The George Foundation
Encyclopedia
The George Foundation is a non-governmental organization (NGO)
established in 1995 with head office in Bangalore
, India
. Its founder
is Dr. Abraham M. George, a successful business
entrepreneur
in the United States
who returned to India
and embarked on a number of humanitarian projects.
TGF aims to alleviate poverty
, promote health
and a clean environment
, and strengthen democratic institutions and values in India.
The principal geographic area covered is rural Tamil Nadu
(mainly in Krishnagiri district) and Karnataka
states, serving over 16,000 people in 17 villages.
resources, and create employment and sufficient income to sustain the rural poor family.
Shanti Bhavan
evolved from the recognition that the innate abilities of impoverished children are no different from those of their more fortunate peers. The project assumes, given a quality education and constant encouragement, they will realize their full potential as successful, productive members of society.
According to TGF's website, Shanti Bhavan was established in September 1997 with 48 students, the school and campus are located in Baliganapalli, an impoverished area in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The students are selected from the surrounding areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka criteria include for selection include family wealth (with the focus being on the poorest families) and the child's intelligence (with the focus being on children considered intelligent enough to succeed at the school). TGF intends the school to increase in size to 336 students.
The school is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, with a number of ground wells, water storage tanks, a horticultural garden, orchards, and a bakery
. In keeping with ecological concerns, much of the energy
needs of the institution are met by solar power
.
The Shanti Bhavan program is from pre-school to twelfth grade
. Formal instruction in the initial three years is limited to language
and mathematics
. English
is the medium of instruction, and Hindi
and Tamil
are taught by the fourth year. The children are also encouraged to pursue interests in sports, game
s, art
, dance
, music
and drama
.
The Community Development Program undertakes actions in the 17 villages surrounding Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. According to TGF's website the program attempts to "bring about significant improvement in the lives of the entire population served by our intervention within a period of 10 years starting 2006" and may cover creation of livelihood opportunities and employment, education and skills-training, healthcare, housing, water management, infrastructure improvement, and social development.
According to TGF's website, the Women’s Empowerment Project is intended to train women in aspects of farming. Poor women from the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be provided with a quarter acre of land, supplies, equipment and training in cottage and cooperative farming. As of 2007 the project is still in the preparatory stages.
Tillany Fine Arts Museum & Gallery was built in 2000 near Shanti Bhavan. It is a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) air conditioned facility, designed in contemporary style.
According to TGF's website, once it is fully functioning, Tillany will provide poor artists with exposure to artwork from around the world, free loan of tools to complete their own art and promotion and marketing of their creations. Art displayed at the museum will be sold with 40% of the proceeds going to the artist.
The Baldev Medical and Community Centre serves the 17 villages surrounding Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. According to TGF's website, the Baldev Medical Centre serves approximately 30 patients a day. The centre sends field workers to homes, provides health checks for children at the government's Deeverapalli school, and runs health education classes. Baldev Medical a Community Centre also conducts annual sanitation clean ups in the villages it serves maintaining drainage and latrines.
According to the TGF website, Project Lead-Free was launched in 1997 to screen blood lead
levels of children and pregnant women in urban environments, and workers in hazardous occupations. Subsequently, TGF hosted and organized a 3-day international conference on lead poisoning in February 1999 in Bangalore. The World Health Organization
, the World Bank
, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were co-sponsors of the conference. The proceedings of the conference were compiled in a book, Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment: Implementing a National Program in Developing Countries. A white paper
was prepared by the sponsors and presented to policy makers in developing countries.
The George Foundation and St. Johns Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, joined in association to establish the National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning Prevention in India (NRCLPI) in 2003. The Centre’s mission is to create public awareness about lead poisoning, assist polluting industries in taking remedial measures, and confirm blood lead cases forwarded by clinics/hospitals throughout the country.
(IIJNM). According to the TGF and websites, IIJNM was founded by TGF and Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamstana in 2001. The curriculum was developed in conjunction with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
in New York
, but the school does not have any national accreditation. The courses are intended to teach bot the craft and ethics of journalism. TGF see the school as a way to improve public and private governance by encouraging a strong and independent press.
According to TGF's website, the centre brings together prominent individuals from India and elsewhere to consider the economic, social and environmental challenges facing developing nations. The centre presents the results as papers and lectures.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
established in 1995 with head office in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Its founder
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
is Dr. Abraham M. George, a successful business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and embarked on a number of humanitarian projects.
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, promote health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and a clean environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, and strengthen democratic institutions and values in India.
The principal geographic area covered is rural Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
(mainly in Krishnagiri district) and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
states, serving over 16,000 people in 17 villages.
Overview
TGF groups its projects according to three objectives: alleviation of poverty, protection of health and the environment, and improvement of governance.Alleviate poverty
TGF's poverty alleviation projects are designed to improve education and health care delivery, offer amenities such as proper housing and adequate waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
resources, and create employment and sufficient income to sustain the rural poor family.
- Shanti Bhavan Boarding School
Shanti Bhavan
Shanti Bhavan
The Shanti Bhavan Children's Project is a U.S. 501 and India 80-G non-profit organization based in Bangalore, India, that operates a K-12 residential school in Baliganapalli, Tamil Nadu...
evolved from the recognition that the innate abilities of impoverished children are no different from those of their more fortunate peers. The project assumes, given a quality education and constant encouragement, they will realize their full potential as successful, productive members of society.
According to TGF's website, Shanti Bhavan was established in September 1997 with 48 students, the school and campus are located in Baliganapalli, an impoverished area in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The students are selected from the surrounding areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka criteria include for selection include family wealth (with the focus being on the poorest families) and the child's intelligence (with the focus being on children considered intelligent enough to succeed at the school). TGF intends the school to increase in size to 336 students.
The school is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, with a number of ground wells, water storage tanks, a horticultural garden, orchards, and a bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
. In keeping with ecological concerns, much of the energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
needs of the institution are met by solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
.
The Shanti Bhavan program is from pre-school to twelfth grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
. Formal instruction in the initial three years is limited to language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the medium of instruction, and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
are taught by the fourth year. The children are also encouraged to pursue interests in sports, game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
.
- Community Development Program
The Community Development Program undertakes actions in the 17 villages surrounding Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. According to TGF's website the program attempts to "bring about significant improvement in the lives of the entire population served by our intervention within a period of 10 years starting 2006" and may cover creation of livelihood opportunities and employment, education and skills-training, healthcare, housing, water management, infrastructure improvement, and social development.
- Agri-Business Training Centre - Women's Empowerment
According to TGF's website, the Women’s Empowerment Project is intended to train women in aspects of farming. Poor women from the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be provided with a quarter acre of land, supplies, equipment and training in cottage and cooperative farming. As of 2007 the project is still in the preparatory stages.
- Tillany Fine Arts Museum & Gallery
Tillany Fine Arts Museum & Gallery was built in 2000 near Shanti Bhavan. It is a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) air conditioned facility, designed in contemporary style.
According to TGF's website, once it is fully functioning, Tillany will provide poor artists with exposure to artwork from around the world, free loan of tools to complete their own art and promotion and marketing of their creations. Art displayed at the museum will be sold with 40% of the proceeds going to the artist.
Protection of health and the environment
- Baldev Medical and Community Centre
The Baldev Medical and Community Centre serves the 17 villages surrounding Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. According to TGF's website, the Baldev Medical Centre serves approximately 30 patients a day. The centre sends field workers to homes, provides health checks for children at the government's Deeverapalli school, and runs health education classes. Baldev Medical a Community Centre also conducts annual sanitation clean ups in the villages it serves maintaining drainage and latrines.
- Lead PoisoningLead poisoningLead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...
Prevention and Treatment
According to the TGF website, Project Lead-Free was launched in 1997 to screen blood lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
levels of children and pregnant women in urban environments, and workers in hazardous occupations. Subsequently, TGF hosted and organized a 3-day international conference on lead poisoning in February 1999 in Bangalore. The World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were co-sponsors of the conference. The proceedings of the conference were compiled in a book, Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment: Implementing a National Program in Developing Countries. A white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
was prepared by the sponsors and presented to policy makers in developing countries.
The George Foundation and St. Johns Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, joined in association to establish the National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning Prevention in India (NRCLPI) in 2003. The Centre’s mission is to create public awareness about lead poisoning, assist polluting industries in taking remedial measures, and confirm blood lead cases forwarded by clinics/hospitals throughout the country.
Improved Governance
The George Foundation has also set up a journalism college Indian Institute of Journalism & New MediaIndian Institute of Journalism & New Media
The Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media is a post-graduate school of journalism located in Bangalore, India. It was founded in 2001 by the BS&G Foundation, a collaboration between The George Foundation and Adi Chunchangiri Maha Samasthana...
(IIJNM). According to the TGF and websites, IIJNM was founded by TGF and Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamstana in 2001. The curriculum was developed in conjunction with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but the school does not have any national accreditation. The courses are intended to teach bot the craft and ethics of journalism. TGF see the school as a way to improve public and private governance by encouraging a strong and independent press.
- Centres for Studies in Emerging Critical Issues
According to TGF's website, the centre brings together prominent individuals from India and elsewhere to consider the economic, social and environmental challenges facing developing nations. The centre presents the results as papers and lectures.