PLANET WHY GUEST HOUSE AND RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTRE WITH A DIFFERENCE
Promoted by
SRI RAM GOBURDHUN CHARITABLE TRUST
(PROJECT WHY)
251A/3 Govindpuri
Kalkaji
New Delhi 110019
INDIA
91 11 26 46 99 15
91 98 11 42 48 77
Fax: 91 11 26 21 79 52
Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
Website: http://projectwhy.org
Promoted by
SRI RAM GOBURDHUN CHARITABLE TRUST
(PROJECT WHY)
251A/3 Govindpuri
Kalkaji
New Delhi 110019
INDIA
91 11 26 46 99 15
91 98 11 42 48 77
Fax: 91 11 26 21 79 52
Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
Website: http://projectwhy.org
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Introduction: from project to planet why
Project Why: current status and history
Project Why: organisation and legalese
Planet Why: the rationale
Planet Why: mission and objectives
Planet Why: two core themes – 1) sustainability
Planet Why: two core themes – 2) care
Planet Why: considerations
Planet Why: vital functions
Planet Why: architecture
Planet Why: land, building, plans
Planet Why: organisation and staff
Executive Summary
Starting with one persons dream to help an unfortunate few, Project Why has grown over 8 years to become an extraordinary life-line that offers 600 children the support and education that could make the difference between a life of extreme poverty and a life of prosperity.
For it to continue it needs funding; for it to grow as well it needs a big dream. This dream has a name and it’s called Planet Why, and like the initial dream for project why it is highly ambitious but eminently achievable.
The dream is to create a home that allows Project Why to grow and guests to stay and spend quality time. Income from visitors will help sustain Project Why, the house will provide employment opportunities, and the interaction between the two will provide a unique and rewarding experience for all.
Planet Why: a guest house with a difference. This paper describes the philosophy, the concept and the plan.
Introduction: from project to planet why
Visitors to Delhi find it impossible not to notice the poverty; it’s an unavoidable ingredient of the city. It’s clearly marked on the faces of the children foraging and begging and is evident in the form of ‘permanent’ tents on the pavements of scores of the city’s streets.
According to UNESCO, 80% of India’s 1.1bn population lives below the poverty line*1, a line that equates to surviving on less than US$2 a day.
In Delhi, it is estimated that 30% of the 14 million inhabitants live in ‘slums’*2. While many dwellings here have attained an ‘official’ status and an address (allowing voting rights), the right of ownership will never be theirs; many slums are under the threat of being raised to make way for new urban projects.
However, if one takes the time to visit the slums they will receive a remarkably warm reception. Amongst the temporary structures live generous and kind people, within the debris there is order, pride in the home and a remarkably strong spirit.
The communities that live here make the best of what they have, but they know the best chance for their children to beat the poverty cycle is to get a good education.
As a result there is a thirst for knowledge and schooling; gross enrolment for primary school education is 115%, but net enrolment is 85%*3. The children of India want to learn, but the education system cannot support them all.
The neediest are those in the worst conditions, so it is amongst the slums of South Delhi that Project Why has concentrated its efforts to enhance children’s education and give them a better chance of a more prosperous future. After its 8 years of operation, Project Why currently teaches 600 children from 6 schools, has a women’s support centre, a computer centre and has sponsored 12 open heart surgeries.
More than this, Project Why comes to the aid of the communities’ desperate cases, those that have nowhere to go, and those who are in despair. This is Project Why’s spirit: to do what it can where it’s most wanted no matter what the circumstance.
Project Why’s reach is limited by expenditure, which of course is limited by income. It reactively spends what it receives and there has never been the possibility of a period of consolidation and saving – there are always desperate cases here.
Planet Why is the answer: it is Project Why’s long-term investment in itself. It is a commercially successful guest-house that generates income, and it is extra facilities that will help those in need. It will work together in harmony, and it will set an example to others.
*1 – UNESCO - http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/document.aspx?ReportId=121&IF_Language=eng&BR_Country=3560
*2 – ASHA - http://www.asha-india.org/DelhiSlums/Background.aspx
*3 – Worldbank - http://devdata.worldbank.org/edstats/SummaryEducationProfiles/CountryData/GetShowData.asp?sCtry=IND,India
Project Why: current status and history
The Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust using the name ‘Project Why’ is a non-governmental not-for-profit organisation engaged in education support and life-skills enhancement. The projects current focus is primarily on the slum and basti children of South Delhi.
At present the organisation runs an education support programme which has 6 distinct modules:-
• early childhood support
• primary education
• secondary education
• special needs centre
• computer centre
• women’s centre
All modules complement each-other to create a comprehensive education development programme that will help children and youth access a better future.
The Trust was started in May 1998 as a repayment of a debt to society.
The learning phase took its journey through the creation of employment opportunities for those with disabilities, and running nutrition supplement programmes for street children. It was the latter that helped the organisation formulate a focused programme named Project Why which has been in place since November 2000, beginning with 50 children, now supporting 600.
The significant milestones of Project Why are: -
➢ ‘00 - One small spoken English class for 50 children
➢ early ’01 - First primary class
➢ mid ‘01 - First ‘pavement’ secondary class
➢ early ‘02 - First formal class for children with special needs
➢ ‘03 - Okhla primary centre
➢ ‘05 - Govindpuri centre
➢ ‘06 - Sanjay colony primary centre
➢ early ’07 - Women’s centre
Project Why is also a community development programme; its policy is to nurture and employ the skills available within the neighbourhoods. Over 98% of the team comprise members of the local community, thus generating much needed employment opportunities. The result is 32 new jobs, and for 80% of the staff this employment is the sole source of income for the family.
A measure of the projects success is the fact that in the past 7 years no child has dropped out of school and that all children have passed their yearly school examinations. Many of the ex-students are now in university or gainfully employed.
Another key strength of Project Why lies in its ability to empower the community to take on responsibilities and empower them to help themselves. In India, invisible barriers to success exist – most often caused by the systems of caste or creed – so the first mission was to break these barriers to make Project Why a true reflection of an ideal India. To prove its point, Project Why’s whole staff structure is based on ability. This demonstration of equality has meant that communities, who would previously barely interact, slowly learnt to discover each other, respect one another and work together to find solutions to their problems.
Further, it has been a concerted effort to include other factors into the core principles of the education programme by including environmental and civic responsibility into the curriculum, as well as demonstrating sustainability through bio-fuel projects.
India is a land of contradictions, the warmth of its people is clear to see, but the disparity between rich and poor continues to grow, and the poor and under-privileged are often those with the least support.
Project Why is about giving the ‘under-dog’ a chance, to help them, to teach them, to support them, to care for them.
Project Why: organisation and legalese
The Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust is a registered organisation and meets all the requirements of the law of the land. Particulars are listed below.
It is overlooked by a carefully selected Board of Directors and is steered by a small executive committee comprising of its President, its Secretary and its Treasurer who maintain constant contact with each other – as is demanded by a flexible and adaptable organisation.
The Project Why team comprises 38 staff. The vast majority were found from within the slums themselves, in effect creating a ‘self-help’ system where the teachers are trained by Project Why and the resources and remuneration provided to keep them going. The team are therefore not only motivated to help the children learn, they also recognise and understand the issues the kids face, thus inducing an environment as conducive to learning as possible.
The team is reinforced by the presence of volunteers, found by an active network of Project Why volunteer alumni, and by the support of a network of specialised organisations. In the last year alone the project has received volunteers from France, Italy, UK, US, Canada and Singapore.
Project Why staff are remunerated at the present minimum wage.
The annual budget of Project Why is around 1 800 000 Rs or ~ 35 000 Euros.
Particulars:
Organisation Name: SRI RAM GOBURDHUN CHARITABLE TRUST
Project Name: Project Why
Registration Number: S 32978
(Registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860)
Date of Registration: 8th May 1998
Registered Address: C-15 Chiragh Enclave
New Delhi 110048
Field Office: 231A/3 Govindpuri, Kalkaji
New Delhi 110019
Telephone office: 91 11 26469915
Mobile: 9811424877
Fax: 91 1126217952
Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
Income Tax number: PAN AABTS4278D
Income Tax Exemption 2001-2002/S-2576/99/241, (renewal)
FCRA Number: 231660437
Chartered Accountants: Jai Kishan Gupta & Co
2/20 Double Storey
Jangpura Extension
New Delhi
Bankers: Citibank
Account No: 0509927 -227 (Indian rupees)
Account No: 0509991-227 (fcra)
Planet Why: the rationale
The original model for Project Why set out to empower under-privileged and illiterate/semi-literate parents to steer the educational needs of their children using local resources.
Given that in the last 7 years drop out rates have been contained and children now pass their school examinations with success, the model has proved successful.
By making use of local talent it has been proved that quality teaching in India can be offered in the most basic of locations and situations and does not require expensive infrastructure and the most formal training practices.
Project Why believes in a cyclic and self-serving process of making a difference within the slums. By planting the seeds of empowerment to the right people within the community, they then have the means to provide themselves with a solution. These solutions bring change, which will lead to more empowerment given back to the community – they are increasingly taking control.
Of course, in some areas such as condition diagnosis and physiotherapy there is no choice but to reach out to professionals, but even in so doing only those who are willing to give extra in such terms as time, cost, care and compassion are employed.
Graduates of Project Why’s schools have, in the most part, succeeded in finding employment. However, there is a real shortage of employment opportunities for those with special needs.
In Delhi, the support system for those with special needs, especially beyond school age, is negligible. A recent report by NDTV*4 (a large national news channel) found that a special needs institution in the area that was designed for 300 is actually housing 700 in squalid conditions (see report link below).
As a result there is insufficient capacity in the existing special needs section because of this lack of opportunity; there is nothing for them outside Project Why, so they stay.
Therefore the rationale behind Planet Why is to create a healthy and prosperous environment for Project Why’s special cases; it will give them an inclusive environment and a dignified, rewarding life. It will enhance the local community and also provide paying guests a unique opportunity to gain a sense of reward from their interaction with Project Why.
Planet Why will empower and provide opportunity: the same spirit as Project Why but in a different environment.
*4 - http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070030453
Planet Why: mission and objectives
Planet Why’s mission is to create a warm and enabling environment, a place where both visiting guests and their local ‘hosts’ will interface, the former providing the latter a unique chance to show case their potential and step into a world too often denied to them.
Therefore its objectives are: -
• To set up a residential facility for children and mothers who have no other option or alternative
• To set up a guesthouse for visiting tourists as a long-term sustainability option for all Project Why activities
• To set this dovetailing of hospitality and development as a possible model to be replicated elsewhere
• To train and use Project Why alumni and local talent thus generating new avenues of employment
Planet Why: two core themes - care and sustainability
Funding for Project Why has always been a precarious situation.
To date Project Why has appreciatively relied on: -
• personal funds and inheritance of the President of the charity
• small networks of supporters created from close friends
• networks created by volunteers of Project Why
• a wider network of supporters in the EU (initiated by Enfances Indiennes)
• International support created by a web-presence
Conscious of the fragility of the funding model and heavy reliance on donors, Project Why has made attempts at self-sustenance: -
• making and selling a variety of products ( T-shirts, bags, jewels, chocolates, etc)
• placing donation boxes in markets and shops
• setting up raffles and lotteries
• initiating a one-rupee-a-day programme within the community.
However, complex legislations relating to the production of items such as soaps and food items meant profitable scalability could not be achieved. Further, similarly complex accountancy restrictions of the charitable trust meant Project Why could not ‘make money’, even though it was entirely to be reinvested in the Project.
Yet Project Why needs a long-term sustainability plan.
This is how, knowing that a home is needed for the desperate souls who had depended on Project Why, it was obvious that this home should also welcome paying guests. The idea of a guesthouse is obvious for a number of reasons: the advent of tourism with a heart, the paucity of low cost rooms in Delhi, the feedback of Project Why’s networks.
Hence Project Why has two separate identities that are mutually compatible, even complimentary.
Planet Why will also reach out to the community, something that was not feasible in an urban slum. Environment projects, rainwater harvesting, health related activities, imparting new skills, adult education, empowerment of women, civic responsibility are some of the projects we intended at launch.
Planet Why: considerations
Planet Why requires very careful consideration of a multitude of factors; some controls are in the hands of others (such as town planning realities and the development of the surrounding habitat), but some are under our control and are derived from past experiences and the desire to see Project Why live in the long-term.
Even in terms of location there is a difficult decision to made - balancing setup costs e.g. in the city centre (which are prohibitively expensive) versus the risks of developing in a cheaper but more rural area (and attracting paying guests). A wise choice of location, perhaps in a fast-developing area near a metro station and airport would strike the right balance.
Further, the area must offer a good deal to the local community. Planet Why should be a benefit to the community, and the community should benefit from the facilities and support the place offers.
The principles of empowerment and responsibility, key factors of Project Why, will be carried over. By reinvigorating suitable commercial activities such as producing organic foods and beauty products, it will allow residents a sense of achievement, pride and reward. As Planet Why will become a separate but related entity to Project Why, and because one of its key purposes is to provide funding to Project Why, much of the red tape that previously restricted commercial activities will be removed.
Other opportunities could also be explored including guided tours and lessons and/or sessions in yoga, reiki, languages and cooking.
For long-term sustainability it is imperative that the guest house is consistently booked and to achieve this it is planned that Planet Why will: -
• be a rewarding and valuable experience for all guests
• offer a unique blend of culture and interaction with local people
• be affordable
• be simple, unfussy and spotlessly clean
• represent a true vision of India and Indian people
• build an enviable reputation
• be a charity sustainability model that can be replicated
Planet Why: vital functions
Planet Population
Full time inhabitants
Children, young adults, adults who came to Project Why since its inception and who have no means of support.
Daytime occupants
Children from local community, adults from community
Care and learning functions are: -
• Provide a refuge for the Project Why children and mothers
• Provide a dignified life to adults with disabilities
• Provide education support and child related activities to local children
• Run community awareness programmes with the local community (environment, health, hygiene etc)
• Provide new skills training
Planet Why will be a simple, eco friendly structure where space is utilised judiciously. It will have a room for boys and one of girls, and small quarters for the staff. There will also be a large communal room that will be used for workshops and for meetings.
The rooms will be used for activities during the day and could also serve as dormitories at night. A small storeroom will be used for stocking beddings during the day. Two well-equipped bathroom units will be available for staff and children. The premises will have a small sick bay.
A large state-of-the-art open kitchen will serve both the children and the guesthouse.
An outhouse will be used for washing clothes and will also house the back up electricity unit in a sound proof environment.
Planet Why will use as much alternative sources of energy as possible: solar, biogas etc. All waste will be recycled into compost for use in our garden.
Rainwater harvesting will be incorporated.
Income and sustainability functions are: -
• Guest house with 10 rooms (bed and simple breakfast)
• Gift shop (run by Project Why)
• Classes in local cooking, traditions etc
• Tourism facilitation (shopping, visits,)
• Shuttle services
• Special activities (meetings with villagers, Indian cooking classes, dance)
Residents: Planet Why will attract, initially through its network, then through reputation, tourists from all over the world who want to have a different and rewarding experience from their vacations.
Guests would be welcome to spend time with the children.
Planet Why: architecture and environment
The guest house and care facilities will be designed specifically to compliment each other. A picturesque central courtyard will be the tranquil but social centre of the house. Open, spacious and leafy, it will be the place where residents take time out or interact and mingle. It will be where food is served, where special occasions are celebrated, and where one simply feels comfortable to be.
The building itself will be simple and plain yet beautiful. Whitewashed walls, brightly painted doors and windows, mud murals and greenery will give a joyful feeling to the place.
The first floor will provide the guest house accommodation with 10 rooms offering relaxing comfort and decorated with local craft.
The ground floor will house three sections.
One will have a large kitchen and a living room where guests can lounge, read or just while away time playing with the children
Another side will be reserved for children where two large rooms will be converted into dorms at night for the little souls that have dropped by Project Why and who have nowhere else to go to. During the day the same rooms will be used for a host of child related activities for the children of the local community.
The third side will house staff quarters, likely to comprise mostly of single mothers as there is an urgent requirement for this type of accommodation, and all other housekeeping activities.
Building material will be eco-friendly and recycled, and we will use as much alternative sources of energy as possible: solar panels to heat water, biogas and green fuel.
All open space will be filled with trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds. The building activity will involve friends from all over the world as well as the local community, which will provide the opportunity for those that help to leave their own special mark.
The arrival of ‘tourism with a heart’, where visitors wish to lend a hand to those in need, has brought a new market opportunity within the hospitality sector. Project Why itself is already subject to strong demand and often refers visitors to suggested guest houses, few and far between though they are.
By minimising build and operation costs there will be enough of a return that will go to fund educational and other activities based on the model we have already run and validated for the past 7 years - setting Project Why free of the fragile situation it often finds itself in.
The gardens of Planet Why will be a source of pride and joy to the residents and a show-piece for the local community.
The little guesthouse will also be a training ground for our own students who can then accede to a wider range of employment. Project Why will also be an ideal place for short-term skill learning workshops and related activities.
Planet Why: land, building, costs, income, plan
Land The land purchase will be the majority of the capital expenditure of Planet Why and will cost 90 Lakh including taxes (90,00,000 Rupees equivalent to roughly US$230,000) for a suitable sized plot of 1200m2 (this figure is based on the cheapest land available in the outskirts of Delhi).
Building Existing Project Why contacts have offered many gift-in-kind donations such as sand, cement and even white goods (e.g. fridges, freezers etc). Planet Why will keep the build and operational costs low by building a modest but beautiful structure, using simple traditional methods and using local labour.
Costs A building of two floors covering a third of the land (350-400m/2) would cost 45 Lakh (US$ 115,000) and would provide enough space for Planet Why: -
• ten guest rooms with bathrooms
• a restaurant
• utility spaces (kitchen, washing etc.)
• centre for the special needs/Project Why ‘overflow’
• space for staff
• undeveloped land for gardens, horticulture and agriculture
Operating costs of the building, based on our experiences of running Project Why plus research of similar establishments, would be in the region of 16,00,000 Rupees per annum.
Income A reasonable room rate of 1500 Rupees per night for each of the 10 rooms, at a reasonable estimate of 60% occupancy would generate 31,75,000 Rupees per annum, i.e. a comfortable rate of return. In addition, income from the additional services already mentions (restaurant, laundry, lessons/courses etc.) would further boost profitability and provide employment opportunities for Project Why alumni and the local community.
The house will also employ eco-friendly and renewable energy sources; ‘sustainability’ will be a core principle of the house.
Plan Planet Why will adopt a phased build plan, however one must keep in mind that Project Why can only begin to generate funds once the guest rooms are completed and are occupied.
However, activities with the local children and community can begin once the land is secured. This will help in building a rapport with the community and gaining their trust and involvement.
The core plan is: -
1. Secure affordable land with good potential (thus insulating us from losing an opportunity caused by spiralling land costs)
1a. Utilise undeveloped land as appropriate
2. Pay off the land as soon as possible (by taking on a loan at favourable terms to be paid off by donations)
3. Use the land immediately to hold classes for local children, plant the garden and start to produce organic crops
4. Continue to raise capital for the building stage
5. Start building only when money is raised and use a modest amount of the land
6. Make good the investment and grow as appropriate
Planet Why: organisation and staff
PLANET WHY
GUEST HOUSE AND RESIDENTIAL
CARE CENTRE WITH A DIFFERENCE
Promoted by
SRI RAM GOBURDHUN CHARITABLE TRUST
(PROJECT WHY)
251A/3 Govindpuri
Kalkaji
New Delhi 110019
INDIA
91 11 26 46 99 15
91 98 11 42 48 77
Fax: 91 11 26 21 79 52
Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
Website: http://projectwhy.org
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Introduction: from project to planet why
Project Why: current status and history
Project Why: organisation and legalese
Planet Why: the rationale
Planet Why: mission and objectives
Planet Why: two core themes – 1) sustainability
Planet Why: two core themes – 2) care
Planet Why: considerations
Planet Why: vital functions
Planet Why: architecture
Planet Why: land, building, plans
Planet Why: organisation and staff
Executive Summary
Starting with one persons dream to help an unfortunate few, Project Why has grown over 8 years to become an extraordinary life-line that offers 600 children the support and education that could make the difference between a life of extreme poverty and a life of prosperity.
For it to continue it needs funding; for it to grow as well it needs a big dream. This dream has a name and it’s called Planet Why, and like the initial dream for project why it is highly ambitious but eminently achievable.
The dream is to create a home that allows Project Why to grow and guests to stay and spend quality time. Income from visitors will help sustain Project Why, the house will provide employment opportunities, and the interaction between the two will provide a unique and rewarding experience for all.
Planet Why: a guest house with a difference. This paper describes the philosophy, the concept and the plan.
Introduction: from project to planet why
Visitors to Delhi find it impossible not to notice the poverty; it’s an unavoidable ingredient of the city. It’s clearly marked on the faces of the children foraging and begging and is evident in the form of ‘permanent’ tents on the pavements of scores of the city’s streets.
According to UNESCO, 80% of India’s 1.1bn population lives below the poverty line*1, a line that equates to surviving on less than US$2 a day.
In Delhi, it is estimated that 30% of the 14 million inhabitants live in ‘slums’*2. While many dwellings here have attained an ‘official’ status and an address (allowing voting rights), the right of ownership will never be theirs; many slums are under the threat of being raised to make way for new urban projects.
However, if one takes the time to visit the slums they will receive a remarkably warm reception. Amongst the temporary structures live generous and kind people, within the debris there is order, pride in the home and a remarkably strong spirit.
The communities that live here make the best of what they have, but they know the best chance for their children to beat the poverty cycle is to get a good education.
As a result there is a thirst for knowledge and schooling; gross enrolment for primary school education is 115%, but net enrolment is 85%*3. The children of India want to learn, but the education system cannot support them all.
The neediest are those in the worst conditions, so it is amongst the slums of South Delhi that Project Why has concentrated its efforts to enhance children’s education and give them a better chance of a more prosperous future. After its 8 years of operation, Project Why currently teaches 600 children from 6 schools, has a women’s support centre, a computer centre and has sponsored 12 open heart surgeries.
More than this, Project Why comes to the aid of the communities’ desperate cases, those that have nowhere to go, and those who are in despair. This is Project Why’s spirit: to do what it can where it’s most wanted no matter what the circumstance.
Project Why’s reach is limited by expenditure, which of course is limited by income. It reactively spends what it receives and there has never been the possibility of a period of consolidation and saving – there are always desperate cases here.
Planet Why is the answer: it is Project Why’s long-term investment in itself. It is a commercially successful guest-house that generates income, and it is extra facilities that will help those in need. It will work together in harmony, and it will set an example to others.
*1 – UNESCO - http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/document.aspx?ReportId=121&IF_Language=eng&BR_Country=3560
*2 – ASHA - http://www.asha-india.org/DelhiSlums/Background.aspx
*3 – Worldbank - http://devdata.worldbank.org/edstats/SummaryEducationProfiles/CountryData/GetShowData.asp?sCtry=IND,India
Project Why: current status and history
The Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust using the name ‘Project Why’ is a non-governmental not-for-profit organisation engaged in education support and life-skills enhancement. The projects current focus is primarily on the slum and basti children of South Delhi.
At present the organisation runs an education support programme which has 6 distinct modules:-
• early childhood support
• primary education
• secondary education
• special needs centre
• computer centre
• women’s centre
All modules complement each-other to create a comprehensive education development programme that will help children and youth access a better future.
The Trust was started in May 1998 as a repayment of a debt to society.
The learning phase took its journey through the creation of employment opportunities for those with disabilities, and running nutrition supplement programmes for street children. It was the latter that helped the organisation formulate a focused programme named Project Why which has been in place since November 2000, beginning with 50 children, now supporting 600.
The significant milestones of Project Why are: -
➢ ‘00 - One small spoken English class for 50 children
➢ early ’01 - First primary class
➢ mid ‘01 - First ‘pavement’ secondary class
➢ early ‘02 - First formal class for children with special needs
➢ ‘03 - Okhla primary centre
➢ ‘05 - Govindpuri centre
➢ ‘06 - Sanjay colony primary centre
➢ early ’07 - Women’s centre
Project Why is also a community development programme; its policy is to nurture and employ the skills available within the neighbourhoods. Over 98% of the team comprise members of the local community, thus generating much needed employment opportunities. The result is 32 new jobs, and for 80% of the staff this employment is the sole source of income for the family.
A measure of the projects success is the fact that in the past 7 years no child has dropped out of school and that all children have passed their yearly school examinations. Many of the ex-students are now in university or gainfully employed.
Another key strength of Project Why lies in its ability to empower the community to take on responsibilities and empower them to help themselves. In India, invisible barriers to success exist – most often caused by the systems of caste or creed – so the first mission was to break these barriers to make Project Why a true reflection of an ideal India. To prove its point, Project Why’s whole staff structure is based on ability. This demonstration of equality has meant that communities, who would previously barely interact, slowly learnt to discover each other, respect one another and work together to find solutions to their problems.
Further, it has been a concerted effort to include other factors into the core principles of the education programme by including environmental and civic responsibility into the curriculum, as well as demonstrating sustainability through bio-fuel projects.
India is a land of contradictions, the warmth of its people is clear to see, but the disparity between rich and poor continues to grow, and the poor and under-privileged are often those with the least support.
Project Why is about giving the ‘under-dog’ a chance, to help them, to teach them, to support them, to care for them.
Project Why: organisation and legalese
The Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust is a registered organisation and meets all the requirements of the law of the land. Particulars are listed below.
It is overlooked by a carefully selected Board of Directors and is steered by a small executive committee comprising of its President, its Secretary and its Treasurer who maintain constant contact with each other – as is demanded by a flexible and adaptable organisation.
The Project Why team comprises 38 staff. The vast majority were found from within the slums themselves, in effect creating a ‘self-help’ system where the teachers are trained by Project Why and the resources and remuneration provided to keep them going. The team are therefore not only motivated to help the children learn, they also recognise and understand the issues the kids face, thus inducing an environment as conducive to learning as possible.
The team is reinforced by the presence of volunteers, found by an active network of Project Why volunteer alumni, and by the support of a network of specialised organisations. In the last year alone the project has received volunteers from France, Italy, UK, US, Canada and Singapore.
Project Why staff are remunerated at the present minimum wage.
The annual budget of Project Why is around 1 800 000 Rs or ~ 35 000 Euros.
Particulars:
Organisation Name: SRI RAM GOBURDHUN CHARITABLE TRUST
Project Name: Project Why
Registration Number: S 32978
(Registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860)
Date of Registration: 8th May 1998
Registered Address: C-15 Chiragh Enclave
New Delhi 110048
Field Office: 231A/3 Govindpuri, Kalkaji
New Delhi 110019
Telephone office: 91 11 26469915
Mobile: 9811424877
Fax: 91 1126217952
Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
Income Tax number: PAN AABTS4278D
Income Tax Exemption 2001-2002/S-2576/99/241, (renewal)
FCRA Number: 231660437
Chartered Accountants: Jai Kishan Gupta & Co
2/20 Double Storey
Jangpura Extension
New Delhi
Bankers: Citibank
Account No: 0509927 -227 (Indian rupees)
Account No: 0509991-227 (fcra)
Planet Why: the rationale
The original model for Project Why set out to empower under-privileged and illiterate/semi-literate parents to steer the educational needs of their children using local resources.
Given that in the last 7 years drop out rates have been contained and children now pass their school examinations with success, the model has proved successful.
By making use of local talent it has been proved that quality teaching in India can be offered in the most basic of locations and situations and does not require expensive infrastructure and the most formal training practices.
Project Why believes in a cyclic and self-serving process of making a difference within the slums. By planting the seeds of empowerment to the right people within the community, they then have the means to provide themselves with a solution. These solutions bring change, which will lead to more empowerment given back to the community – they are increasingly taking control.
Of course, in some areas such as condition diagnosis and physiotherapy there is no choice but to reach out to professionals, but even in so doing only those who are willing to give extra in such terms as time, cost, care and compassion are employed.
Graduates of Project Why’s schools have, in the most part, succeeded in finding employment. However, there is a real shortage of employment opportunities for those with special needs.
In Delhi, the support system for those with special needs, especially beyond school age, is negligible. A recent report by NDTV*4 (a large national news channel) found that a special needs institution in the area that was designed for 300 is actually housing 700 in squalid conditions (see report link below).
As a result there is insufficient capacity in the existing special needs section because of this lack of opportunity; there is nothing for them outside Project Why, so they stay.
Therefore the rationale behind Planet Why is to create a healthy and prosperous environment for Project Why’s special cases; it will give them an inclusive environment and a dignified, rewarding life. It will enhance the local community and also provide paying guests a unique opportunity to gain a sense of reward from their interaction with Project Why.
Planet Why will empower and provide opportunity: the same spirit as Project Why but in a different environment.
*4 - http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070030453
Planet Why: mission and objectives
Planet Why’s mission is to create a warm and enabling environment, a place where both visiting guests and their local ‘hosts’ will interface, the former providing the latter a unique chance to show case their potential and step into a world too often denied to them.
Therefore its objectives are: -
• To set up a residential facility for children and mothers who have no other option or alternative
• To set up a guesthouse for visiting tourists as a long-term sustainability option for all Project Why activities
• To set this dovetailing of hospitality and development as a possible model to be replicated elsewhere
• To train and use Project Why alumni and local talent thus generating new avenues of employment
Planet Why: two core themes - care and sustainability
Funding for Project Why has always been a precarious situation.
To date Project Why has appreciatively relied on: -
• personal funds and inheritance of the President of the charity
• small networks of supporters created from close friends
• networks created by volunteers of Project Why
• a wider network of supporters in the EU (initiated by Enfances Indiennes)
• International support created by a web-presence
Conscious of the fragility of the funding model and heavy reliance on donors, Project Why has made attempts at self-sustenance: -
• making and selling a variety of products ( T-shirts, bags, jewels, chocolates, etc)
• placing donation boxes in markets and shops
• setting up raffles and lotteries
• initiating a one-rupee-a-day programme within the community.
However, complex legislations relating to the production of items such as soaps and food items meant profitable scalability could not be achieved. Further, similarly complex accountancy restrictions of the charitable trust meant Project Why could not ‘make money’, even though it was entirely to be reinvested in the Project.
Yet Project Why needs a long-term sustainability plan.
This is how, knowing that a home is needed for the desperate souls who had depended on Project Why, it was obvious that this home should also welcome paying guests. The idea of a guesthouse is obvious for a number of reasons: the advent of tourism with a heart, the paucity of low cost rooms in Delhi, the feedback of Project Why’s networks.
Hence Project Why has two separate identities that are mutually compatible, even complimentary.
Planet Why will also reach out to the community, something that was not feasible in an urban slum. Environment projects, rainwater harvesting, health related activities, imparting new skills, adult education, empowerment of women, civic responsibility are some of the projects we intended at launch.
Planet Why: considerations
Planet Why requires very careful consideration of a multitude of factors; some controls are in the hands of others (such as town planning realities and the development of the surrounding habitat), but some are under our control and are derived from past experiences and the desire to see Project Why live in the long-term.
Even in terms of location there is a difficult decision to made - balancing setup costs e.g. in the city centre (which are prohibitively expensive) versus the risks of developing in a cheaper but more rural area (and attracting paying guests). A wise choice of location, perhaps in a fast-developing area near a metro station and airport would strike the right balance.
Further, the area must offer a good deal to the local community. Planet Why should be a benefit to the community, and the community should benefit from the facilities and support the place offers.
The principles of empowerment and responsibility, key factors of Project Why, will be carried over. By reinvigorating suitable commercial activities such as producing organic foods and beauty products, it will allow residents a sense of achievement, pride and reward. As Planet Why will become a separate but related entity to Project Why, and because one of its key purposes is to provide funding to Project Why, much of the red tape that previously restricted commercial activities will be removed.
Other opportunities could also be explored including guided tours and lessons and/or sessions in yoga, reiki, languages and cooking.
For long-term sustainability it is imperative that the guest house is consistently booked and to achieve this it is planned that Planet Why will: -
• be a rewarding and valuable experience for all guests
• offer a unique blend of culture and interaction with local people
• be affordable
• be simple, unfussy and spotlessly clean
• represent a true vision of India and Indian people
• build an enviable reputation
• be a charity sustainability model that can be replicated
Planet Why: vital functions
Planet Population
Full time inhabitants
Children, young adults, adults who came to Project Why since its inception and who have no means of support.
Daytime occupants
Children from local community, adults from community
Care and learning functions are: -
• Provide a refuge for the Project Why children and mothers
• Provide a dignified life to adults with disabilities
• Provide education support and child related activities to local children
• Run community awareness programmes with the local community (environment, health, hygiene etc)
• Provide new skills training
Planet Why will be a simple, eco friendly structure where space is utilised judiciously. It will have a room for boys and one of girls, and small quarters for the staff. There will also be a large communal room that will be used for workshops and for meetings.
The rooms will be used for activities during the day and could also serve as dormitories at night. A small storeroom will be used for stocking beddings during the day. Two well-equipped bathroom units will be available for staff and children. The premises will have a small sick bay.
A large state-of-the-art open kitchen will serve both the children and the guesthouse.
An outhouse will be used for washing clothes and will also house the back up electricity unit in a sound proof environment.
Planet Why will use as much alternative sources of energy as possible: solar, biogas etc. All waste will be recycled into compost for use in our garden.
Rainwater harvesting will be incorporated.
Income and sustainability functions are: -
• Guest house with 10 rooms (bed and simple breakfast)
• Gift shop (run by Project Why)
• Classes in local cooking, traditions etc
• Tourism facilitation (shopping, visits,)
• Shuttle services
• Special activities (meetings with villagers, Indian cooking classes, dance)
Residents: Planet Why will attract, initially through its network, then through reputation, tourists from all over the world who want to have a different and rewarding experience from their vacations.
Guests would be welcome to spend time with the children.
Planet Why: architecture and environment
The guest house and care facilities will be designed specifically to compliment each other. A picturesque central courtyard will be the tranquil but social centre of the house. Open, spacious and leafy, it will be the place where residents take time out or interact and mingle. It will be where food is served, where special occasions are celebrated, and where one simply feels comfortable to be.
The building itself will be simple and plain yet beautiful. Whitewashed walls, brightly painted doors and windows, mud murals and greenery will give a joyful feeling to the place.
The first floor will provide the guest house accommodation with 10 rooms offering relaxing comfort and decorated with local craft.
The ground floor will house three sections.
One will have a large kitchen and a living room where guests can lounge, read or just while away time playing with the children
Another side will be reserved for children where two large rooms will be converted into dorms at night for the little souls that have dropped by Project Why and who have nowhere else to go to. During the day the same rooms will be used for a host of child related activities for the children of the local community.
The third side will house staff quarters, likely to comprise mostly of single mothers as there is an urgent requirement for this type of accommodation, and all other housekeeping activities.
Building material will be eco-friendly and recycled, and we will use as much alternative sources of energy as possible: solar panels to heat water, biogas and green fuel.
All open space will be filled with trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds. The building activity will involve friends from all over the world as well as the local community, which will provide the opportunity for those that help to leave their own special mark.
The arrival of ‘tourism with a heart’, where visitors wish to lend a hand to those in need, has brought a new market opportunity within the hospitality sector. Project Why itself is already subject to strong demand and often refers visitors to suggested guest houses, few and far between though they are.
By minimising build and operation costs there will be enough of a return that will go to fund educational and other activities based on the model we have already run and validated for the past 7 years - setting Project Why free of the fragile situation it often finds itself in.
The gardens of Planet Why will be a source of pride and joy to the residents and a show-piece for the local community.
The little guesthouse will also be a training ground for our own students who can then accede to a wider range of employment. Project Why will also be an ideal place for short-term skill learning workshops and related activities.
Planet Why: land, building, costs, income, plan
Land The land purchase will be the majority of the capital expenditure of Planet Why and will cost 90 Lakh including taxes (90,00,000 Rupees equivalent to roughly US$230,000) for a suitable sized plot of 1200m2 (this figure is based on the cheapest land available in the outskirts of Delhi).
Building Existing Project Why contacts have offered many gift-in-kind donations such as sand, cement and even white goods (e.g. fridges, freezers etc). Planet Why will keep the build and operational costs low by building a modest but beautiful structure, using simple traditional methods and using local labour.
Costs A building of two floors covering a third of the land (350-400m/2) would cost 45 Lakh (US$ 115,000) and would provide enough space for Planet Why: -
• ten guest rooms with bathrooms
• a restaurant
• utility spaces (kitchen, washing etc.)
• centre for the special needs/Project Why ‘overflow’
• space for staff
• undeveloped land for gardens, horticulture and agriculture
Operating costs of the building, based on our experiences of running Project Why plus research of similar establishments, would be in the region of 16,00,000 Rupees per annum.
[Insert summary cost schedule here]
Income A reasonable room rate of 1500 Rupees per night for each of the 10 rooms, at a reasonable estimate of 60% occupancy would generate 31,75,000 Rupees per annum, i.e. a comfortable rate of return. In addition, income from the additional services already mentions (restaurant, laundry, lessons/courses etc.) would further boost profitability and provide employment opportunities for Project Why alumni and the local community.
The house will also employ eco-friendly and renewable energy sources; ‘sustainability’ will be a core principle of the house.
Plan Planet Why will adopt a phased build plan, however one must keep in mind that Project Why can only begin to generate funds once the guest rooms are completed and are occupied.
However, activities with the local children and community can begin once the land is secured. This will help in building a rapport with the community and gaining their trust and involvement.
The core plan is: -
1. Secure affordable land with good potential (thus insulating us from losing an opportunity caused by spiralling land costs)
1a. Utilise undeveloped land as appropriate
2. Pay off the land as soon as possible (by taking on a loan at favourable terms to be paid off by donations)
3. Use the land immediately to hold classes for local children, plant the garden and start to produce organic crops
4. Continue to raise capital for the building stage
5. Start building only when money is raised and use a modest amount of the land
6. Make good the investment and grow as appropriate
Planet Why: organisation and staff
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