The Khushi Foundation
The Khushi Foundation is a registered, independent, hands-on, 100% donation-based organization in Rishikesh, India headed by Anand Mehrotra and Madelien Mishra-Broekman and helped by local volunteers.
Khushi Means Joy
This grassroots organization provides the most vulnerable children in Rishikesh with education, supplemental nutrition, medical assistance, and other activities and programs that support the well-being, quality of life, and consciousness of the hundreds of children benefitting from the Khushi Foundation on an annual basis. In providing these services, the Kushi Foundation not only contributes to the lives of children, but raises their awareness so they can bring healing practices to their families and communities and joy to our world.
Programs
The Khushi Foundation’s approach to programs is to shift community consciousness toward education and social awareness and empower children to improve the socioeconomic conditions of their families for generations to come. Through its programs, the Khushi Foundation is breaking the cycle of poverty that envelops much of the developing world.
The After School Program cares for 150 children that attend the local government-funded primary school. These children come from impoverished backgrounds and experience malnutrition and medical issues. This, combined with overcrowded classrooms and lack of individual attention, leads to a high drop-out rate. The Khushi Foundation offers these children formal education in Hindi, English, mathematics, creative arts, other academics, and vocational trades such as sewing and candle-making. Creative abilities are nurtured and innate skills and abilities are celebrated and given the support to grow.
Through the Nutrition and Health Program, children receive healthful, nutritious meals and snacks as well as vitamins, medical check-ups, and medical treatments and services when needed. This helps the children achieve greater health and prevent the potential complications and chronic illnesses and disabilities associated with long-term malnutrition. In recent years, the Khushi Foundation has provided the funds to cover major surgeries to repair heart conditions, physical deformities, hearing loss, and other major conditions.
The Khushi Foundation provides financial support to allow children to continue their education well past government-funded primary school. To be eligible for a scholarship, a child must participate in the extracurricular activities offered through the After School Program. As long as a child continues to show strong participation in their education, the Khushi Foundation will continue to fund it. Educational scholarships cover: admission fees, exam fees, uniforms, books, supplies, vocational training, food, clothes, and medical treatments and services when needed.
The Khushi Foundation cannot support all children through college, nor will all children proceed to college due to interest or family situation. These children are supported through vocational training at the Vocational Centre, two large classrooms where children learn skills to enter into jobs as electricians, waiters, cooks, masseuses, yoga instructors, tour guides, etc. The Vocational Centre is home to a library, computer lab, language lab, and specialty labs for various trades. The Vocational Centre is staffed with trained, qualified teachers and librarians. The Khushi Foundation also helps children find jobs when they are of the right age to do so. The Vocational Centre is available not only to the children of the Khushi Foundation, but also to the community as a whole. Any child who respectfully wants to use the Vocational Centre library and labs to further their education will be able to do so.
Contribute
The Khushi Foundation is working to increase support for its current children and grow the number of children it can support in the future through its programs. It is also in need of resources for construction of new buildings, general repair and maintenance, ongoing facility improvements, and salaries for teachers. Please consider making a contribution; all donations will make a significant difference to the lives of children. Donations are tax-deductible and you will be provided with a receipt upon request.
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