ASHA Chennai Scholarships
Report for August 2004

August 16, 2004
Questions? 
Contact Lakshmi Suryanarayanan 
surlak@vsnl.net

Recall Activities of Prior Periods

  1. The academic year 2003-2004 ended well with students receiving their scholarships on time.

  2. Performance reports were collected from students and reports were dispatched to the sponsors.

  3. A mentoring session for the scholars of Stds 10,11,12 was held at the Urur Kuppam Balwadi in May 2004



Activities from May2004- Aug 2004

  1. Meetings were held on 8th May and 15th May 2004 to decide on continuation of scholarships for 2004-2004 from the existing list and to select new scholars for 2004-2005.. 

  2. The continuation of scholarships ( AA and AB Asha codes) was approved for 63 students of the previous year based who were selected for continuation for 2004-2005 (based on their fulfilling their submission of progress reports from their schools). 

  3. From about 81 new applications ( Asha code - AC) received from different nominators by early May 2004, 48 students have been approved, 6 were not approved 5 of them as siblings were approved, and 1 as the child was found too young. The others are in the pending list. They will be moved to the regular list if their mark sheets and other particulars are made available and also subject to availability of funds.

  4. The first disbursement of Asha Chennai Scholarship money to students of AA and AB codes 2003-2004 took place last evening as planned. The event went off very smoothly. We were happy to meet the children again and speak to them. They appeared happy, bright and confident. About 50% of the child's requirement was given in most cases. Where requirements were less than 2000 about 80% has been given. The amount disbursed so far is about Rs 1lakh.

  5. In July 2004, since Asha Honor chose to support 20 of the existing students the present number of scholars from 2003-2004 has reduced. However to ensure that the list as final and checked the changes to the website are yet to be made. The sponsors for the above 20 students have been informed and except in the case of one sponsor of the previous year all others have graciously changed their sponsorship to other scholars. The one sponsor who was sponsoring as many as 6 children and had to change three her students has not responded at all, though she has been asked several times, even though she had already promised support to all of them in her earlier pledge for support for 2004-2005.

  6. On 14th August the first disbursements for the new approved scholars of 2004-2005 have been made. Of 47 students only two are yet to collect their scholarships. One child is awaiting her admission to an AMIE course that will be known soon. The amounts disbursed was around 35% of the child’s requirements. In cases where the amounts were less than Rs 2000 about 65% has been disbursed. The amount disbursed so far is about Rs 1lakh.

  7. Second reports for the old students ready. Most are already sent to the sponsors. Reports for the new students are also being got ready. Some sponsors are very anxious to know their students.

  8. An Asha Intern is working with the SAC project. She is a part timer who goes to college in the evenings.

  9. Funds are coming in for SAC. Money for the scholarships is in the pipeline at SV and in the online donations.

  10. A very bright student from a village near Erode, who has been selected for admission to Anna University Mech. Engg. has been approved for support this week.He has paid his fees on time due to Asha chennai’s intervention.



Planned Activities in August - September 2004

  1. Fund-raising needs to be at a fast pace. We would need about 50% of the requirements by October 2004. 

  2. Reports have to be dispatched systematically to the donors.

  3. More applications are pouring in. We need to work with tackling the large number of requests.

Lakshmi Suryanarayanan
Project steward, Asha Chennai Scholarships