“There is so much adventure that only a youth can experience. Youth is not the time to languish in pleasure – youth is the time for exploration and adventure” – Sadhguru

As ardent meditators and novice trekking enthusiasts we friends – Aishwarya Venkataraman and Harini Jambunathan are looking forward to building a classroom for Isha Vidhya Matriculation School in Kottampuli village in Tamil Nadu. It has been a fulfilling experience to have supported the education of 10 kids from rural areas since Jan 2009, with help from our benevolent friends and colleagues who joined hands to make this happen. We wish to get together this time to build a classroom in rural South India that will house 40 kids in 2014.
We wish to raise donations for our cause in three phases by trekking in the following order, for every $4K raise in our donations:

1. Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California (7.6 miles, 2,600 feet elevation gain,8-hour)- This is a long, steep climb from the valley floor to the valley rim, and its difficulty rates an 8 out of 10. The course of the hike is approximately equivalent to climbing two times the stairs to Empire State building. We are doing this during early spring.

2. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California- This is one of the hikes that you can’t die without doing and the one your most likely to risk yourself while doing. The total hike is about 15 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 5000 feet and involves a mountaineering part towards the end. We are aiming to do this in half a day in mid of May.

3. Mount Shasta, California – Mt Shasta is the second highest peak in the Cascade ranges surpassed only by Mt Rainier which is 249 feet taller. This is over 14,000 feet high and many climbers experience altitude sickness during the climb. We will be aiming to reach the summit of this volcanic range during late May.

Why are we doing this ?

We have been fortunate to have had great schooling and University education and we would wish the same for every rural kid, which otherwise would be sent for child labor.
We are novice hikers and it would be an immensely challenging experience trekking these places yet a fulfilling one to see 40 more new admits.
Every penny donated for this counts and will go a long way in making our treks a purposeful one. As a token of gratitude, we will carry a placard with every donors name printed on it, to the summit of every trek. We promise to keep you posted on every hike we make with the photos and videos we take.

Why Isha Vidhya ?

Isha Vidhya (www.ishavidhya.org), a non-profit education initiative of Isha Foundation is committed to raising the level of education and literacy in rural India and to helping rural, underprivileged children realize their full potential. The project seeks to ensure quality education for children in rural areas, opening the door for them to participate in and benefit from India’s economic growth.

Featuring English- and computer-based education that is complemented by innovative methods for the overall development and blossoming of each student, Isha Vidhya schools empower rural children to meet future challenges.

Isha Vidhya schools distinguish themselves by…
Offering affordable, high-quality education in rural areas
Full scholarships for those who cant afford even the nominal fees.
Taking education beyond literacy and rudimentary skills
Empowering rural children to participate globally
Actively promoting education of Female children, First generation school goers and across Tribal communities
Increasing educational awareness in rural societies
Providing Mid-deal wholsome and nutritious meals
Providing a very wide and rich spectrum of extra/co- curriculum
Preserving village identities and culture

There are currently 8 schools in operation at rural villages across Tamilnadu,India and each year the schools will expand one grade level until they run at full capacity with classes from lower kindergarten through 12th grade. The schools presently cater to 2,745 students from nearby villages , with approximately 60% of students supported by full scholarships. In the coming years, Isha Vidhya would set up several more such schools across many more villages in rural India.

Isha Vidhya functions on a grass-roots level, relying on community involvement and the support of innumerable volunteers and donors.

How can you help ?

Building a classroom (500 sq. feet) costs around $12.7K. We request our friends and well-wishers to donate any amount they consider deserving for these rural kids either on monthly basis or one-time.
If your company matches employee donations, please do make a record of your contributions to Isha Vidya. Also, it would be wonderful if you can spread the word around to support the cause. Thank you!