About
the NGO
Careers
Akanksha Foundation : In Brief
Akanksha works primarily
in the field of education, addressing non
formal education through the Akanksha centre
and also formal education by initiating school
reform. Since its inception in 1990, the organization
has expanded from 15 children in one centre
to over 3,000 children in 66 centres in Mumbai
and Pune, commitment is made to support each
child by giving him or her a strong educational
foundation, a good time, self esteem and values,
and to help them plan how they can earn a
steady livelihood as a step towards improving
their standard of living.
Akanksha Foundation : Mission
The Akanksha Foundation is
a non-profit organization with a mission to
impact the lives of less privileged children,
enabling them to maximise their potential
and change their lives.
Akanksha Foundation : Impact
Over the
past 15 years, the organization has expanded
from 15 children in one centre to over 2,600
children in 51 centres in Mumbai and Pune,
with an additional 2100 children in 10 schools.
A commitment is made to support each child
by giving him or her a strong educational
foundation, a good time, self esteem and values,
and to help them plan how they can earn a
steady livelihood as a step towards improving
their standard of living.
Akanksha Foundation : Board of Directors
Shaheen Mistri- Founder and Chairperson,
Akanksha; CEO, Teach for India
Anu Aga - Director and Ex-Chairperson, Thermax
Amit Chandra - Managing Director, Bain Capital
Advisors
Ramesh Srinivasan - Partner, McKinsey &
Co
Srila Chatterjee - COO and Executive Producer,
Highlight Films
Nandita Dugar - CEO, Akanksha; Ex-Consultant
Boston Consulting Gr
Neel Shahani - Head Trader, India Infoline
Somasekhar Sundaresan – Partner, J.
Sagar Associates, Advocates & Solicitors
Akanksha Foundation : Patrons
Deepak
Parekh - Chairman HDFC
Anand Mahindra - Vice Chairman and MD - Mahindra
and Mahindra
Arjun Waney - Chief Executive Argent Fund
(UK)
Akanksha Foundation : Advisors
Ganesh Natrajan, Deputy Chairman and MD, Zensar
Technologies; Chairman, Nasscom 2008-09
Rati Forbes, Director, Forbes Marshall
Kumar Shah, CFO DSP Merrill Lynch
Anjali Raina, Executive Director - Harvard
Business School, India Research Centre
Dr. Bela .N. Doctor, (M.D, MRCP(UK), DCH),
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist
Bhatia/ Kasturba/ Kothari Hospital
Dr. R Pankaj Parekh
Dr. Paresh C Desai
Akanksha Foundation
1.
Reach
2400 Akanksha children come to an Akanksha
center everyday.
2000 Akanksha children are part of the Akanksha
school project.
2.
Attendance and Drop Out
Average attendance at an Akanksha center is
80%.
Around 40% of students between class 1 - 4
drop out of schools in Mumbai. At Akanksha,
all our students are in school and stay in
formal school at the primary school level.
Drop out from the Akanksha centers is less
than 10%.
3.
New opportunities
Akanksha has 58 alumni currently.
30 children are currently in college.
31 children are working, 18 of who are employed
in Akanksha.
6 Akanksha children are in the Akanksha Teacher
Fellowship.
4. Changing attitudes and creating
a culture of service
Over 1000 people have at some point in their
lives volunteered their time with Akanksha
and that means spending time directly with
the kids.
Akanksha currently employs 150 people, and
all of them receive on going training both
on aspects of their job but also participate
in service projects.
5. Self-esteem and values
All Akanksha Didis and Bhaiyas use positive
reinforcement and no negative consequences
are used at Akanksha.
6.
Girl's empowerment
The Akanksha girl marries around 2-3 years
later in comparison to their sisters not in
Akanksha. This means that they are becoming
mothers later and are having healthier children.
7. Creating real Role Models
Eleven children who have graduated from Akanksha
are now interning in various roles within
the organization such as trainee teachers
and social workers. They are serving as real
role models to the hundreds of small children
who now have an Akanksha Bhaiya/Didi as their
neighbor.
Akanksha has employed its first alumni employee
in the social work department.
8. The stage is set
Akanksha has staged 3 successful Musicals.
More than 700 kids have had a unique chance
to perform in a professional show. 13,000
people have seen an Akanksha show taking home
an understanding that with opportunity, potential
is limitless.
9. Other Events
Hundreds of Akanksha children have participated
in special events like the Art for Akanksha
Auctions and the Mumbai Marathon. The events
have showcased their talent and potential
and taught them tremendous self-confidence.
10.
Women’s empowerment
Akanksha employs 30 mothers from the community.
They are either helpers in the centers or
package the Akanksha merchandise. This is
a unique way of building community partnership.
11. Health
Akanksha does annual health camps for all
the children. This year a special TB campaign
focuses on eliminating TB. Around 100 children
identified are undergoing the DOTS treatment.
Akanksha social workers follow up on all medical
problems.
12.
Relief
After the tsunami in December 2004, Akanksha
mobilized around Rs 1.3 crores and shipped
several truckloads of relief materials for
the affected families. The money is being
used to support two NGOs in the South, Suyam
and AID India, who are rebuilding schools
and children’s lives.
Akanksha produced “The Giving Sea”
Activity book and story/coloring books for
teachers and children in the tsunami-affected
areas. Over 25,000 children were covered under
the Giving Sea program.
After the August 2005 floods in Maharashtra,
Akanksha mobilized around Rs. 25 lakhs that
was disbursed to flood victims. Thousands
of families were fed through NGOs working
in the affected areas and over 20,000 children
received notebooks as part of the aid.
13.
Curriculum and documentation
Akanksha has an extensive range of curriculum
manuals, and has documented its entire process
of setting up an Akanksha center. Materials
have been shared with anyone interested at
no cost
Akanksha Foundation : Legal Status
Established in : 1990
Registered as : Society
Tax Exemptions : Section 80G
FCRA : 083780558 dated 18.2.96
Founder : Ms Shaheen Mistri
Annual
Report
To view latest annual report please
click here (18mb)
Akanksha Foundation : Presence
Mumbai
The Akanksha Foundation,
Voltas House 'C'
TB Kadam Marg,
Chinchpokli,
Mumbai 400 033
Tel: +91 22 23700253 / +91 22 23729880
Pune
The Akanksha Foundation
Thermax Ltd, Thermax House,
14 Mumbai – Pune Road ,
Wakdewadi, Pune 411 003
Ph: +91 20 25540007/08
U.S.
The Akanksha Fund Inc,
Sarah Roberts
400, Central park, West, apt 17Y
New York 10025
Tel: +1 917 930 6515
U.K.
Kids In Need Of Education,
Caroline Emlyn Jones
2, Laurier Road,
London NW5 1SG
Tel: +44 7541 256 635
Website: www.kinoe.org
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