That gift which is given to a worthy person, in the right circumstance, from whom we expect nothing in return, is held to be most pure.
~ Bhagavad Gita, 17:20

Here is the list of students awarded the 2010 Shanbhag Scholarships in Kumta, India. I thank the many donors who made valuable contributions, so needy students could gain a good education. If you would like to make a donation for the next academic year starting in June 2011, please contact me.

As our program has matured, we have expanded to support 50 students (29 girls, 21 boys) at six schools in Kumta, with only 11 of 50 students at the Shanbhag High School. In the complete list below, the prefix Kumari, refers to girls.

Scholarships were granted purely on the basis of need and included full tuition and a daily fabulous lunch.

Saraswati Vidya Kendra, Kumta
1. Kumari Kamakshi PS, Class II
2. Kumari Apporva VS, Class II
3. Tilak DN, Class II
4. Kumari Kavya UH, Class III
5. Kumari Diksha DV, Class III
6. Maruti SSP, Class IV
7. Aditya NK, Class VI
8. Nakul NP, Class VI
9. Kartik PS, Class VI
10. Kumari Nidhi SK, Class VI
11. Kumari Nidhi BB, Class VII
12. Akshay SS, Class VII
13. Srinivas VS, Class VII
14. Mahesh AS, Class VII

Shanbhag High School, Kumta

15. Kumari Bhagavati SD, Class VIII
16. Deepesh MN, Class VIII
17. Gopalkrishna VS, Class VIII
18. Vishal VS, Class VIII
19. Kumari Namrata HG, Class VIII
20. Kumari Yakshita JN, Class VIII
21. Kumari Poornima KN, Class VIII
22. Kumari Padmavati VS, Class IX
23. Kumari Rekha KH, Class IX
24. Kumari Akshata SS, Class X
25. Kumari Nagaratna VB, Class X

Gibb High School, Kumta

26. Ganesh AS, Class IX
27. Vivek VN, Class IX
28. SPeter D, Class IX
29. Vinayak DK, Class IX
30. Raghavendra S, Class VIII

Gibb Girls High School, Kumta

31. Kumari Dhanashree VK, Class VIII
32. Kumari Malati BH, Class IX
33. Kumari Mallika MP, Class IX
34. Kumari Shweta AS, Class IX
35. Kumari Poojita SN, Class IX
36. Kumari Teena KD, Class IX
37. Kumari Nisha MS, Class X
38. Kumari Soumya SP, Class X

Mahatma Gandhi High School, Chitrigi, Kumta

39. Aditya AB, Class VIII
40. Kumari Vanita NP, Class IX
41. Kumari Hasanbanu MS, Class IX
42. Ganapati NP, Class IX
43. Chandrahas SA, Class IX
44. Kumari Swati SP, Class IX
45. Kumari Divyashri RN, Class X

Gibb English Medium High School, Kumta

46. Kumari Divya B, Class VIII
47. Kumari Soumya GP, Class VIII
48. Gajanan GN, Class IX
49. Jasper TN, Class IX
50. Kumari Shraddha JS, Class X

• Scholarship Activities at Shikshan.org
• How to help; Ask me if you have queries or concerns.
• Scholarship for the needy 2008-2009.
• Scholarship for the needy 2009-2010.

My Posts on Kumta:

• Kumta: Jewel of the Konkan
• Kumta: Main Street
• Kumta: Field of Dreams
• Kumta: School Kids
• Young Women Making Papads in Kumta
• Video: Approaching Kumta on Konkan Railway

My Posts on the Shanbhag School, Kumta

• Shanbhag School in Kumta
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School
• Lunch at the Saraswati Vidya Kendra – Don’t miss audio of students chanting
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School – 2008.
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School – 2009. These students are good!
• Earlier visit to student homes

Summary of Results:
82 students appeared for the X Std, Karnataka State Board Exams, 2010:

• Highest score of 98.08%
• 24/82 students scored greater than 90%
• 76/82 scored greater than 60% (First Class)
• 4/82 scored between 50 and 59% (Second Class)
• 2/82 students got pass class
• No student failed the X Std Board exams

Of the four Shanbhag Scholarship recipients in the graduating class, two received first class and two got II Class.

As I have said earlier, I don’t expect our needy scholarship recipients to excel, but I am proud we gave them an opportunity to study and rub shoulders alongside the best students in the district. how awesome is that!

I am still collecting funds to support scholarships for needy students at the school. If you would like to make a contribution, there is now an easy Pay by Credit Card option:

How to help

Shanbhag School Related Posts:

• Shanbhag School, An Introduction
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School – my favorite!
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School 2007

That gift which is given, knowing it to be a duty, in a fit time and place, to a worthy person, from whom we expect nothing in return, is held to be most pure.
~ Bhagavad Gita, 17:20

Several years ago we started these scholarships to support needy girls at the Shanbhag School in Kumta. This year, more friends and family joined in helping us support 48 students (29 girls and 19 boys). We extended beyond our original charter and 40 of 48 students are from other schools in Kumta. With your support we will keep growing and eventually cover ALL needy students in Kumta!

The staff at the Shanbhag School do all the hard work of collecting applications and identifying truly needy candidates. On every trip I also visit a few scholarship recipients in their homes, to partly ensure they are truly needy, but importantly to enlist parents in facilitating a good education for their child.

Here are a few pics of students I took on this recent visit. Above are two sisters we supported. We have supported the older sister for several years. She is also in this post from an earlier visit (fourth pic).

When I called on them, this kid was helping his father in their restaurant along the highway (see next pic).

Their restaurant is a very simple place on NH-17, catering mainly to day laborers. Life is tough for many. I get to see this first hand and be touched by it. In a way, this nourishes and impels me in all I do. Consider reading this post on the Flower Sellers at Dadar.

Two more, hanging out in their father’s shop.

The Saraswati Vidya Kendra and the Shanbhag High School are managed by the Konkan Education Trust, Kumta, India.

Primary Students, Saraswati Vidya Kendra
1. Kumari Kamakshi PS, Class I
2. Kumari Harshini KH, Class II
3. Kumari Kavya UH, Class II
4. Maruti SP, Class III
5. Kumari Ranjita NH, Class III
6. Ganapati PS, Class IV
7. Aditya NK, Class V
8. Kumari Nidhi SK, Class V
9. Nakul NP, Class V
10. Kartik PS, Class V
11. Kumari Nidhi BB, Class VI
12. Srinivas VS, Class VI
13. Kumari Bhagavati SD, Class VII
14. Deepesh MN, Class VII
15. Vishal VS, Class VII

Secondary Students, Shanbhag High School

16. Kumari Padmavati VS, Class VIII
17. Kumari Rekha KH, Class VIII
18. Kumari Akshata SS, Class IX
19. Kumari Nagaratna VB, Class IX
20. Kartik BS, Class X
21. Nagendra KH, Class X
22. Ramnath GS, Class X
23. Vinayak AS, Class X

@ the Gibb Girls High School. I have used this pic previously, but beautiful, no?

Gibb High School, Kumta
1. Ganesh AS, Class VIII
2. Vivek VN, Class VIII
3. SPeter D, Class VIII
4. Vinayak DK, Class VIII

Gibb Girls High School, Kumta

5. Kumari Malati BH, Class VIII
6. Kumari Mallika MP, Class VIII
7. Kumari Shweta AS, Class VIII
8. Kumari Poojita SN, Class VIII
9. Kumari Teena KD, Class VIII
10. Kumari Nisha MS, Class IX
11. Kumari Soumya SP, Class IX
12. Kumari Usha UB, Class X
13. Kumari Jyoti US, Class X

Mahatma Gandhi High School, Chitrigi, Kumta

14. Kumari Vanita NP, Class VIII
15. Kumari Hasanbanu MS, Class VIII
16. Kumari Ganapati NP, Class VIII
17. Kumari Chandrahas SA, Class VIII
18. Kumari Swati SP, Class VIII
19. Kumari Divyashri RN, Class IX
20. Kumari Lata RP, Class X

Gibb English Medium High School, Kumta

21. Gajanan GN, Class VIII
22. Preetam RR, Class VIII
23. Jasper TN, Class VIII
24. Kumari Shruddha JS, Class IX
25. Kumari Atitha MR, Class X

• Scholarship Activities at Shikshan.org
• How to help; Ask me if you have queries or concerns.
• Scholarship for the needy 2008-2009. List of last year’s recipients.

My Posts on Kumta:

• Kumta: Jewel of the Konkan
• Kumta: Main Street
• Kumta: Field of Dreams
• Kumta: School Kids
• Young Women Making Papads in Kumta

My Posts on the Shanbhag School, Kumta

• Lunch at the Saraswati Vidya Kendra – Don’t miss audio of students chanting
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School
• Shanbhag School in Kumta
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School – 2008.
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School – 2009. These students are good!
• Earlier visit to student homes

Summary of Results:
74 students appeared for the X Std, Karnataka State Board Exams, 2009:

• Highest score of 96.5%
• 20/74 students scored greater than 90%
• 70/74 scored greater than 60%
• 4/74 scored between 50 and 60%
• No student in the entire class failed the X Std Board exams

Of the two Shanbhag Scholarship recipients in the graduating class, one received 90.4% and the other 69.92%. Excellent performers and we are elated to have contributed marginally to their studies. I hope hope they will be equally successful in college and in life.

I don’t expect our needy scholarship recipients to be at the top of the class, but we have given them an opportunity to study alongside the best students, at the best school. And they held their own. The network effects of this alone are worthwhile. This is akin to bringing deserving students to study at Harvard. You wouldn’t expect them at the top of the class, but just being here, they gain tremendously. Exactly that!

I am still collecting funds to support scholarships for needy students at the school. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact me.

• Scholarship Activities
• How to help

Shanbhag School Related Posts:

• Shanbhag School, An Introduction
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School – my favorite!
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School 2007

For the academic year 2008-2009, Shanbhag Scholarships were awarded to 35 students (23 girls and 12 boys) in various schools in Kumta, Karnataka. Scholarships were granted purely on the basis of need and included full tuition and a daily lunch at the school.

The scholarships were made possible due to the generosity of our patrons (see Patrons TAB). They receive our gratitude.

Read more about our Scholarships:

• Scholarship Activities at Shikshan.org
• How to help

Appended are names of scholarship recipients. The Saraswati Vidya Kendra and the Shanbhag High School are managed by the Konkan Education Trust, Kumta, India.

Primary Students,
Saraswati Vidya Kendra
1. Kumari Raksha V, LKG
2. Sachin SM, Class I
3. Manoj S, Class I
4. Kumari Kavya UH, Class I
5. Kumari Deeksha V, Class I
6. Kumari Harshini H, Class I
7. Maruti SP, Class II
8. Kumari NV Ashrita, CLass III
9. Kumari Vandana VS, Class III
10. Kumari Soujanya SR, Class IV
11. Nakul NP, Class IV
12. Kumari Nidhi SK, Class IV
13. Mahesh AS, Class V
14. Akshay MS, Class V
15. Vishal VS, Class VI
16. Kumari Bhagavati SD, Class VI
17. Kumari Neha SK, Class VII
18. Kumari Rekha KH, Class VII

Secondary Students,
Shanbhag High School

19. Kumari Akshata SS, Class VIII
20. Kumari Nagaratna VB, Class VIII
21. Nagendra KH, Class IX
22. Ramnath GS, Class IX
23. Vinayak AS, Class IX
24. Nagarak GB, Class, X
25. Nagaraj SD, Class X

The Gibb Girls High School, Mahatma Gandhi High Shool, and the Gibb English Medium High School are managed by the Kanara Education Society, Kumta. Since these Society Schools receive government aid, as well as food for their students, scholarships for students at these schools did not receive funds for midday meals.

@ the Gibb Girls High School

Gibb Girls High School, Kumta
1. Kumari Nisha MS, Class VIII
2. Kumari Soumya SP, Class VIII
3. Kumari Usha UB, Class IX
4. Kumari Jyoti US, Class IX

Mahatma Gandhi High School, Chitrigi, Kumta

5. Kumari Divyashri RN, Class VIII
6. Kumari Lata RP, Class IX
7. Kumari Pavitra RN, Class X

Gibb English Medium High School, Kumta

8. Kumari Atitha MR, Class IX
9. Kumari Shruddha JS, Class VIII
10. Kumari Namrata KN, Class VIII

Playground at the Gibb Girls High School, Kumta

• Lunch at the Saraswati Vidya Kendra – Don’t miss audio of students chanting
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School
• Shanbhag School in Kumta
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School
• Scholarships for the Needy
• Scholarship Activities at Shikshan.org

The Shanbhag High School, managed by the Konkan Education Trust does not receive any governmental aid. But it follows the state determined academic syllabus and guidelines. While we attract many students who can afford fees, our family wanted to make good education particularly accessible to the poor. As I have mentioned earlier, last year we gave 16 scholarships to very needy students to attend either the Shanbhag High School, or the affiliated primary school, Saraswati Vidya Kendra. See list of Scholarship Recipients for 2007-2008.

Last December (2007) during my travels to Kumta I visited most of the scholarship recipients in their homes. The visit served two purposes: (a) to meet the families and convince them of our commitment to support their child’s education ~ and in turn expect them to make education a priority; and (b) to ensure that these were indeed needy families, which I could determine from their living conditions.

They lived in simple dwellings, and it was emotionally overwhelming to experience the gratitude of these families. Below, I share with you some of the scholarship recipients in their home settings. Appropriately I have omitted their names.

We supported the boy in the center, flanked by his father and cousin sister. Being poor, the girl was enrolled in the local government run Kannada language school. She wanted to attend our English school, but being in 8th std (grade) it would have been academically disastrous for her to switch the language of instruction a year before the State Board Exams. This was an important reason why we started giving scholarships to students in primary school!


We supported the boy, shown here with his parents outside their home. He was in the 10th Std and in the recent State Board Exams scored greater than 90%! Ecstatic to think that we may have played a miniscule role in his academic success!

We supported the girl; this was their front room/living room/bedroom and the kids studied on the bed. Behind was a smaller kitchen/dining area.

She came from a family of traditional fisher folks.

We supported the boy. As discussed in Where are all the needy girls? the sister in 4th grade was enrolled in the Kannada language school. She wanted to be in the Shanbhag School with her brother but unaffordable. On hearing this, I asked her mother (father is no more) to enroll her in our school for the next year. When I visited Kumta last month, we got the girl enrolled with a full scholarship! Yaay!

You can see the kitchen and dining area in the back. As traditional families do, they sit on the floor to eat.

We are supporting the boy. You see one of several sisters in the background, who have all graduated from the Kannada language school. With limited professional or career options, they work as cooks and serve meals to students in a part of their house.

We are supporting one of these delightful twins, seen here drawing and finishing their home work.

During this recent visit to Kumta, I developed contacts with other schools in town and provided scholarships for their students. More on those at another time.

If you would like to make a contribution to kids education, see How to Help!

Updates and Related Posts: Shanbhag School

• Shanbhag School in Kumta
• Academic Update from the Shanbhag School
• Lunch at the Shanbhag School
• Lunch at the Saraswati Vidya Kendra; Audio of Kids Chanting

Primary Students,
Saraswati Vidya Kendra
1. Nakul NP, Class III
2. Kumari Nidhi SK, Class III
3. Kumari Soujanya SR, Class III
4. Mahesh AS, Class IV
5. Vishal VS, Class V
6. Kumari Neha SK, Class VI
7. Kumari Rekha KH, Class VI
8. Kumari Akshata SS, Class VII
9. Bharat SN, Class VII

Secondary Students,
Shanbhag High School

10. Ramanath GS, Class VIII
11. Nagendra KH, Class VIII
12. Vinayak AS, Class VIII
13. Nagaraj GB, Class IX
14. Nagaraj SD, Class IX
15. Ganapati AP, Class X
16. Kumari Soumya GB, Class X

]]> http://shikshan.org/2008/07/02/scholarship-recipients-2007-2008/feed/ 1 Arun Shanbhag http://shikshan.org/2008/06/23/where-are-all-the-needy-girls/ http://shikshan.org/2008/06/23/where-are-all-the-needy-girls/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:54:16 +0000 Arun Shanbhag http://shikshan.wordpress.com/?p=6 ]]> Challenges of Identifying Needy Girls: My Personal Experience.

In the summer of 2006, we cousins raised money for 15 scholarships in Kumta. Emphasizing girls education, we allocated scholarships to 10 girls and 5 boys at the Shanbhag High School in Kumta. While the school is named after our grandfather, we have no role in its management. For more on our involvement with the School, see post on my personal blog here. I asked the school management to identify students in the school based solely on need. A few months later (October 2006), the school provided a list of students for consideration. Surprisingly it had 14 boys and 1 girl, very different from our emphasis on needy girls.

When asked about this discrepancy, I was told, “We don’t have any other needy girls in the school.”

I knew from previous visits, the gender ratio in the school is nearly even; also, the school management was giving me an honest opinion and specifically excluded girls who could afford tuition. Why did we have so many more needy boys? Where were all the needy girls? I was disappointed, but realized there were probably cultural dynamics at play and we needed more ground work to identify needy girls. Certainly they were there, but below our radar. We froze the scholarships and did not give to any student in 2006. I felt horrible for not supporting the needy boys, but could not come to grips with the skewed gender ratio.

Where are the needy girls?
After much reading on the priorities of poor families in India, as well as statistics from the United Nations, I finally came upon the answer.

I called my contact at the School and said:

“I know where the needy girls are! Just ask the needy boys on your list, where their sisters are!”

Poor parents send their daughters to either work the fields, work as maids, or help around the house, while the boys go to school!

Poor Families Make Choices
Needy families make seemingly wise (but flawed) decisions based on their current and future economic welfare. Sons, who contribute to family wealth, are sent to good schools. Even if it means scrounging and borrowing; or in many cases, simply enrolling in the school, paying a minimal deposit and constantly pleading with management to forgive delinquent fees.

The girls are put to work as maids and help around the house. Or, the girls are sent to local government schools teaching in the local vernacular language, for free. Thus, even if the girls do go to school, they end up with significant drawbacks in furthering their education and importantly, their job prospects. See, the poor families perceive no incentive in spending valuable resources on educating girls. After all, the girls will get married and go to their husband’s house. It is the boys who are expected to bring home a bride and also help take care of parents in their old age.

Guided by this understanding the school management made a tremendous effort to recruit needy girls. Firstly by asking families of needy boys for their siblings, and secondly, by actively spreading the word in the community.

Making Progress
For the 2007-2008 academic year, we made significant progress and identified 6 girls and 10 boys and gave them scholarships (see details here).

This was not a perfect solution, but it provided our team with a firm understanding of the cultural challenges in this area. Now, we have put in motion means to identify and recruit needy girls. Along the way, we will support needy boys as well. As we continue this work, you are welcome to join us.


]]> http://shikshan.org/2008/06/23/where-are-all-the-needy-girls/feed/ 2 Arun Shanbhag http://shikshan.org/2008/06/22/shanbhag-school-academics/ http://shikshan.org/2008/06/22/shanbhag-school-academics/#comments Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:37:46 +0000 Arun Shanbhag http://shikshan.wordpress.com/?p=26 ]]> This article was previously posted here on arunshanbhag.com
I am cross-posting it here.

---

When I first posted on the Shanbhag School, the upper floor (1st floor) was still under construction. During my visit in Nov, it was a thrill to see students enjoying lectures in the new classrooms. You can see pics of ongoing classes later in the post. But first, an important question: How are the students performing academically?

In a word – EXCELLENT!
Summary of Results of 58 students who appeared in the 2007 X Std, Karnataka State Board Exams:

• Highest score of 97.7%
• 3/58 students scored greater than 97%
• 20/58 students scored greater than 90%
• 34/58 scored greater than 85%
• 54/58 scored greater than 60%
• 3/58 scored between 50 and 60%
• 1/58 scored between 35 and 50%
• No student in the entire class failed the X std Board exams

WoW! Congratulations to the students on their excellent performance. Also a big pat on the back for the teachers who did an outstanding job of educating the young. Since the Shanbhag School is a private school, it does not receive any Government subsidies or aid. Thus the teacher’s salary are much lower than at local government-aided schools. The dedication of teachers to teach is thus so much more appreciated. The 2008 exams has recently concluded and it will be some months before the results are out.

Here are a few pics of ongoing classes. Note: I did not know that Thursdays are “casual Thursdays” and students did not have to wear their blue and white uniforms (which you see in this post). Thus the school took on a festive appearance. YaaY!

It was a fabulous November afternoon. Looking towards the front of the school. For comparison, see here for pics from a few years ago.



---

Bright and spacious rooms!


In every classroom I entered (accompanied by the Vice-principal) all students would stand and greet me. Heeeeee heeeeeee. Made my day!


The teacher painstakingly wrote out even the “Fill in the blanks.” All classrooms had photographs of different national leaders above the black board.


On the upper right corner of the blackboard, the daily tally of students is chalked. Notice the near equal distribution of boys and girls in the class and is nearly equal at the school level.


A textbook, bits of writing chalk, a homemade duster to wipe the boards and a ruler.


---

You may want to read the comments to this article, here on arunshanbhag.com

]]> http://shikshan.org/2008/06/22/shanbhag-school-academics/feed/ 0 Arun Shanbhag http://shikshan.org/2008/06/10/hello-world/ http://shikshan.org/2008/06/10/hello-world/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:32:24 +0000 Arun Shanbhag ]]> Shikshan is a not for profit organization dedicated to educating needy students in rural India.

We are busy working on site design and importantly on our educational mission -
Educating Rural India, One Student at a Time!

Please bookmark this page and visit us another time.

In the meantime, browse details of the Shanbhag School in Kumta, Karnataka, where we are giving scholarships to needy students.

Namaskar!


]]> http://shikshan.org/2008/06/10/hello-world/feed/ 0 Arun Shanbhag