A lack of education denies us our freedom to choose the kind of life we want to lead; it robs us of our potential and closes many doors of opportunities that otherwise may have been open. This loss of potential is suffered not only by the individual but also the community and in turn a country’s social and economic development.
The unfortunate fact is, a lack of education will further feed the poverty problem, and poverty keeps children out of school. It’s a vicious circle.
Many unprivileged children can’t go to school for reasons as simple as the cost of a uniform or the price of a ride to school. And if they do graduate, it’s difficult to get a job, because their incomplete education hasn’t taught them skills that employers are looking for.
If one child today receives an education that society values, it will start a butterfly effect that will eventually trickle down to their children and their children’s children. A thirst for knowledge that lasts for generations will not only increase their economic power, but also make them proud members of society.
We aim to solve this problem by finding educational institutions that need help, assessing them, talking to teachers and students, to the local community, to local businesses and coming up with a medium-term programme (5-7 years) of projects that:
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ENHANCE the learning experience of the students in the school to give them the best chance of success in their future
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SUSTAIN the school to make it less reliant on donor funding and also provide employment opportunities to students and to the wider local community
We manage all the projects remotely through our two dedicated programme teams headed by two directors, holding fortnightly meetings throughout the year with the schools to execute all our projects. We also visit each of our programmes at least once a year to assess the changes on the ground and also to continue the dialogue with key stakeholders such as local businesses and the community.
1.
Nirvana School, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, India
The first programme of initiatives is with Nirvana School in Tamil Nadu, India.
If you’d like to read more about Nirvana School click here.
2.
Auro Technical School, Iyoriang, Tororo, Uganda
The second venture is with the Auro Foundation in the village of Iyoriang, in Uganda.
While Nirvana School had already been established for many years before we began working with them, Auro Technical School, run by Auro Foundation, was in its infancy. It provides vocational training to students from the local community, teaching skills such as tailoring, bricklaying carpentry and joinery.
If you’d like to read more about Auro Technical School, please click here. To read more about Auro foundation, please click here.
One Cause does not raise money and hand it over to a beneficiary or organisation for them to use as they see fit. We prefer to identify, plan and implement a programme of work in partnership with a locally based educational institution over a 5 year period.
The One Cause Grant is the only exception to this rule.
During selected years, One Cause sets aside funds to be directly awarded to a worthy grassroots initiative in addition to our current programmes in India and Uganda.
The amount awarded is typically a maximum of £2,000. Currently, the One Cause Grant is not available.
Previous Winners:
Net For Hope Foundation – Uganda
An entrepreneurship course will be taught to local communities.
Nividya Trust – India
The grant paid for vital learning materials for students and teachers.
Sun n Sand Trust – Kenya
Funds were used to sponsor the education of children.
Kakamega School – Kenya
They have used the money to build additional classrooms.