Venture Description: Write-Share-Learn-Care, a new initiative of H.O.P.E. (Helping Orphans Pursue Education), which raises money for orphanages around the world, including India and Sudan, is a pen-pal program that connects young Americans to children at these orphanages. The program aims to improve literacy and forge friendships. We are also developing a service-learning website: Aandolan. Meaning a social movement for change, Aandolan will connect American youth to local charities around the world and engage them in activism. Finally, I have written a novel, entitled SQUALOR BLUE, about sex trafficking. I am working to publish it to raise funds and awareness.

Venture Origin: Having started H.O.P.E. (Helping Orphans Pursue Education) in 2004, my organization's initial aim was only to raise money for the orphanages. When I visited the orphanage in India, I saw these beautiful kids with so much wasted potential. I wanted to connect them with the world and give them opportunity. Thus, Write-Share-Learn-Care was born.

Innovation: Write-Share-Learn-Care engages youth in a way that allows them to think critically about the world around them. Unlike many large organizations which solely focus on raising money, Write-Share-Learn-Care aims to foster awareness and literacy through pen-pal friendships. Our Aandolan website, which will be launched in 2007, is the first service-learning website to engage youth on a global scale.

Impact

Impact: Write-Share-Learn-Care has involved 100 youth in the pen- pal program. Many participants are from local homeless shelters. H.O.P.E. has raised $10,000 for Balagurukulam, an orphanage in India, and an orphanage in Sudan. When I visited Balagurukulam this November, I saw improvements that were a direct result of our efforts. Earlier, the children at the orphanage lived under a thatched roof without walls, and now they live in a proper building.

Engagement with the community: Write-Share-Learn-Care has engaged approximately 20 students in our direct comunnity in service through fundraising. 100 students, ages 8-10, are involved in the pen-pal program. Some participants are from WestHab, a local housing project. We have also involved several donors. I have written a few local newspaper articles about H.O.P.E.. Also, a web designer is developing Aandolan.org pro bono.

Impact and engagement progress since launch: Write-Share-Learn-Care has made enormous progress since it started. Originally, H.O.P.E. only worked with an orphanage in India, but we have since expanded to an orphanage in Sudan. We have also increased youth involvement 200%. We have been extremely pleased with the improvements we saw at Balagurukulam. We have seen increased awareness and improved living/education standards at the orphanages.

Impact and engagement strategy: Aside from Write-Share-Learn-Care, Aandolan.org will be our main method of engaging youth in the future. The aim of the website is to provide youth with the chance to start their own "ventures" by listing local organizations around the world that youth can connect with. The program aims to promote an understanding of current issues. In addition, we wish to publish SQUALOR BLUE to foster awareness.

Awards: 2007 Nestle Very Best in Youth, Prudential Spirit of Community - state level honorable mention

Budget

Amount of Youth Venture seed grant: $1000

Money raised: Since the seed grant, we have raised over $6,000, making the total amount of money we've raised surpass $10,000. This money was raised through the selling of Indian items, bakesales, and donations.

Creative ways of raising resources: I have written articles about my summer experience at Balagurukulam, the Indian orphanage for the local Scarsdale Inquirer, which has generated over $700 for our organization. We have also secured funds through sending pamphlets around the community. In the past, we've even redeemed soda bottles!

Strategy

Expansion plan for next 6 months: In the next 6 months, we want to continue to develop the website. We also wish to expand the Write-Share-Learn-Care program to other school systems and other orphanages. I also hope to publish my book so that we might make the public more aware.

Plans for sustaining the project: Several volunteers are involved in H.O.P.E. and Write-Share-Learn-Care. We are also engaging youth in 4th-6th grade in the pen-pal program, many of whom may able to volunteer as they grow older. In addition, I plan on continuing to work on H.O.P.E. and Write-Share-Learn-Care even through college.

Vision for three years from now: I see a great deal of potential in this venture. In three years time, our website will be up and running and actively engaging youth and allowing them to develop their own organizations and attain their own goals. I ultimately see Write-Share-Learn-Care as a program incorporated into various schools' curriculum. At the same time, we will be involving many more orphanages in our programs.

Project impact: H.O.P.E. (Helping Orphans Pursue Education) has impacted youth all around the world. H.O.P.E.'s mission is to provide impoverished with the opportunity to break the barriers of poverty. We see these children as the future of their respective countries. They have the potential to achieve anything. We have raised over $10,000 for Balagurukulam, an orphanage in India and St. Bartholomew's, an orphanage in Sudan. I volunteered at Balagurukulam in 2005, and again in late 2006. Most of the children at the orphanage were found in the garbage dump, some were tsunami victims, and some were even found in bonded labor. When I first saw them, they slept under a thatched roof without walls. Many infants were malnourished, and the children attended schools that averaged ninety children per class. However, these children now sleep in a proper home and go to better schools. Having personally visited the orphanage, I was amazed to see the changes that resulted due to H.O.P.E.'s efforts. At St. Bartholomew's in Sudan, our funds have paid for student uniforms and other necessities. H.O.P.E. has also increased awareness through Write-Share-Learn- Care, our pen-pal program that connects youth in local communities to the orphanages and increases literacy. We have involved 100 youth in the program, including children from WestHab, a local homeless shelter. We are now developing Aandolan, translated as a social movement for change, which is a service-learning website that will engage youth in activism and allow them to pursue their own dreams of helping others around the world. The website will serve as a database of grassroots causes around the world, and allow youth to connect with causes and countries which they are interested. Through my experiences in service learning, I have often come across youth who wish to do something global, but do not have the opportunity. Aandolan will provide this. The book that I have written, once published, shall also gauge awareness for our cause.

Youth Venture movement - what it means and how you can contribute: Youth Venture embodies everything I wish to see for the children at the orphanages and youth in America: opportunity. Prior to becoming involved in Youth Venture, I concentrated my efforts solely upon the financial aspects of help and did not realize the value of individual connections and awareness. However, we now see the importance of involving others in service and engaging youth in activism and volunteerism. Youth Venture fueled H.O.P.E.'s idea to create a global service-learning website with a database of local causes for youth. Youth Venture has provided us with a vision. We now see it as our job to not only help others, but to help others help others themselves. Our new website, Aandolan, shall provide youth with these tools by serving as a database of local organizations around the world that youth can connect with and help. Plans have already been drawn up for a youth-friendly site, and we are working with a website designer on the project. The website will be structured similar to globalgiving.org, but will be oriented towards youth and individual activism. We will also continue to expand our pen-pal program and provide each child at Balagurukulam and St. Bartholomew's with a proper education. Finally, by publishing SQUALOR BLUE, we will be able to use language to communicate to the public. SQUALOR BLUE is a novel that I have written which follows Sita, a young girl who is sold into prostitution in India. Sita hopes and dreams of escape, but as society continuously fails her, she eventually fails herself. At H.O.P.E., we truly believe in the power of language. Through this book, not only will we be able to raise funds, we will also be able to heighten awareness through prose. We feel that this will continue the spirit of Youth Venture.

Author:
Tara
United States
Website: www.freewebs.com/hopeforkids, www.aandolan.org