Help me raise money for a school in the Jaisalmer slums

Schoolkids at GVMSS. They are very excited to have their picture taken.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to raise money for a local school that serves Untouchable and low-caste kids in the Jaisalmer slums. I built them a website, which you can see here, and we’re hosting a benefit where we hope lots of tourists come and donate money. We’ve got live Rajasthani music, beer, and fabulous conversation. It also helps that it’ll be the only nightlife in Jaisalmer.

I am also breaking my lifelong pattern (except for those awful candy bar fundraisers in highschool) of never, ever asking family or friends to support my causes. So, I need your help. We’re trying to raise enough money

Kids in one of the classrooms that needs to be fixed.

to fix the walls and roof on one of the school’s buildings that was damaged in an earthquake in 2008. Right now the walls are crumbling and the roof is thatched so that when it rains, they can’t hold school. We think it’ll cost about $300. Anything extra will go to provide mattresses and school supplies.

I’ve been visiting the school since I arrived to get a handle on what would make the biggest difference and also to ensure that it’s not one of many NGO scams in India. Fortunately, it’s not, so I can now hit up all my friends for money with a clear conscience. You can read more about the school’s history here, but it was basically founded by several Brahmins six years ago when they realized that the city’s poorest kids weren’t getting schooling because they couldn’t afford the annual fees levied by government schools. They’re other good works include giving local children polio vaccinations and teaching community members (many of whom moonlight as prostitutes when things get tough) about AIDS prevention.

Neighborhood kids who don

Most of these kids belong to the Untouchable or Dalit caste and are seriously, incredibly, grindingly poor. The local community supports the school admirably, but in fits and starts, and they are unable to get together large sums of money to make big improvements. Basically, they need somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 to reinforce the walls and build a permanent roof over three classrooms. This is a shockingly small amount of money so I’m doing what I can to make it happen for them. Some other couchsurfers and I have clubbed together and come up with $150. We’re pounding the internets and our personal networks for the rest.

Since India is rife with scams, I’m doing my damnedest to make sure the money is spent appropriately. I’m going back to the school tomorrow with a contractor to get a firm estimate after which we’ll head to the market with our $150 and buy materials. I’m told this is the best way to make sure funds are not “diverted.” One of the couchsurfers, Flavia, is teaching at the school and will oversee the completion of the roof project when I leave. I feel pretty good about the principal - he gave up a university teaching position to work with Dalit kids - and I think the money will be used appropriately, I just want to take precautions.

So, dear friends and family, I sincerely hope you won’t mind my presuming on our friendship to hit you up for money for slum kids in India. I will send out a facebook plea and email appeal as well. If you can spare $10 or $20, I would really, really, really appreciate it. Do it for the children.

So - the nuts and bolts. It’s basically complicated for NGOs to get money from abroad, so for the short term purposes of this project, I’m asking for donations to be sent to my paypal account and I will withdraw them here. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, contact me, and I’ll work something out. You can send the money to paypal address: fkmclin@gmail.com with the note: GVMSS and I’ll add it to the total donation.

Thank you so very much for helping me and my cause out. The lives of these children will be improved beyond belief by your actions. I will put more updates up tomorrow after I confer with the builders.

Tags: GVMSS Project, India, volunteer