THE VASANTHI FUND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION - Giving promising students the chances for higher education -

Thanks to our orphan sponsorship program, a growing number of children are able to meet their basic needs in life (including food, clothing, education, life-saving HIV medications). We thank all our sponsors who make monthly contributions for these children.

Many of these children do their best in school, and after completing 12th standard, they hope to pursue higher education. Depending on their marks in 12th standard and their financial situation, they can gain admission to two kinds of higher education:

• Technical schools for a 2 or 3-year diploma course. The additional expenses of this are usually ~$500 per year. As there are are many technical schools, many of the children can still go home each evening.
• University for a 3- to 4-year graduation course. The additional expenses are on average $2000 per year. Because these universities are in the distant cities, the children generally have to stay in a hostel.

As you can understand, if you are an orphan living with old grandparents, if your parents or guardian(s) can't fully work due to an ilness or disability, if you live in a rural area where day labor is often only paid $1-$3 per day and you struggle to even meet your daily needs, it is often impossible for a guardian to save this amount of money to send a child to higher education. If some money is available, it is generally used to help the sons instead of the daughters.

Please note: A few of the students in our orphan sponsorship program are fortunate to have a supporter/sponsor-parent who is able to cover all the extra expenses that are associated with this higher education. Due to limited funds, however, most of the students below are only receiving partial support and can use additional assistance URGENTLY. In an attempt to assist these students, we initiated the "Vasanthi fund for higher education" (see below for the history of this fund).

Are you able to help these students? Any support is highly appreciated.

You can make a general donation to this fund and we will use it where the needs are the highest. Alternatively, if you like to support a specific student, contact us (e-mail: koen@sahaya.org) and we will you tell you which specific student is in much need of extra assistance. The student will write a letter to you; some of them have access to e-mail; we will keep you updated with their progress.

- To make an online donation, click the button below:

Donate Now

- To send us a check, make your check payable to "Sahaya International" and mail to:

Sahaya International
2949 Portage Bay Avenue, Apt. 195
Davis, CA 95616

Please mention "Vasanthi fund" so we can assure that your contribution is assigned properly.

A tax receipt will be provided.

If you are living in a country outside of the USA, click here to learn more about the different ways to contribute.

A thousand thanks for your support!

Below is a partial list of students in our program who are currently enrolled in higher education or who have recently graduated. Contact Sahaya's secretary Koen Van Rompay (koen@sahaya.org) if you like to get more information.

Boobalan (B.Sc Computer Science)	Pandiyan (Bachelor of Computer Application)	Divyapriya (DECE)
Manjula (BA English)	Revathi (BA Tamil)	Kushpu (Bachelor of Commerce)
Manikandan (Industrial Training Institute)	Ranjitha (Diploma Special Education-Mental Retardation)	Ananthi (BA English)
Murugavel (MS - Computer Science)	Johnsi Obila Rani (DECE- Diploma in Electronics & Communication Engineering)	Manimaran (ITI)
Lakshmi (B.E. Comp. Engin.)	Manikandan (Diploma in A/C Mechanics)	Karthick (Aeronautical Engineering)
Mahalakshmi (Bsc Chemistry)	Selvarani (Bach. Engineering)	Anbarasi (B.A. English)
Gowri (BPT; Physiotherapy)	Kayalvizhi (BSc Computer Science)	Martin (Bachelor in Pharmacy)
Ranjitha (Electrical & Electronics Engineering)	Benny Flora (B.A. English)	JenithaMary (B.Sc.Computer Sciences)
Mercy Metilda (Bsc. Mathematics)	Ranjithkumar (Diploma in Mechanical Engin.)	Chithra (B.E. I.T.)
Sathiya (B.Sc. Computer Science)	Daniel Prabhakaran (B.E. - Electrical & Electronics Engineering)	Abirami (B. Commerce)
Bakkiyalakshmi (B.E. -Electronics & Communic. Eng)	Pushpalatta (B. Tech - I.T.)	Arokiaraj (B. E. Mech. Engin).
Kumanan (B.E. Mech. Engin.)	Ramya (Bach. Veterinary Sciences)	Kiruthika (B.E. - Electical & Electronics Engineering)
Mahalakshmi (B. Sc. - Computer Science)	Selvamary (graduated in 2010 as nurse)

 

History of the Vasanthi fund: In 2006, Elisabeth Sherwin and Koen Van Rompay (directors of Sahaya International) traveled to Southern India where they met a young woman named Vasanthi. Vasanthi lives in the village where READ is located. Elisabeth and Koen were told that Vasanthi, a promising student, had been accepted at nursing college but her family could not afford to send her. Elisabeth came home to the USA and asked her friends and Sahaya International to help her pay for Vasanthi's schooling. Elisabeth organized two "Tea for Vasanthi" fundraising events at International House Davis (August 2006, June 2008) and held a a yard sale in 2010 that together with other donations, brought in approximately $9,000. That was enough to send Vasanthi to start the 4-year curriculum for a B.Sc. degree in Nursing at the Chidambaram College of Nursing in Chennai. Letter written by Vasanthi in January 2009: Dear friends, How are you and how are your friends? I am doing well, and at present I am posted in the institute of the Mental Hospital for one month. I learn a lot here, like giving wholistic care to mental retardation. Now I am doing my third year of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Thanks to your support, via READ I received everything I need for my studies. Convey my regards to your friends and relatives. With love, Vasanthi Vasanthi did very well and in August 2010 has successfully completed her studies! In January 2011 she obtained her official diploma and is now employed in a clinic in Chennai. Over the course of her studies, Vasanathi has become a poised and self-confident registered nurse, who speaks excellent English (her classes were taught in English) and has already working at medical clinics in Chennai and also at READ in her native village. The story of Vasanthi exemplifies how supporting higher education of young women of underprivileged families is a good investment, not just in their future, but also in the future of their local communities.