THE BACKGROUND AND THE PROBLEM:
Saraswati Ganpat Patil Vidyalaya is a rural high school located in Kelthan village, near Wada in the Thane district of Maharashtra. This school has 175 students in Grades 8 to 10 (higher grades only) from the local community. However, this school faces a significant challenge due to its proximity to the Tansa River.
Watch this video to understand the problem.
Every year during monsoons, the river experiences dangerously high water levels, leading to severe flooding on the school premises. The persistent flooding issue over the past decade has led to extensive and irreparable damage to the school's main building and utilities. This has made it dangerous/unsafe for students.
There is an urgent need to dramatically improve the infrastructure to ensure a safe, secure, and healthy learning environment for students.
IN ADDITION, SECURITY HAS BECOME AN ISSUE AND THE SCHOOL FACES OTHER PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF ITS DILAPIDATED STATE.
Pic: Aerial picture of the school showing its proximity to the river Tansa.
THE SOLUTION
The Learning Space Foundation is a Palghar-based NGO that has been working to improve the quality of education across rural and tribal areas of Palghar and Thane districts.
They received a request from this school to help them out. With their extensive knowledge and expertise, they decided to assist the school administration and help with the reconstruction of the school.
What is unique is that this school will be BUILT on a stilt-style design (i.e. the school will now have all its rooms on the first floor). A very unique and stunning architectural design has been envisaged which will make this school modern and world-class.
Myself and my fellow students at our school are coming together and are doing this crowdfunding project to raise funds to transform the lives of the students here for life. This will help learners for generations to come and will transform the quality of education for them.
Pl fund my campaign generously as the funding needs are very large.
The proposed intervention is to construct a building with all the rooms on the first floor. This design allows for ample shaded space on the ground floor, which can be utilized for various group activities. Importantly, all school utilities, classrooms, and equipment will be located on the first floor, keeping the classrooms, students, equipment, etc. away from flooding.
The construction will be done in 2 phases.
Work on the first phase has started and this involves building three classrooms, and toilets for boys, girls, a staff room, and a kitchen. This phase costs INR 87L approximately and INR 27L has already been raised. (as of Sept 2023).
To complete PHASE 1 of the school’s construction there is an urgent need to raise INR 60L more. Once this Phase is done students will have a secure environment to study.
The funds raised through this campaign will significantly contribute to improving the school's infrastructure and ensuring a safer and better learning environment for the students and teachers.
PHASE 2 will start later and involves building a science lab, computer room, library, principal room, a compound wall, and an amphitheater. This will cost approximately INR 70L.
The above image shows the phase-wise plan for construction.
THIS NEW DESIGN WILL INCLUDE :
In addition, there will be a compound wall, a conference room, an amphitheater with a stage, and a room for the Principal.
ABOUT ME :
My name is Amartya Lewis. I am 16 -years old and a Grade 11 student at the Jamnabai Narsee School (JNS), Mumbai.
I am running this crowdfunding campaign to transform this flood-effected and dilapidated school located in the rural areas of Thane District.
I was very surprised and shocked to see the images of the school building, classrooms, and common areas and wondered how children are able to study in such an environment. Making the school and classrooms bright, cheerful, and safe and providing them with modern amenities will transform their lives. They will be enthusiastic about coming to school and this will improve the overall quality of education.
Through this campaign, my fellow students and I, aim to transform this school so that 175-plus students who come here, learn in a better environment and look forward to coming to the school. This will help the students reach their potential and leverage their education to build a career and life for themselves.
The design of the new school is very modern and contemporary. It is constructed on stilts so that all the classrooms are on the first floor and away from flood waters. It is a safe and wonderful environment to learn. It will impact students for generations to come.
Investing in infrastructure to provide high quality education is always a great idea.
WORK IN PROGRESS:
The reconstruction of the school is progressing in two major phases, Phase I and Phase II. Phase I of the project is scheduled to be finished by September / October 2023.
COST BREAK UP AND CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE:
LOCATION MAP:
APPEAL LETTER:
ABOUT LEARNING SPACE FOUNDATION:
The Learning Space Foundation (LSF) is a Palghar-based NGO that has been dedicated to addressing education, community development, and education infrastructure issues since its establishment in 2006. LSF's core belief is that raising awareness and educating citizens living in rural areas about social issues and facilitating attitude change is the first step toward creating a better society.
LSF's mission is centered on nurturing each child's growth in a safe, happy, and healthy environment, ultimately helping them become strong, self-aware, and responsible individuals. The organization strives to bridge gaps in the education ecosystem and acts as a catalyst for empowering rural children and youth in India to pursue their dreams.
Some of LSF’s projects in the field of education include SarvaPrathamik, the Early Child Development Center, and Step4Girls. These initiatives focus on enhancing the quality of education in rural schools and addressing existing disparities within the education system. In addition to educational projects, LSF also contributes to infrastructure development, providing sanitation utilities through the SafeSpace-Sanitation program and currently undertaking the redevelopment of a village school.
Furthermore, LSF is actively engaged in delivering adequate sanitation facilities for rural women and empowering rural youth. Through its multifaceted approach, the organization is working tirelessly to bring about positive change and create
TAX BENEFITS
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as Learning Space Foundation is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT Act. Foreign funding is not accepted.
FAQs
Will we get to know the updates on construction?
Yes. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to Learning Space Foundation. It will take from 2 to 4 months after that to get details of fund use. Once I get this information from them I shall upload this in the UPDATES section of this campaign. You will then get an alert and can read details about how the funds were used.
When do I get the receipts?
It takes up to 2 weeks after the campaign is closed for the monies to be transferred to the Learning Space Foundation. The receipts will start getting processed about 2 to 3 weeks AFTER that and will be sent to you directly.
How can we fund this campaign with a Cheque?
Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd account details are as below
BANK NAME: HDFC Bank Limited.
BRANCH: Koramangala( Main Branch). City: Bengaluru - 560095.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 50200013106778
IFSC CODE: HDFC0000053
Please draw a cheque in favor of "Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd", and deposit the cheque into the Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd HDFC Bank account (any branch across INDIA). After you deposit the cheque, please send an email to prasad@fueladream.com AND getintouch@fueladream.com with the following funder information.
1) Name of Funder:
2) Full address with PIN code:
3) Telephone/Mobile no and Email ID:
4) PAN of funder:
5) Cheque number:
6) Amount funded:
7) Whose campaign are you funding? (Name of the person OR campaign number/ID):
After the funds are received and the above details are verified, the fund amount will be transferred to the respective campaign. This can take from 1-3 working days.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept and is growing very quickly. It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an Idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations and ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes.
