Ref:DBT:VF:2002 Date:20.5.2002 Dr. Melli Annamalai Asha For Education Asha Boston,Room W20-401 MIT 77, Masschusetts Ave Cmbridge- MA-02139 U.S.A. Dear Dr. Melli, GREETINGS FROM DEENA BANDHU HOME AND GREETINGS FROM VIVEKANANDA FOUNDATION How are you? Our foundation work is going on well. Now it is summer vacation and schools are closed, but all our social workers are working hard even now. During the first few days of the vacation they conducted door to door survey of the drop out children. We have developed a format in which they collect detailed reasons for the child to drop out, the economic status of the family, whether parents are surviving. They have also counseled number of parents to send the children to the school. As such there is a bridge-course conducted by government to re-orient these children for school. Our social workers have visited these bridge-courses which are called “ HANGARA SHALE”. Some children expressed their dislike to continue education while other children have agreed to come to the school. Our foundation workers also worked to produce more of educational charts which we propose to give to the Cluster Resource Centers. CRC we hope will copy them and distribute them to all the 900 schools of the district. At present we have a lady from Netherlands by name Miss. Winnie, she is teaching English grammar and language to our school teachers (Deena Bandhu) and also to our foundation workers. English teaching in primary schools, especially in government schools are very much below the standard. The reason being lack of competence among the teachers. In spite of foundation workers being B.Ed graduates, they were not able to speak proper English, but Winnie, an excellent teacher who will be with us up to Aug.2002 will teach English very effectively She has also brought special CD’s, with the help of which she is making language learning a pleasure. I am surprised the speed with which our people are picking up the English. Prof. Baluragi has promised to come during the next week. We will then start working on science experiments and mathematical teaching. Number of our adopted primary school teachers are expressing their desire to join us when Prof. Baluragi arrives though this is a vacation. At present I have money enough to pay for the salaries of our social workers. I am paying them during the vacation also because they are working. The training they have under gone has added lot more to their personality. May I know when we will receive the next installment of funds from your end. Hope you have received utilization certificate (Audit extract) which I had sent by post. I am indebted to your kind participation in this endeavour. I am also thankful to Miss. Anita Balasubramanian for her kind efforts to mobilize funds. It has been a real pleasure working with you all. My regards to one and all at Asha who have participated in this endeavour. With kind regards, Yours Sincerely (G.S.Jayadev) Hon. Secretary