Physical Health India Project #1564

Provide computers for high-risk children in India

by ASSET India Foundation

Project Report | Jul 10, 2012
India Trip Progress report

By Ray Umashankar | Executive Director

Teaching World geography at the Delhi center

BREAKING NEWS: Just received word from Infosys, Bangalore that they will be donating 100 Desktops to the Forbesgunj, BPO project. Computers will be shipped end of July.

DELHI
Our center in Delhi trains girls who are children of sex workers. In this community of Najafgarh, the men sit around drinking and playing cards all day and send their wives out for sex work from midnight till 4 am. Many of the men have cars and they drive the wives to the hotels or sidedness! They don't let their daughters do sex work and demand a huge dowry for marriage. Once married, their husbands send them out for sex work. These women earn 1000 to 1500 rupees a night. I actually saw the men sitting on the street and playing cards. I wanted our car to run over them. We are teaching the girls about alternatives means to a livelihood. I loved the time I spent with the them. They wanted me to see their Bhangra dance. they were absolutely amazing! they performed in a small hot room in mid day heat in Delhi This center has 25 girls enrolled. There are 8 female staff members doing outreach, convincing more women to send their daughters to the center. Our NGO partner is in the process of opening another center near G.B. Road, the oldest brothel area in Delhi.

BANGALORE

In Bangalore, ASSET's partner organization Swasthi which has 7 centers serving 15,000 + sex workers is recruiting students for our next batch which will start on July 7th at the Unnati center, our partner organization.

KOLKATA

At the Kolkata center, I told the students that if they answered all my questions about the various regions in India, I will buy pizza for all of them. They came through with flying colors and 40 students enjoyed pizza at my expense!:)

CHENNAI

We received 20 used computers as a donation from FirstSource and 10 will be used in the Chennai center in partnership with Unnati

FORBESGUNJ, Bihar

One of the critical requirements for the BPO is uninterrupted electrical power for 18 hours a day. Forbesgunj does not have adequate power supply.

The easy solution would have been to opt for an inexpensive diesel generator but high fuel costs. We have decided use a Biomass generator that burns rice husk to generate electric power.

There is an abundant supply of rice husk in and around Forbesgunj.

The problem was to find a piece of 5,000 sq ft land for the generator. Mr. Vidyasagar Gupta, a local mill owner and landlord is donating the land and also a large warehouse that will house the BPO.

1. 50 KW Biomass Generator:

a. Total installed cost is $100,000. Central government will provide a subsidy of $7,500. Balance to be financed at 5%

through government approved lending agencies over 7 years. Loan will be repaid by revenues generated from sale

of electricity to the BPO. As of now, no donor funding required.

2. Desktop Computers:

a. Already have commitment from a donor for 20 computers ($12,000)

b. Have recommended to BO partner Ruralshores that we start with 80 PCs instead of 100.

c. We are in need of additional donors to fund the purchase of the additional 60 computers at $600 each.

d. Awaiting cost of locally made furniture (work stations)

e. Received the BPO physical layout from Ruralshores. Will get local contractors to bid on remodeling.

3. Fiber optic cable connection:

a. Reliance has it available close to BPO site

b. Ruralshores will include the cost of the network cabling in its operating cost.

Recently retired General Manager of the National Bank of agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is heling with the

Loan application for the biomass generator.

ASSET center-Forbesgunj

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Organization Information

ASSET India Foundation

Location: San Diego, CA - USA
Website: http://www.assetindiafoundation.org/

Project Leader:
Ray Umashankar
Director
San Diego , CA United States

Funded Project!

Thanks to 1,080 donors like you, a total of $217,436 was raised for this project on GlobalGiving. Combined with other sources of funding, this project raised enough money to fund the outlined activities and is no longer accepting donations.

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