Pennies for Education and Health.
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake, occurred on January 26, 2001, India’s 51st Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time (3:16 UTC) and lasted for over two minutes. The epicenter was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of X (Intense) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The quake killed around 20,000 people (including 18 in South Eastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes …..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Gujarat_earthquake
This incident killed many school children, including 400 children in a school building in bhuj…..http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/26/newsid_4666000/4666568.stm
This earthquake made big news headlines around the globe; people followed the news with much anxiety and horror, aid from all over the place poured over affected area, it was a hot topic of discussion in every gathering for few weeks. As usual most of the people forgot the incident after some time, slipping back to their normal routine, but not Saleha and Basheer Khumawala once they visited the effected children in their refugee camps. They were deeply moved by the plight and distress of these homeless children, they decided to start an organization called “Pennies for Education and Health”. As per the narration on their website, “Their visit to the refugee camps was something they could not forget. The helpless cries of the families and seeing the countless children with no hope for the future spurred them to begin this sponsorship program, which has as its primary goal “Empowerment Through Education and Good Health.”
Drs. Basheer and Saleha Khumawala are both faculty members in the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. They established Pennies for Education and Health in January 2003 at the aftermath of the Gujarat earthquake and the subsequent events which prevented the children of needy families from getting even the basic education. Let us take a look at “Pennies for Education and Health”.
Mission Statement:
Pennies for Education and Health (PEH) with the help of Almighty God works towards helping to transform the lives of children and their families primarily in the developing world who lack adequate education and health care. It provides means for educating needy and deserving children through a donor sponsorship program.
PEH also provides for their health care needs through the efficient and effective distribution and provision of donated medical supplies and other resources.
Our program extends to all people, regardless of faith, gender, or ethnicity. Driven by faith and in partnership with people like you, PEH enables these children to realize their potential by tackling the root causes of poverty.
Donations to PEH is tax deductible in United States.
PEH was established primarily to serve as a vehicle to help educate needy and deserving children through a donor sponsorship program and also to help provide for the health care needs for families devastated by the January 2001 Gujarat Earthquake.
Over the years, thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers, both in the United States and in India, the donor sponsorship has been able to grow and develop to the point where it now supports the educational needs of 785 students from pre-primary school through college.
PEH is now 1,071 children & women strong
Our goal going foward is to increase the sponsorship of new students by at least 200 students per year.
We currently have over 200 children on the waiting list. With a mere $8/month ($100/year), you can sponsor a child and make a life changing difference. www.givepeh.org
PEH Education Statistics
1,071 students sponsored
High school graduates 149
Bachelor in Business Administration 6
Bachelor in Computer Applications 3
Bachelor in Dental Surgery 1
Business (BCOM, Undergraduate) 27
Bachelor in Science 2
Chartered Accountant 1
Diploma in Engg 7
Diploma in Information Technology 3
Arts/Social Sciences (BBA, Undergraduate) 4
B. Education 2
B. Pharmacy 5
B. Information Technology 2
B. Engineering 12
Multimedia 2
Graduate (M.COM) 2
MBA 2
Master in Philosophy 1
MBBS-Medical 3
Homeopathic Medicine 2
Bachelor in Physiotherapy 2
Nursing 1
Hotel Management 1
Tourism and Development 2
Master of Sciences 2
Ph.D. in Microbiology 1
Testimonials.
Respected Madam,
Thank you so much for your help regarding my Ph D. Its so nice of you to show interest in the problems faced by needy students like us. My PhD work is in the field of microbiology, and it basically deals with metagenomics and metabolomics. I was really in need of your help as I have to live away from my home, in Vidyanagar. As I have to stay here for study, there were many expences from studying to living here. Because of your help I am able to cope up with these. Thanks for all such support. I am indebted to you and will try to prove myself upto your expectations. Thank you very much.
Yours sincerely
ZAB, 2012
Respected Sir/Madam,
I thank you very much for the help given by you. I got job in ICICI Bank for officer in clearing department. I also thank you for kind favor shown by you in every respect of my study. You really helped me in my hour of need. I have completed my post graduate (MBA) with 68% again. I thank you very much for help given to me and your kind wishes for my bright career. I shall always remember you for the kindness of yours.
MNK, 2012
Respected Madam,
I am thankful to you for helping me financially in completion of my studies last year. My review paper is published in an International Journal (Reviews in Environmental Sciences and Biotechnology) and other two are in process of publication. Last year I had attended and participated in two national conferences and one state level science program. In first semester of my course work I was first in my department and University with 9.0 points. Last semester results will be declared very soon. I hope that you will help me this year also. I am going to register for Ph.D.
Waiting for your reply. Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely
RST, 2012
Madam,
I and my parents are very grateful for the Scholarship amount paid by you.(Rs.30,000/-) It is indeed a great help to me to meet the cumbersome expenditure of college fee and other expenses. As you are aware, in spite of getting 91% in Science subjects I could not secure admission in Govt. college. It was not a choice to go for admission in the Self Finance College but by merit, having no other alternative. I am proud that there are people who care for others. This generosity has inspired me to follow your suit after completion of my studies, I too wish to serve the people, by extending help for education and health. May, God shower upon you all the favourable bounties for this act of benevolence.
Sincerely,
UVW, 2009
To,
Pennies for Education and Health
I would like to thank you & appreciate your helping hand for taking care of we needy students. With your help I had successfully completed my Master of Science with first class. With God’s grace I have been offered Phd directly at Vallabh Vidhyanaar. It was really hard job for our family to fulfill the study demand of we four students studying in English medium because of our situation. But you helped us to complete my higher education. Thank you for such support. I would try to live upto your expectation.
Thanking you.
Yours Faithfully,
XYZ, 2009
Respected Madam,
I am very glad to inform you, that I had passed my M. Sc final with 65% marks. I am very much thankful to you for giving me financial support.
My father does electrical repairing work and my mother is a housewife. We are four brothers and sisters. My brothers are studying in school and my sister is in college. So it is not possible for my father, who is the only source of income of our family, to pay for my further studies. I want to do M. Phil (microbiology). During my M. Phil work I want to study about “Textile dye biodegradation” which I hope will help to decrease the problem of pollution caused by the release of textile industry wastewater. So I hope that you will help me this time also to complete my M.Phil. Thank you once again for supporting me in such a critical situation and helping me to complete my M.Sc.
Yours sincerely,
RST, 2009
Respected sir / madam,
I completed my B.Pharm from Nirma University with 8.49 PPI out of 10 (i.e. 79.9%). First with Distinction. I am very very thank full to your institute ( Pennies for Education & Health) because of people who associated with it helpful me economically as well as they provided better guidance for my best carrer. Due to them I make my study very easy and I got best result. I will think for further study like M. Pharm but after my father death (in 2009) I am thinking for a job because there is no earning member except me now a days. My interview will be hold on 16th June at Alembic Ltd., Vadodara through college. I again very very thankful to your institute and in future I will serve like you for those students who are economically weak.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!
For more information visit www.pehchildren.org
