A look back at Pudumai Penn 2015
The successful 2014 pilot gave us the confidence to take the Foundation forward. What a year it’s been!
As we look forward into another exciting year this is a good time to take stock of what we did well – and not so well – in 2015.
- We grew in size and were delighted to be able to induct 45 more girls. There is a real need and it is encouraging to see parents really interested in educating the girl child.
- We improved our programs. We made the spoken English program more interactive to give the girls more opportunities to practice. Multinationals have started sending volunteers to act as mentors and train the girls to be computer literate.
- We began formal assessments. We formed a group of external assessors that conducts quarterly evaluations of the girls on a variety of fronts.
- We expanded our infrastructure. We opened a small office and computer/internet center in central Chennai thanks to the generous support of well-wishers.
What can we improve on?
- Fund raising. We were unable to make the progress we were aiming for and must do better in 2016.
- Punctuality, attendance and communication. This is still a challenge, though there is steady progress. We believe it will take some time for the right culture to be established, and it will take everybody’s joint efforts to achieve it.