ASHA-MIT
NAME: Jeevan Gnanodaya School for the Deaf
INTRODUCTION:
Jeevan Gnanodaya School for the Deaf is a wing of
the Jeevan Gnanodaya Trust. It has been functining in
Chengalpattu since 1989. The schools shelters and educates
deaf and dumb and mentally retarded children from poor, rural
backgrounds. They are admitted on a "priority basis" (not sure
that what means). They started with 5 students and now have 100.
When children are admitted their hearing level is determined and
they are given the hearing aid equipment necessary for them.
They are given speech therapy for one year and if they "fare well"
they are admitted to PreKG class. The school now has classes
upto VIII std using the Tamil Nadu state syllabus.
There is no cost to students. They receive no govt. aid.
All aid is in the form of donations.
They plan to expand to high school beginning next year.
They have a typewriting training institute with 9 typewriters.
The proposal requests funds for purchasing a computer for
training the students in computer skills.
YEARLY BUDGET:
The yearly budget is about Rs. 7 lakhs. The
breakup of the monthly expenditure of Rs. 59,000 is as follows
Food Rs 25,000
Teachers Pay Rs 25,000
Hearing aid maintenance Rs 2,500
Teaching Aids Rs 2,500
Electricity Rs 1,500
Medical Rs 1,500
Administrative Rs 3,000
ADDRESS and
CONTACT:
L. Devarajan
Managing Trustee
C-46, 5th Corss Street
Anna Nagar, Chengalpattu - 603001
Tamil Nadu
Phone (???) 28708
Number
LEGAL STATUS:
Don't whether it is registered, but they must be because
they have exemption from the Comissioner of Income Tax.
LOCATION:
Chenalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
PROPOSAL:
The school wants to buy a computer to train their
students in using it. They believe that knowledge of computers should
be brought to poor and rural families especially handicapped
children since they can use this to earn a living in the future
in spite of the physical handicap.
BUDGET:
QMAX Pentium PC Rs. 38,500
Intel Pentium 200 Mhs MMX CPU
512 KB L2 Cache
16 MB High Speed RAM
2.1 GB Ultra DMA Hard drive
1.44 MB floppy disk drive
14" SVGA Color monitor
64 bit PCI VGA Card
104 Keys keyboard
mini tower cabinet
Logitech mouse
Windows 95 (has software ?)
32 X CDROM Drive
Yamaha Shound card
Stereo speaker
DATES:
As soon as possible
ENCLOSED:
newspaper clippings about the good work the school is doing
COMMENTS:
- Its not primary education, but we can view it as a vocational
program. I think learning about computers is very useful
and opens up lots of opportunities. For example, now
secretaries with computer skills are prefered. Computer
skiils can augment their typewriting skiils.
- Asha-MIT hasn't funded a handicapped school before (?)
and this is a good start.
- We should find out about the following
What training exactly do they hope to impart ?
What software are they going to use ?
How will they distribute use of one computer among
100 students ?
- Should we think of buying second hand computers here in the
US and sending it ? We can easily get two for the same
price. But shipping is a problem, and technical support there ...
Based on the Projects Meeting of Feb 20, 1999.
Melli summarized the Jeevan Gnanodaya School for the Deaf project. The
school shelters and educates deaf, dumb and mentally retarded children
from poor rural backgrounds in Madras. They want to buy a computer with
multimedia which will be used for speech therapy. They have access to some
appropirate software. Requirement is for Rs 38,500. Melli and Rajesh
opined that for the same amount spent here in the US, we can assemble and
send them two computers. This will be a better choice compared to their
buying it in India only if we can arrange for free shipping of the
computers to India. Prashant will get in touch with a contact in Air India
here and see if they can make a one-off exception to allow free shipping.
It was felt that the project is worthwhile, and we can get it site visited
within a month and then vote on whether to send them the money to the
project directly for the purchase, depending on what Prashant comes up in
the meantime.
SOURCE:
Letter to Prashanth of Asha-MIT, dated June. 31, 1998
STATUS:
Summarized by Melli on Feb. 20, 1999.
Discussed in Projects Meeting of Feb 20, 1999