VASANTHI
the nursing student |
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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 raised $7,440. 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.
Vasanthi is doing very well and has successfully completed her first 3 years! She has become a poised and self-confident young woman, who speaks excellent English (her classes are taught in English) and has already begun helping out at medical clinics in Chennai and also READ in her native village.
The money that was raised so far was sufficient to cover all the expenses of the first 3 years of her studies.
But she still needs approximately $1,500 to finish her last year.
Can you help her?
Any donation is very much appreciated.
You can send your donation directly to Sahaya International c/o K. Van Rompay at 2949 Portage Bay Avenue, Davis, CA 95616. Make the check payable to “Sahaya International”, with mention "Vasanthi Fund."
Donations are tax-deductible and a tax receipt will be sent.
If more money is raised than what is needed for Vasanthi, this will be saved so that in the coming years we can send other promising students to college (including a young talented man, Vignesh, who hopes to start Medical Studies).
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

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