News letter Fall 2008

Editors Note

Fang Ze, Chin (4th Year Student, University of Windsor)
Tenali is located southeast of Hyderabad with a population of 200,000. Within 30 miles it is surrounded by 100 villages. Most of the families support their living working as seasonal laborers in agriculture. There is no industry other than rice mills and family owned businesses in the area. During off season, unemployment rate is as high as 42% .Nearly, 20% of people live in poverty in Tenali. To make a better living, people migrate to other places to work such as Guntur, Vijayawada and Hyderabad. Sometimes during this migration, children were abandoned to take care of themselves, who eventually become orphans.
Tad Venkateswarlu, the founder of Tenali School established this school in 1992 to help the poor, the disabled, the single parent and the abandoned children. The school provides education, free books, room and board, health care, uniforms and vocational training.
The school provides vocational training along with academic training up to high school diploma, which is from grade 1 to 10 (equivalent to North America Grade 12 diploma). The reason for establishing the vocational programs is to enhance the skills of all children which would enable them find employment opportunities after graduation. Vocational courses introduced in phases since 1992 consisted of carpentry, candle making, tailoring, embroidery, vegetable and fruit growing, chalk manufacturing and honey making .

Founder’s Message

The newsletter is dedicated to the progress which has been made in the field of vocational education courses since 1992 at our school. In light of high unemployment rate in India, it is difficult to find employment for Tenali School children after graduation with high school diploma. Majority of those children are less inclined to pursue post secondary education due to poverty and family obligations. I believe that vocational training offers the children with an opportunity to find self-employment by starting small businesses with the financial assistance in the form of loans from local banks based on the collateral extended by the Tenali School. Full-time courses, in vocational training from 6 months to 1 year are being planned by the school to students with high school diploma in future. On March 6, 2008 a fast food Center was started in downtown, Tenali, which is managed by Alumni of our School to make a living and to acquire entrepreneurial skills. Based on the progress of fast food centre next year, similar ones will be established in future in different parts of the Tenali town.

Vocational Training Progress 1992 – 2008

1996, Tailoring was introduced with two sewing machines and an instructor.
1997, Carpentry course was introduced to older children in grade 8 - 10.
2000, Candle making course was introduced.
2001, Television and cassette repairs course was offered.
2002, Embroidery course was started.
2004, Incense and chalk piece making courses were added as part of the curriculum.
2006, Computer Basics course was introduced;
2007, Bee honey making and vegetable and fruit growing and marketing, were stared.

Picture of Vocational Training

Highlight of Tenali School January 2007-January 2008

1. January 26, 2007 Republic Day celebrations were hold which was attended by local community leaders, parents and relatives of Tenali School children.
2. On March 5, 2007, Bank of India, Tenali, donated sports equipment to the School.
   
3. April 7, 2007, local well-to-do family donated clothes to children.
   
4. All 7th grade children except one, all 10th grade children except 4 passed the public examinations held on March 21. 2007.
5. September 18.2007, local M.P. Bala Souri’s birthday was celebrated at the School and they distribute fruits to children.
6. August 15, 2007 India’s Independence day was celebrated
   
7. October 4. 2007. Dr. Raja Kumar, local physiotherapist, donated note books, cookies on his birthday.
8. November 19, 2007 Guntur Sai Baba Association donated fruits to children on the birthday of their spiritual leader, Saliya Sai Baba.
9. December 12, 2007, local Merchants Association donated food to the children.
   
10. Rain water conservation project was established in November 2007 to provide the water for children’s consumption and gardening as the ground water in Tenali reached close to depletion.
    
11. January 1, 2008, Gupta College chemistry lecturer, celebrated the New Year by donating refreshments to the children.
12. January 1, 2008 local business man donated used clothes to the children.

Letter from former students (graduates) to the Founder

G. Naga Malleswari, currently self employed in Embroidery, Vijayawada, A.P.
I would like to thank you the Founder Venkateswarlu and Tenali School for giving me an opportunity to study at the school free of cost. I have graduated with the High School diploma two years ago. Currently I’m self-employed as Embroidery making entrepreneur.
I have good memories during my studies at your school. The vocational courses which were offered in 10 years of my study made me to choose embroidery as my future career. The institution was a God given gift to help the poor children like me to read, to write and to understand the fundamental rights of females.
I will work hard to help the school in the future after my marriage and settled in life.

B. Sri Devi:
I am studying first year undergraduate courses at a local college in Tenali. I have completed my high school diploma at EOOHC School last year.
In the last several years, the E.O.O.H.C School gave me free books, free tuition and also paid the Public Examination Government Fees.
I am glad to have this opportunity to study in your school, especially the vocational courses which interested me along with academic courses. Vocational courses like candle making, carpentry, chalk-piece manufacturing and tailoring would enable me to choose the area of my interest for a career after graduation from the college in 2 years.
I would like to work for the development of this school after I settled in my life.

Future Plans

To further increase the employment opportunity and skills for those children, the school is planning to continue expanding its vocational programs both the existing ones and the new ones like roofing, brick laying, painting, and basket making.
The school would like to introduce 6 months to 1 year full-time training, so that, they can master the skills and requirements needed for self-employment. At present, the space and resources are limited to accommodate this future project. As the resources are made available in future, more rooms will be built along with the purchase of equipment, machinery and raw materials needed for their training.

Volunteers visited the Tenali School since 1992

1. Professor Dan Boles, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada - 1995 and 1997
2. Ms.Maya Primorac, Windsor, Canada - 1997
3. Ms. K. Chang and Ms. Kelly, New york, USA – 1997
4. Ms. Amy Stapleton, Brisbane, Australia – 2000
5. Mr. Fayaz Ahmad, Kingston, Canada – 2002
6. Ms. Sholesh Koorjee, Vancouver, Canada -2002
7. Ms. Shazhan Amed, Montreal, Canada – 2002
8. Mr. C.Formagin and Ms. Amy Farkas, Windsor, Canada – 2003
9. Ms. Joanne Sabourin, Windsor, Canada -2004
10. Professors Melinda, Rias-Tims and Odette Furois, University of Tours, France – 2005

The philosophy of the Tenali School and of the Educational Organization for Orphans and Handicapped Children is:

To continue the success of this venture, your support is needed. All contributions are tax deductible. Please send cheques or drafts payable to The Educational Organization for Orphaned and Handicapped Children or EOOHC and sent to the following address:
T.Venkateswarlu
Founder and President
P.O.Box 7311, Sandwich Post Office
Windsor, On, Canada N9C 4E9
Email: tvenkat@uwindsor.ca
Tel: 519-253-3000 ext 3183