SJE/E Club Member Leaves for India Jan 17

We'll be sending Nick Leon, club Vice President and Director of Youth Service, on his way with all our best wishes for safe travel and great success with our continuing project in India.

To describe the project Nick wrote:

There is in a small tribal village in Bankura District of West Bengal, India. The primary school is K-6; after the sixth (6) grade, students must go to a middle school which requires them to live in a "hostel facility" in another village. Because there is no further education in their village and, their parents cannot afford to send the girls to middle school, not only are they not able to continue their education, their community tradition requires that they marry at age 12 if they are not educated and cannot support themselves.

This is a joint project between the Rotary Club of San Jose East/Evergreen and the Rotary Club of Calcutta Uptown in partnership with Shamayita Math the Cooperating Organization (NGO). We have "adopted" the village's primary school. We have built an additional classroom, put in a tube well, built toilets, a kitchen and a large supply closet. We have also supplied books, study materials, uniforms, extra curriculum materials, and provided basic hygiene kits for each student.

Our objective is to give these young women the opportunity to not only be educated, but to be given necessary life skills to further their success in life as a contributing members of society, as well as confident empowered individuals, who do not have to be concerned about their living conditions, being married off to the best "buyer" or, being impoverished for the rest of their lives. 

The Tribal Girl's Education Program phase II will build an additional two-classrooms, a real kitchen, uniforms, curriculum and school supplies, desks, and hygiene kits.
 
It costs $100 to send a girl to school for one year. The RC of SJE/E has raised $1600 and the RC of CU will match the $1600 for a total of $3200. Nick has also raised additional funds with an elegant abalone dinner, having dived for the main course himself. The Rotary Clubs of Los Gatos Morning and Scotts Valley also added to the project. 

Bon voyage, Nick. We're sure you'll bring back heartwarming stories and lots of photos!