India

Floating Desert School

The Floating School Project brings learning to a large rural area by realizing the idea of a floating school, a school that can move from place to place, a schooling philosophy that is anchored in community. The model is inherently flexible, adapting to the needs of each dynamic and particular village. The Floating Desert School came into being as a consequence of the terrible Indian Earthquake of January 26, 2001 in Gujarat India that devastated the homes of hundreds of villagers that live in the desert regions.

The Floating Desert School Project now embraces an international coalition of 3 constituencies: school children, an indigenous anthropologist and researchers from MIT Media lab (and Media Lab Asia) who believe that digital technologies can revolutionize learning.

Tsunami Relief

Elevate Destinations supports the Thoreau Group’s Tsunami relief efforts. The Thoreau Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to development and disaster relief. It is currently raising funds to help the Tsunami victims of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands are located off the Southern coast of India and lie in close proximity to the epicenter of the Tsunami. The tribes that live there have little contact with the outside world, and the Indian Navy reports that they may have lost 20 to 30 percent of their populations. Some of the smaller tribes may have only a few survivors or may even have been wiped out entirely.

 

The Snow Leopard Conservancy
Wildlife Conservation Network

(www.snowleopardconservancy.org)

The Snow Leopard Conservancy is dedicated to promoting innovative grassroots measures that lead local people to become better stewards of endangered snow leopards, their prey, and habitat.

The Snow Leopard Conservancy believes that snow leopards are best protected through conservation efforts that grow from within communities living with the cats. These communities are the front line in preserving the biodiversity of Central Asia’s high mountains. We recognize and appreciate the unique opinions and ideas of each individual and each community, while they help us to determine the key factors threatening the cat, its prey and its habitat. We offer material support and planning assistance in exchange for a community’s agreement to assume the primary responsibility for protecting snow leopards and other wildlife.

 

Goodwill Social Work Centre

The Goodwill Social Work Centre, a professional social work organisation deeply committed to the development of children, youth and women was founded by a professionally trained Social Worker in November 1981 in the temple city of Madurai, India with the prime objective of performing a wide spectrum of roles in the development of children, youth and women and undertaking a comprehensive action through professional approach with a preventive, curative and rehabilitative perspective. It aims at utilising positively the scientific methods of Social Work for problem identification, problem solving and problem prevention for the multifaceted development of children, youth and women who are at a disadvantage.

 

Naandi

(www.naandi.org)

The Naandi Foundation was established in 1998 by a group of eminent corporate citizens as a professional, not-for-profit charitable trust that would work to improve the quality of life of the under-served sections of India’s population through public-private partnership projects. Naandi’s core program areas are Farm-based Livelihoods, Potable Water & Sanitation, and Primary Education. The foundation’s initiatives have touched over 4,50,000 people in 6 states – Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Chattisgarh with a vision to help 10 million people living in 10 states by the year 2010.

 

Pratham

(www.pratham.org)

Pratham is a grass roots literacy movement that helps underprivileged children in, rural and urban India with primary school education. Initiated by UNICEF in 1994 and now independently financed with no direct governmental ties, Pratham has been growing from city to city, and state to state, and now reaches over 50 cities in 21 states in India. Pratham has no political or religious affiliations. From a humble beginning of 2000 children, Pratham now reaches out to over 500,000 children in our direct delivery program and millions more through catalytic initiatives. Pratham’s goal is: "Every child in school and learning well.”