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TNF received applications for TAYMAI grants in early 2020. After a thorough review of the submissions, using strict criteria, the Young Professional Committee (YPC) selected three winners for the issuance of the 2020 TAYMAI grants:
I believe every child deserves fair access to education, and to avail of this opportunity, good eyesight is of paramount importance. The scope of my project is two-fold: to provide eye screening for children, and if remedial steps need to be taken, follow it through with a treatment plan. I have selected a school in Karaikudi for this initiative, in collaboration with Aravind Eye Hospital. The total budget for the initial phase is $5,000 and I have collected $4,395 so far. My original plan was to implement this project in June of 2020. However, due to the pandemic, I have put the project on hold. I plan to execute my project after schools reopen.
Through Tamilnadu Foundation’s summer internship program, I visited the Arasangudi Government Higher Secondary School near Trichy, in July 2019. After seeing the poor amenities at the school, I decided to raise funds to help set up a library, improve the IT Lab, and give a facelift to the girl’s restrooms with the support of TNF. The work in the library is estimated to cost around $2000. The work to improve the IT Lab and refurbish the girl’s restrooms will cost approximately $3000 and $5000, respectively. Through the support of Kansas City Tamil Sangam and the generous donations from friends and family, I have been able to raise $4600 so far towards the project. The construction work on the library and the IT Lab is almost complete. Due to the prevailing pandemic situation, finishing the pending tasks with the library, IT lab, and the improvement of girl’s restrooms are projected to be completed by early next year.
The goal of LOOPS project is to assist children, who are behind their peers and have difficulty to master the lessons, to learn at their own pace and get integrated back into the mainstream as early as possible. This is accomplished by providing kids with a digital product called “Talking Pen” and it helps teachers to selectively focus on students who need further attention. For a classroom of 30 kids, it would cost around $1850. We have collected $500 through fund-raising activities. The project will be executed by us when we travel to India, and if we are unable to make the trip, it will be carried through by TNF staff in Chennai or our relatives. Expected completion date is March 2021.