Transcript Bimal Da Aug 21, 2006

Date: 8/21/06 Attendees: Bimal Da, Ketan Mehta, Sam Murthy It has been communicated to Bimal Da that Asha wishes to fund operating expenses and once we settle project description to Asha's satisfaction, money transfer systems and communication systems are in place, funding will begin. 1. Email communication: we need them to setup email address and have process in place to check 1 time per day. They should be able to get translation done at their end. This is for simple stuff like meeting planning. An idea is for them to have a friend in Kolkata give us his email address who checks email regularly and then have him convey emails for us.

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Bimal Da agreed to setup an email address. He goes to Kolkata every 2-3 days and will setup and check email. He will write SM a test email to initiate the communication. Email check in Kaorakhali is not possible, Pictures: can they get some pictures taken quickly and have them sent to us? We need pic of a school external, children in class, 2 children up close, and one teacher at least. If possible a picture of Bimal Da and each teacher individually. We have impressed on Bimal Da that pictures are essential to our fundraising activity. Bimal Da will take regular (analog) pictures and mail to SM's physical address. SM's address will be provided over email. School information: how many teachers are there. How many hours do they teach per day. How many teachers per school? What re school names and teacher names? What are teacher salaries? What are sources of teacher salaries? how many months of the year is school in session? You want to go from 1 teacher to 3/school. What do you plan to do with them? Will you be able to hire that many teachers? ● The 4 schools are Kaorakhali N, Kaorakhali S, Jamtola and Purbo Gabtola ● Each school now has 2 teachers each for pre-primary (THIS IS NEWS, IT USED TO BE 1 TEACHER EACH SCHOOL) ● They want to have a third teacher for each school. They are looking to hire the 3rd teachers in March 2007. ● Each teacher's salary presently is Rs 500/mth. They want to increase them to Rs. 750/mth. ● School runs 6 days/week, and averages 240 days/year (usually stated as 12 mths/year+20 days/mth) ● children are 3-6 years old, 345 children Toilet information (we solicited this information for understanding our options) – capital expense is not within the voted project scope presently ■ septic tank style ■ Costs Rs. 20K ■ construction will be administered by committee which is comprised of Gram Panchayat (village gov't)+village education committee(parents)+teachers ■ Purbo gabtola has toilet Midday Meal: Who is paying for/providing meals now? What are they providing- name of item? How much does it cost totally? How much per child per day? ● Program runs only through Oct 2006 (2 months left) ● church group is currently funding and providing grain ● costs Rs. 3.5/child/day. ● Some times of 100 gm rice, 75 gm dal, Rs0.75 veggies, Rs0.25 spices ● sometimes Bulgur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgur). This is what Surya reported meal to be. ● Bimal Da states it could rotate to banana portion+bread or puffed rice in future what are attendance rates? ■ They are high (no more detail provided) Can they make separate bank account for money used in school expenses? We want statements once in 3 months? ● They bank at UBI

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separate bank account should be fine reporting is possible what you want us to fund? What are your priorities? Teacher salaries midday meals toilets

About Bimal Da: 1. land owner, generates farming income 2. runs a (self-admittedly) 'quack' homeopathy dispensary 3. 1 son and 1 daughter, children are in nursery (pre-primary) in Kaorakhali N. About Jana Sevashram: 1. volunteer effort but paid each Rs1,000/mth from various sources 2. Sansath – govt. Jilla level program 3. they also run plantation 4. Mother+child programs 5. Sansatha organizations

Note: The initial proposal requested assistance for 2 schools, ~ 200 students Views 1. JSA (Jana sevashram) has already put in 12 months into Asha sourcing, they are bound to be a little frustrated with our progress though Bimal Da does not show it. 2. We should start funding teachers salary increments as soon as feasible. Ketan and I feel we should fund the salary increment immediately – that is a safe start, we can afford it and it is within the voted project scope. It works out to Rs 250*4teachers*12 months = $267(@Rs45/$). (2 teachers/school * 2 schools = 4 teachers) 1. I think this is money we already have and can send while we work out details of UIUC sending partial funds. 3. Ketan is concerned that midday meal is hard to monitor and more prone to misappropriation. I concur, but feel midday meal is essential in altering the investment decision of a parent. In a no meal scenario, as a poor parent I have to choose: send my child to work and he can feed himself, or send him to school and he goes to bed hungry – in this situation I would send my child to work. The meal would alter the payoffs and make me think, he earns a meal by going to school – I'll send him to school. Next Actions 1. call Bimal Da again – Sam/Ketan and other interested volunteers 1. Asha expectations of Bimal Da/JSA 2. get Bimal Da to make bank account for Asha funding 2. have expectations written in Bengali and sent to Bimal Da. - Sam 3. How can Asha MN send $300 to JSA - Feroz 4. Disccussion on midday meal and toilet to be tabled for next meeting - Asha volunteers