Questions:
1. Where are the indirect costs going? It gives administration costs, accounting etc. It is close to 30 % of the cost for each student. It is a large amount when multiplied with 448 students. It would come to about 448 * 3000

Ans: The indirect costs includes expenses related to selection and induction of the Fellows, workshops, home visits, social campaign, residential camp, stationary, correspondence, administration charges (Electricity & water, rent, Telephone, internet charges, computer maintenance, depreciation, etc), the salary paid to our staff and Accounting,

Only the indirect cost of School going girls amount upto 30%, the rest of the streams have less, like College Fellows’ indirect cost goes 25%, Vocational 25%, and for higher studies its just 18.2%.
2. Why is the indirect cost different between Diploma and High School?

Ans: Compared to the high school education, vocational courses need more money, this is because the girls need to buy materials related to their course. Keeping this in mind, we have planned to reduce the economical impact on the girls by giving another 5% to the girls doing vocational courses and thereby reducing the indirect cost.
3. Are there any religious affiliations? Any sponsors teaching / imparting religious education to them?

Ans: No we are not affiliated to any religious organizations nor do we impart any kind of religious education to our Fellows. We do not have any sponsors affiliated to any religious organizations either.


4. Are students supported for staying in hostels?

Ans; Even though only 2-3 Fellows out of our current 355 Fellows stay in the hostels where they study, we do not support students for staying in hostels
5. Is there support for food?

Ans: No, we only support the students for their studies and personality development.
6. Are students supported from high school through college, if eligible?

Ans: Yes, we normally induct a girl in her high school (11th class) and support her for the next 5 to 6 years, depending on the nature of her course of study; subject to yearly positive evaluation.
7. Do all students attend motivational workshops? How many students have graduated from college?

Ans: Yes, it is mandatory that all the Fellows attend the motivational workshops held once in a quarter of the year and the bi monthly workshops (here each Fellow gets a chance once in two months because they are divided into different groups)

60 girls have completed graduation with the assistance from Udayan Shalini Fellowships,

This number is of the girls who have completed their graduation. An additional 40 girls have either completed their vocational courses or found jobs after high school (12th class).

200 girls are now doing their college education now.
8. Do they support students mid way through the college too? As in start supporting a student from their 3rd year of college.

Ans: As a policy, we start supporting a girl from the beginning of a particular course (11th class, 1st year of College 1st year of Professional course etc) but with the approval of the Core committee, a girl can be admitted midway, if her circumstances demand it..
9. You have 448 students currently? Are you going to grow to 558 students now? In the budget section there are 100 new students, does this mean all your old students are supported and you are seeking funds only for your new growth plan?

Ans: Since the inception of Udayan Shalini Fellowships in 2002, we have supported 448 girls till the end of academic session 2006-07. We at present have 355, the rest have either completed their courses and found suitable jobs, got married or have been left out due to various reasons, like ill health, non performance. We have asked for funding of supporting new Fellows. Our present Fellows are being supported by various donors.
Question 9 is very important.
10. In this project Delhi, Haryana and West Bengal are mentioned. Do you want to focus only on these in this session? What are the criteria for selecting areas?

Ans: With the limited funds we had in hand, we started this project in Delhi in 2002, and over a period of 5 years grew to the above mentioned areas. Our aim is to make this an all India programme where no deserving girl is left out. We are open to start this programme any where in India provided we have enough funds and all the more, dedicated people.
11. Is the funding needed to support the current students or for future expansion.

Ans: We need funds to expand this programme keeping our vision in mind which is mentioned above.
12.Are the staff at Udhyancare also paid?

Ans: Yes, the professional staff in Udayan Care is paid. The Trustees, Board Members and Core Committee members as well as the Mentors (making it to about 45 people) who work voluntarily. The Managing trustee, completely volunteer, also gives about 90 hiours a week.
13. What would be the impact if ASHA funding is not approved for your current project (this is to be aware if there is a more needy project elsewhere for ASHA,s support).

Ans: Udayan Shalini Fellowships started in 2002 by supporting just 72 girls; we have now grown to a total of 448, and in three states within this short period of 5 years. This happened because, people have found out the good work we have been doing. And this year we are inducting another 350 girls, 200 for Delhi and 150 for west Bengal, with a budget of over 38 Lakhs rupees besides the already existing 355 Fellows, who are being supported since their induction.

We would like ASHA to support our project so that we could reach out to even larger number of girls, whose dreams of getting higher education can materialise if only funds are available. Our Fellows have to do a mandatory 50 hours of social work too; this is done primarily to teach them to give back to society and that one doesn’t have to wait for economic independence only. Hopefully an army of such sensitive, enlightened, educated girls shall take our country forward from darkness of ignorance and penury.