Annual Report
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U&I IMPACT 2018-19 REPORT PARTNERS IN CHANGE OUR STORY STARTS ON A SUNDAY It all began when a couple of friends decided to It was this eagerness to learn, brought about by spend their Sundays doing something off the the simple exchange between mentor and child, beaten track. Instead of a self-indulgent week- that sparked the idea of what is now called, U&I. end, they chose to start helping out at a Govern- This report is a testament to the enduring power ment-run Home for special-needs children. Sun- of kindness and connection. days soon became about engaging with the children at the Home and helping clean the compound. What started out as just a few, turned into a following. With more than 50 volunteers helping every week, the Home was revamped and brought to life. What began as a weekend plan, turned into We are U&I, a volunteer an everyday undertaking. powered NGO built on the foundation that The same two friends began discussing what change happens when more they could do to help underprivileged kids in their neighbourhood. What would be of we work together. value? Computers seemed to be the answer. One of the friends ran his own HR firm - his office space could be used to start computer classes. The evenings would see small groups of kids from nearby slums, crowded around large systems, learning and absorbing all that they could. 1 MISSION Bring education and healthcare to disadvantaged communities across India VISION Building Communities of Change PROGRAMS U&I TEACH U&I CARE 2 1934 1670 49 CHILDREN VOLUNTEERS LEARNING CENTERS 4 HOMES 20 CITIES STRONG 3 THE QUESTION THAT REQUIRES ACTION, NOT AN ANSWER When we first volunteered at the State-run Boys’ But today, let’s focus on the question, Home for special-needs children back in 2011, our “Why not?” intention was very simple: the kids needed help and we had the ability to pitch in. So, that’s what we did. Because “Why not?” requires boldness. It demands We swept, we painted, we mopped floors, we a certain unreasonableness that reports can’t played with the children and we discovered the capture. It dares us to dream beyond what others unparalleled joy of service. say is do-able. Today, that drive to make a difference has morphed “Why not?” is the question that has propelled U&I into a movement that has impacted thousands of forward in the last eight years. It gave us the underprivileged children and at-risk individuals. freedom to take risks - because we knew those calculated risks meant more lives were transformed. Like every growing non-profit, we frequently have to stop along the journey to answer the question: It compelled us to think outside the box. In fact, in Why? Our reports regularly lead with the section, the face of nay-sayers and doubters, it made us “Why U&I?” We routinely fill in various applica- remark quite glibly, “What box? We don’t see tions and paperwork that requires us to answer the one.” same question. Our well-researched answer rolls out statistics about the quality of education in India and the power of youth volunteerism. It was the playwright George Bernard Shaw who said: You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?' This report invites you to take a look at the dreams that “never were” unfolding across the country. It tells the stories of boys and girls who just needed the mentorship of a didi or an anna to drive them to their goals. It sheds light on India’s educated youth who give back to their communities every single week, without dwell- ing too much of the “why?” Today, let’s ask questions that don’t just require answers, but demand action. Let’s ask, “Why not now?” Because now is the best time there is to make a difference. Let’s ask, “Why not us?” Because if we don’t get in the trenches, who will? Thank you for fueling our passion and our daring these last eight years. Honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to ask the irreverent questions if we didn’t know that you had our backs. Warmly, Ajit & Satish (Co-founders and Unreasonable Dreamers of U&I) 4 BRIDGING THE GAP While more than 95% of India’s children attend Almost 70% primary school, just 44% complete Class 10 of students (UN statistics). drop out before they Many of these children who drop out of school find themselves as daily enter high wage earners, with fewer opportunities and and a lowered chance at school. success in life. This is where U&I steps in with a concrete plan to impact these children’s lives and create meaningful change for the future. U&I provides a uniquely-tailored program that enables passionate, educated young people to mentor underprivileged children. By conducting after-school classes in English and other core subjects, U&I comes alongside students with academic support. U&I Teach also What makes us great? includes the Child Enrichment Program where students receive a wholistic education which includes art classes, field trips, reading programs and computer literacy classes, among other activities. This serves to broaden the students’ scope of understanding and boost their confidence. At U&I, we’re serious about making learning fun. 1 : 3 TEACHERSTUDENT What makes U&I Teach unique? Our 1:3 teacher-student ratio RATIO Our incredibly intense teacher and leadership training Our culture - affirmation and encouragement as a way to a child’s heart and mind 5 OUR FOCUS FOR THIS YEAR U&I’s strategy for the last year was clear: we honed in on strong implementation of the program. That covered everything - from ensuring effective teaching methods to best classroom practices to leadership development of volunteers. We worked hard to capture and analyse data and measure our overall program impact. We delivered a robust program to create a strong impact on the children in terms of their academic skills and overall social development. Our Teach Team Akash Jannet Nilanjana Anuj Karthik Rahul Chaitra Kimberly Shaleen Chandreyee Mahesh Sunitha Haritha Meher Tinu Helen Natasha Trupti DATA TALK HIGHLIGHTS HOURS INVESTED TEACHING HIGHEST VOLUNTEER RETENTION 144054.2 97.92% AVG. ASSESSMENT GROWTH NO. OF CENTERS 9.35% 49 100% LEADER RETENTION VOLUNTEERS PLACED IN 31 CENTRES 1670 6 2012-13 2018-19 8 Centres 49 Centres 220 Volunteers 1670 Volunteers 302 Children 1934 Children 1 City 20 Cities 7 CHILD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OUR IMPACT IS MORE THAN JUST A REPORT CARD At U&I we truly believe in the power of an all-round education. We want our” students to know the world around them and to hone their talents. With this in mind, in 2018-2019 we conducted: Career Days Life Skills Training Computer Classses Counselling Sessions Arts & Crafts Library Time Medical Camps Kidpower 8 CITIES BANGALORE, DELHI, HYDERABAD, MANGALORE, MUMBAI, PUNE, MYSORE, CHENNAI, COIMBATORE, VELLORE, CALICUT, COCHIN NEW CITIES AHMEDABAD, GUWAHATI, KOLLAM, VIZAG, THRISSUR, TIRUPPUR, TRICHY, TRIVANDRUM 9 BENGALURU Our Bengaluru leadership team worked to create a sense of oneness - one vision, one team, one goal - with our volun- EDUCATION IS THE teers across the city. We did this through increased volunteer MOST POWERFUL engagement, both online and in real time. There was also a WEAPON WHICH sharp focus on results in the last year. The team was set on YOU CAN USE TO creating tangible impact at their Learning Centers. And, CHANGE THE WORLD. thanks to their combined efforts, the impact on the students Nelson Mandela beat their expectations. STUDENTS 376 PASS PERCENTAGE 72 VOLUNTEERS 528 10 TWO-WAY STREET Tara was raised in a privileged home in At that moment it hit Tara: yes, she was teach- Bengaluru. Growing up, her parents encour- ing her students, but she was learning so much aged her to “give back to society.” Tara decid- along the journey. She realised that we can’t ed to put their words into action, stepping up apply the same teaching formula universally, to become a U&I volunteer. As she began her because each child learns differently. She volunteer journey, she focussed on helping, understood that tutoring is as much about not realising that she would be receiving, too. learning as it is about teaching. Tara recalls a time when one of her students, Meena, couldn’t understand a concept in Math. She had almost given up, when another U&I student stepped in and patiently explained the concept in a more relatable way. Meena’s eyes lit up - this “tough” concept in Math suddenly made sense to her. LEADERSHIP TEAM Aakash Athawasya | Abigail Danielle Hurtis | Aishwarya H | Akshaya Anil | Antara Khaund | Arvind |Krishna Bhavani Ganesh | D hriti Srinivas Bharadwaj | Divya Bharadwaj | Farheen Kausar | Ishaan Trehan| Janani Padmanabhan | Justin Sunny Greegor | Kiran Sahir| Lakshmi Priya Raman | Manisha S. | Minal M. Shindre Namratha Dinesh | Nazia Tanveer | Nichaela Shammah | Niharika Chadha | Nithika Benny | Poovitha Muru- gasamy | Preethi K.P. | Raghav Lal | Ranjani R. | Ranjitha V. | Rohit K. Kalro | Revanth R. Chettiar |Rose Mathew Saisisira K. | Saju Thomas | Sashikala Kallam | Selena Symss | Sharanya Ullal | Sumaya Bhatta Sunetra Kumar Supritha Narayanan | Swathi Thirumeni | Swathy Reddy | Tania Carolyn Aiman | Ushua Prashanth | Vaishnawee Singh | Vasundhara Deb | Vivek Joseph | Vyshnavvi Reddy | Yashwanth LEADERS CENTRES 47 11 11 CHENNAI U&I has been making its mark in Chennai for four years now. And with each year, we’ve Centre of the year seen an increase in the number of centres - and Children’s Home of Hope the number of lives we impact.