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Updated April 2008

Friends of India membership donations contributed $9,140 to charitable causes in India for the year 2007. Since 1995, FOI has contributed a total of $91,544 to India charities. This has been made possible by FOI membership/donation support. FOI is grateful for your generosity in 2007.

FOI is committed to four charities. Notice that they received different amounts. FOI donates $1,000 to each charity in rotation. When a member specifies to support a particular preference (#1,2,3,4) then that request is honored.


 Charity 1: The Ecological Development Foundation (EDF)
EDF was founded by Joe Emerson 1-38. This charity helps poor Harijans in Sirwar, Karnataka. Some if its programs are: 1) operates a pre-school in the community hall which includes a hot lunch; 2) a medical program which has helped many of the poor with serious illnesses; 3) distribution of thousands of free seedlings for three cultivation; 4) land purchase for poor landless farmers.
FOI gave $2,115 in 2007 with a running total of $22,187 since 1995.

Update: Additional Information (Click to Open; Right click to download or Open):

Page 1  Page 2  Page 3  Page 4  Page 5 

Link to Ecological Development Foundation (EDF)



 Charity 2: Forgotten Children in Tamil Nadu
Forgotten Children was founded by Francoise Remington, whose husband was a PCV in Ivory Coast '68-71. This project is managed by Sister Rita Thyveettill, a Catholic Nun from the Order of the Cross of Chavanod and is from Tamil Nadu. The goal is to provide basic education to 50 working children. A substitute income for a working is offered to the working family in the form of a dairy cow as an incentive to send the child to evening school and provides a lost income compensation while the child is studying.

FOI donated $2,250 in 2007 with a running total of $22,603 since 1997.


Update: The Forgotten Children Annual Newsletter Winter 2005
(Click to Open; Right click to download or Open):

Page 1  Page 2  Page 3  Page 4 

 Charity 3: Father Fleming Foundation
founded by two Orissa RPCVs, Tom Brayak and Gerry Nelson, aids Vikas Deepti ("Ray of Hope"), a charity in Bargarh, Orissa in eastern India that manages schools and leper colonies. Everything done is aimed at releasing poor people from their low status and poverty by empowering them to become self-reliant. Assistance involved support for (1) a revolving loan, (2) a handicapped children's training center, (3) a wells and pumps program, (4) fishponds, and (5) new housing. More

FOI gave $2,175 in 2007 with a running total of $8,640 since 2005.
UPDATE: In October 2005 at the FOI 20th Reunion, Tom Brayak and Gerry Nelson gave an inspiring Power Point Slide Presentation of the work of the Father Fleming Foundation leper project in Orissa, India. There is a Webpage Version and a Downloadable Version.



 Charity 4: South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc. (SAPWII)
South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc. (SAPWII) is a nonprofit organization founded by Michael Lipman, former Peace Corp Volunteer (India-89) and his wife Cathy Forsberg, past president of the Rotary Club of Hamden Connecticut. The founders established a small factory in Kolar Karnataka to manufacture a simple and effective water filter called the Bio-Sand Filter. They are overseeing the distribution of these filters in villages and schools in Southeast Karnataka.

FOI gave $2,600 in 2007.

See www.sapwii.org for more information.

 Aid The Weaker Trust is no longer active
Aid The Weaker Trust in Bangalore was founded by N. D. Krishnamurthy, who had previously been involved with many PC India training groups. The Trust provides training for poor widowed or divorced women in printing and related skills. Another project is tribal development in three districts of Karnataka where medical and dental camps are conducted.   FOI gave $2,000 in 2002 and since 1997 a total of $8,000.

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