Work An Hour 2003 - Just an hour of your time; a world of hope for a child..

As recently as in July 2002, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimated that around 45% of the total Indian population is illiterate. Deprived of access to education in their childhood, a whole generation of Indians has grown up and still is growing up unprepared to face the economic and political challenges of the twenty-first century. Education is the first key step in changing the ground situation. Asha for Education was born in 1991 with the paramount objective of bringing hope into the lives of the people of India through education. In the short span of its existence, Asha for Education, through its 75 chapters worldwide and over 1000 committed volunteers, has not only increased awareness about impediments to education and progress in India, but also worked with and monetarily supported various project partners in India to address the problem of educating the underprivileged children of India.

Starting July 4, 2003, Asha for Education, presents its sixth consecutive anuual online fundraiser, Work an Hour (WAH). WAH has a simple premise - work one hour for educating underprivileged children in India by pledging one hour of your annual working salary to Asha for Education during the period of July 4, 2003 (American Independence Day) to September 5, 2003 (Teacher's Day in India). Funds collected through WAH support deserving project partners in India that require larger sums of money to facilitate fixed expenditure on items such as infrastructure, construction and other one-time costs. This year, WAH will fund four projects in Mysore, Mumbai, West Bengal (Kalighat) and Gujarat (Valsad) that work with children at risk (including orphans, street children, children of sex workers and convicts) and disabled children.

WAH is an online event with simple and secure provisions to donate either by check or by credit card. All donations made in the US are tax-exempt under IRS code section 501(c)3.