Give a girl a bike: help her go to school

Dear Mann Deshi Donors and Supporters,

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

“Give a girl bike, Change her Life”:  Mann Deshi has given bicycle to more than 2400 girls.  Bike gives these girls an opportunity to carry on their advanced education. 

“B-School at women’s doorstep”:  Mann Deshi with B-school together has been able to reach +40,000 women and have provided them capital and business training. 60% of women have been able to start and expand their business successfully.  

Achievements:

• Reached out +100,000 rural women (saving account holders)
• Graduated + 40000 women through B-school and out of that 24,600 women have became successful business woman and 80% took loan from Mann Deshi Bank. 
• More than 5000 women have been able to get the share in the household property
• Launched the E-Card system, a more efficient, and accessible and secure means to deposit and withdraw money and view transaction history of Mann Deshi client 

This would not have been possible without our supporters and partners.  And as we come to the end of another successful year, we want to thank those who have contributed to Mann Deshi’s success. 

The Mann Deshi aims to provide underprivileged rural women with the resources they need to improve their lives.  Mann Deshi works holistically to improve slummy women’s lives through a variety of financial services, business trainings and skills.

Thus, we hope that you remember Mann Deshi when you think about buying gifts this holiday season.  Any donations you make will have a direct impact on the disadvantaged rural women and girls we serve, allowing them to improve their lives: your donation would truly be a gift that kept on giving.

Mann Deshi currently has three projects linked with Global Giving, a US and UK based organization that connects people with the countries and causes they are passionate about.  Global Giving is registered under 501c3 so that US donors receive tam exemptions.  For this donation Mann Deshi Foundation is registered under 80G and also has tax exemption.  Your tax-deductible donation will be wired directly to Mann Deshi Foundation from Global Giving. The projects you can contribute to are: 

1.  The Freedom Ride Bicycle Program for Girls provides bicycles to girls in remote locations so that they can travel to school, and therefore complete their education

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girls-education-through-bicycles-in-india/

http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/pr/2000/proj1963a.html 

2.  Mann Deshi Udyogini (B-school for rural women in india) brings life skills and financial training to poor rural wage laborers, empowering them to become successful businesswomen.

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/business-school1/ 

3.  Mann Deshi Champions (Sports Program) Mann Deshi's Champions Sports Program provides sport training to poor rural children, providing the opportunity to broaden their skills both physically and socially.

 http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/mann-deshi-champions-champions-sports-program/

To make an anonymous donation, a donation on behalf of another person, or to donate as a gift in a friend's name, please visit www.globalgiving.com and search "Mann Deshi Foundation", or go directly to Mann Deshi's link:

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/business-school1/

With many thanks and warm wishes for a wonderful Christmas holiday season and New Year.

Happy Holidays,

Yours Sincerely,

Vanita

Links:

• Kantabai Salunkhe: when education adds up

Dear Mann Deshi Donors and Supporters,

Mann Deshi is very much thankful for your continued support to Bicycle program.

Madhuri is the oldest sister within her eight member’s family. She applied to the program after Mann Deshi Foundation informed the school she is attending that the foundation would have provided bicycles to girls who found it hard to go to school. She says, “her life has improved for the better: being able to get to school faster avoids any time wasting and gives her the chance to concentrate even more on her studies.”  Her grades have improved considerably since she entered the program and, although she is just in the 7^th grade, she has already started to think about her future, considering the option of enrolling into university and pursuing an engineering degree. Her family is very satisfied too. Without Mann Deshi’s donation they would not have been able to provide such means to Madhuri.  She used to spend two hours walking from home to school and then back again. Her father, who is a farmer and occasionally works in constructions, thinks that the program has had a positive effect on his daughter and that in general it is a good program. Her mother, a housewife, while worried for the safety of Madhuri and requiring her to cycle safely, views positively the fact that her daughter spends less time in going to school and can finally use this time to focus on the studies. The two younger sisters of Madhuri, although they are too young for a bicycle now, are considering the idea of applying to Mann Deshi’s program in the future: at this point in time they still walk every morning from home to school, and every evening they walk all the way back.

Mann Deshi greatly appreciates its donors support.

                                                       US Treasury Undersecretary visit to

                                         Freedom Ride Program of Mann Deshi :  (02 March, 2011)

 Dear Mann Deshi Friends and Supporters,

 Chetna Sinha, Founder of Mann Deshi Foundation and Mann Deshi Cooperative Bank, is pleased and honored to have official program for the visit by U.S. Treasury under Secretary to Mann Deshi Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation. 

 Under Secretary Lael Brainard in her visit address the press that “when Chetna Sinha had met US president Mr. Barack Obama during his Mumbai visit at Hotel Trident and she managed to explain the principles of Mann Deshi Bank to him. Soon after that US President Office began to display interest in the innovative remote doorstep banking model”. The US undersecretary was in Satara on 2^nd March, 2011 as a follow-up to the visit of US president Mr. Barack Obama. 

 The objective for this visit was to learn more about the innovative work Mann Deshi is spearheading in rural India, including the door step service with e-card technology through rural banks

 In her visit agenda for the day also included flagging off bicycles for girls.  In this event Freedom Ride bicycle program for young girls was explained. This included meeting girls who have taken advantage of the free bicycle program to continue their education. Ms. Brainard asks 14 YEAR OLD Sujata who want to become engineer. In this program 20 bicycles donated to young school girls.  Ms. Lael was extremely amazed with Mann Deshi’s Bicycle Program. 

 Mann Deshi Foundation with the support of Funds provided by Global Giving, Washington D.C., USA arranged a function on 02-03-2011 where bi-cycles, free of cost, were given to the needy and academically brilliant girl students of rural areas to enable them to continue their studies and pursue their aim and dreams.

The function was held at Ramnagar, Satara.  At the end, a bi-cycle rally was flagged off by the Ms. Lael Brainard & Mrs Chetna Sinha.

The function was attended by more than 800 persons of the area which not only included the recipient girl students but local people of the area who cheered the students during rally. 

The girl students were very excited and pleased to own a bi- cycle of their own. Broad smiles and confidence which reflected on their faces, made the whole atmosphere very bubbly, chirpy and divine.

Heartful of thanks to those who thought about these young girls who aspire for higher education and supported Mann Deshi Foundation’s cause by providing financial support to make the dream of these children to own a bi- cycle of their own come true.

Mann Deshi appreciates our donors support. 

Affectionately,

Chetna Sinha

Links:

• TOI US Officials to visit Mann Deshi

• Review Report of US Treasury Undersecretary Visit (PDF)