Funding Partners

Funding Partners are groups or individuals who commit to annual support for the preschools of $500 or more.

Funding Partners provide the core budget for the preschools’ annual operating expenses. Some partners have an interest in a particular school and may direct their funds to support that school, while others contribute to the general fund.

Help Kids India and its Funding Partners support the five preschools managed by the Betsy Elizabeth Trust (BET) in Tamil Nadu, India. HKI supports three of the schools. The International School of Geneva (Ecolint), Switzerland, supports Peach Tree Preschool and Asha for Education, Seattle Chapter, has been the long-time support for Grace Kids Center. Their funds go directly to BET.

Funding Partners are the bedrock of HKI and BET’s mission.
Let us introduce you to some below.

Ecolint staff and students with children and staff of Little Lilies Crèche.
Ecolint staff and students with children and staff of Little Lilies Crèche.

 

Jess Lewis, a student at the International School of Geneva (Ecolint), wrote this about her experience on Ecolint’s annual service trip to the BET preschools:

“One of the best things about going to India was seeing how great a difference the money we raised could make. Ecolint completely funds Peach Tree crèche with its 50 kids aging from 3-5. The main role of these crèches is to introduce children to education in the right way and without these crèches, the mothers of these children wouldn’t be able to go out and work, as they would have to stay at home and look after them. Lots of the money also goes towards the projects we do in the crèches like buying paint brushes and paint, or paying for the roof to be plastered.

“My experience in India is one that I will never forget, I had the most wonderful time.”

Funding Partners, we can’t say it enough:
Thank you!

Dr. Walter and Sandra Naumann

Walter and Sandra Naumann - Help KIds India funding partnersWalter was born in Ambur, Tamil Nadu, India, of missionary parents and graduated from the Kodaikanal International School in 1963.  He is now a retired country physician in the hills of western Maryland.  Sandra is from neighboring West Virginia, and is retired from office management.

They write: “We like to contribute to Help Kids India because we know the resources will be well spent. From your newsletters we know the needs can be overwhelming — education,  health , food,  employment and more. We appreciate the personal touches in the news.”

Walter and Sandra Naumann - Help KIds India funding partners
1981: Walter and Sandra arrive back in Ambur for a visit after Walter completed med school in the US. While on a pre-pandemic trip to Kodai, the Naumanns visited Little Lilies Preschool where they noted the thin mats the children were sleeping on at naptime. Their parting gift was set of thick, comfortable, washable new pads. Naptime hasn’t been the same since, thanks to these observant, kind friends of the preschools.

Asha for Education, Washington

Asha-for-Education logoAsha, meaning hope, is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about socio-economic change in India primarily through education. Asha prides itself on being an action group that disburses 100% of donations to its partner groups in India.

The Seattle WA chapter of Asha has funded Grace Kids Center since 2007.

The Seattle chapter of Asha, formed in December 1994, actively supports development initiatives in health care and livelihood, care for people with special needs, and gender issues in addition to education related projects.

Learn more by visiting Asha, Seattle Chapter. The project report can be found here: https://ashanet.org/project/?pid=704

The International School of Geneva (Ecolint), Switzerland

Ecolint logoThe students at the Ecolint raise all the funds needed to operate the Peach Tree Crèche in Palangi, near Kodaikanal.  Funds are given directly to BET.

A not-for-profit foundation established in 1924, Ecolint is, with its 4,400 students, the oldest and largest international school in the world.  Students’ personal and cultural identities are welcome and enrich the school. They are offered an international, bi-lingual education and encouraged to practice respect and mutual understanding as they become active world citizens.

Every year since 2001 a group of Ecolint students has travelled to South India to experience the fascinating culture and to work with several of the BET crèches. The trip is the climax of six months of commitment and participation in fund-raising and team-building activities. One of the main aims of the trip, which takes place over the Easter vacation, is social service.

Read Ecolint’s blog about a decade of developments thanks to the efforts of their student groups. Learn more by visiting the Ecolint web site.

First Congregational Church of Wellesley Hills, MA

Wellesley Hills UCC logoEvery year at Wellesley Hills the Women’s Ministry Team holds a fabulous rummage sale. With the proceeds they fund projects focusing on women and children. The projects are near in the US, and far, in Africa and India, where their generous annual support helps HKI provide steady income for the crèches.

The connection is through life-long friends. Members of the church grew up and went to school in Kodaikanal with HKI former president, Betsey Dailey.  Laurie Otten, the chair of the Women’s Ministry Team, visited the crèches and found a need that the women  of her church joined her to answer.

St. Johnsbury Academy, Vermont

St-Johnsbury-Academy-photoFounded in 1842, St. Johnsbury Academy is a comprehensive independent secondary school widely recognized as an institution that develops character, academic excellence, and civic responsibility in its students. The Academy enjoys a unique structure: it is a private boarding school with a strong contingent of international students, as well as the receiving school for its own community.

Sarah Garey, HKI board member and Director of the Health Services at the Academy,  led her fourth student trip to India in the spring of 2018; the trip scheduled for 2020 was cancelled due to Covid but planning continues.  In preparation for their trips, students learn about India and what they will encounter there, and raise funds to contribute to BET through HKI. The Academy is committed to furthering global understanding by encouraging foreign travel and study.

Learn more by visiting the St. Johnsbury Academy web site.