaving, plastic wire bag making, doll making, painting & gift set making.

16. Goal of WAH project: The goal of the WAH project is to procure equipment and secure the location of the I.T.I run by SEED. There also some immediate costs towards the primary school that is run by SEED, in terms of a dining hall for the children and fencing (The project is located on the highway, and SEED grows paddy and fruits to sustain its costs, fencing will help secure these lands) The I.T.I is an important step in helping the kids in becoming self sufficient, as it imparts vocational training to them, that they can use to try and find useful employment. However, this puts a considerable strain on SEED’s finances, and SEED needs support at this crucial juncture to be able to make this project completely beneficial.

17. Benefeciaries of the project: Student-Teacher ratio:
Primary - 25:1
High School – 15:1
ITI: 10:1 Boys/girls: Primary – 50:50
High School – only boys (as it is residential school)
ITI – only boys (as it is residential ITI);
Electronics Trade is all girls (6 are enrolled now)
Other: Poor (socially & economically), kids of parents who are on death row etc.

18a. Amount Required: $28,654 , @ Rs.47/ US $1

18b. Duration for which funds are needed: Funds are needed for a duration of one year, towards infrastructure.

19. Budget for WAH project: Overall WAH Budget
Budget Details Part 1
Budget Details Part 2
20. How long will the benefit last: Once the I.T.I is completely functional, the benefits are bound to last for all future batches of students graduating from SEED.

21. Other sources of fuinding last: As far as we know, none for infrastructure

22. Expected means of continuing project: This is for Infrastructure; SEED has self-sustaining programs that may partially contribute to maintenance.

23. Duration of the project: Project will last forever, once this support is provided. SEED is also working on self-sufficiency projects, with some local support.

24. Personnel Involved: NA
25. References: Dr. Dilip Veeraraghavan, Humanities Dept. IIT Chennai
26. Number of people reached: around 300 kids; kids who completed ITI got placed in nearby industries, local poor community gets noticed, etc

27. Expected outcomes in children: basic education for poor/deprived kids (with food & housing)

28. Government Involvement: Primary school activities is being partly financed by the Social Welfare Department of the Tamil Nadu government. (Other activities aren’t)