Monday, June 6, 2011

Education Fund

Recently I had this opportunity to attend the 10-day Vipassana Meditation course at Bangalore.
Besides the course itself, I found an interesting concept of delivering course, which I found worthwhile to share with you.
1. The 10-day course offered is completely free. Yes! Food, accomodation & stay and all the things were free. It is only expected that after the 10 day course, those who feel liking towards the source, can further the cause by making a volunteer donation (this only at the end of the course and whatever the amount it might be). This very fundamental concept of paying after service and donating volunteering has a stronger benefit in propogating the concept.
2. I find a similarity of this concept in 'Habitat for Humanity' as well. This is an international NGO working to provide housing for all those who deserve. Recently they even started in India. They have a unique concept of funding the housing projects. The house constructed is usually funded an already available source of money, previously donated. Here the particular beneficiary contributes by way of labour and volunteers - architects, masons, engineers are invited to participate, making H4H one of the largest volunteer sourcing organisation. Once the house is constructed, the investment is considered as sort of interest-free loan to be paid by the beneficiary on 15-20 years tenure (Here interest-free is mandated to follow Christian
concept of lending being offensive). But the beauty is that this doesn't stop there. The beneficiaries so overwhelmed by the
help lended usually come out of way and pay back more than they owe - sort of donating, thus again furthering the cause. This is similar to making donation in Vipassana course.
3. There is another NGo named ' '. One of my colleague Ms.D is beneficiary of this. The Trust funds higher education of  poor students, by which she completed here Engineering degree. Later, if interested, the graduated students can payback to the trust from their salary - donating to the 'Education Fund' thus again furthering the cause. A similarity again.
4. A friend of mine is currently helping a boy studying nursing from an orphanage home. The friend shall be funding his tuition and hostel fees every year for his studies. He has only one condition to the boy - he told the boy that if he were to help, the boy, after graduation should come back to his Orphanage and its hospital to work at this place - sort of paying back to his orphanage. Another similarity
5. Vidya Poshak: The organisation where Naren is working similarly funds deserving students for higher education. Some do after graduation donate to the organisation for furthering the cause
6. Manitha Neeyam Trust by Saidhai Duraisamy: is the one who contested against M.K.Stalin (DMK) under AIADMK during the recent TN Assembly election. Of the 234 constitutiencies, this was one of the most fiercely conducted election, with Stalin winning only by a marginal difference of 2000 votes. Not to mention this was the only place where there was a riot during the poll counting was held - reason being that Stalin was actually defeated and the result came otherwise. Now you might ask who is this Saidhai Duraisamy and how come he is so powerful with the fact being that this is his first contest at an election? An ardent MGR fan, Duraisamy runs an institution training students for Civil Services exam. Recently 39 of his students got selected. And did I mention the students are trained for free. The beauty is that the passed out IAS students, despite Duraisamy not encouraging came to extend their support in campaigning for him during the election. Their campaign slogan was that 'Look at us. We are from poor background and we became IAS. This is all due to Duraisamy sir. If you vote for him, he will make your son or daughter like us.' Now these passed out IAS students are funding Duraisamy's Trust to fund the training and again furthering the cause.
6. It is said that one of the main reasons why DHAN and Vasi insists that the PDM course at Tata-Dhan Academy be fully-funded is that - by this way of studying for free, the graduate is sort of morally obliged to give back to the society and work at a place with not a big expectation of high salary. Given this, also ponder upon the mainstream education system like a BE or MBBS or MBA degree - where the education (with really high fees) is considered as an investment with expected returns and profits on investment (i.e., a placement with a fat salary)
7. Similarly, we know of stories of IIT and IIM Alumini funding their mother institution - paying back and furthering the cause.
All said, I just got inspired to come up with a concept of 'Education Fund' where it could be used to fund students for higher education. It is hoped that it will be a self-enriching and sustaining project, where the passed out students will come back and support the project, thus furthering the cause.

1 comment:

  1. Really it's great sir,
    Thanks for sharing this to us.

    ReplyDelete