In today’s world, receiving a solid education can mean the difference between success and poverty. Statistics show that people with a higher level of education make significantly more than those with lower-level or partial education. One extra year of schooling can increase a man’s income by up to 10%, and a woman’s by 10% to 20%. Yet a financial boost is not the only benefit of education, according to new statistics. Education:
Increases Overall Health
Each extra year of a mother's schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5% to 10%.
Saves Children's Lives
A child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past age 5.
Boosts Economic Growth
Each additional year of schooling raises average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 0.37%.
Reduces Poverty
If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty.
Fosters Peace
If the enrollment rate for secondary schooling is 10% higher than the average, the risk of war is reduced by about 3%.
Statistics from: Global Partnership for Education
India Day Festival
By Charvi Bhargava
As in the past few years, REAL will be taking part in Portland’s annual India Festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square on Sunday, August 17th, 2014. This year, our booth will sell water and have volunteers doing henna or mehendi. We will also be selling gently used traditional Indian clothes at extremely desirable rates, as this fundraiser was a hit last year. This festival is a great way for our REAL community to reach out to the broader Portland area community and present information to help spread the word about REAL and our mission to promote education and literacy all over the world. India Day has been a huge event for us as an organization for past years, and we all look forward to spreading the word about REAL: Youth To Youth and celebrating the culture of India.
Arangetram Fundraiser
By Inca Gunter
On June 21st, one of REAL's long-time volunteers, Anika Raghuvanshi performed her Bharatanatyam Arangetram. Bharatanatyam is an ancient dance form that originates from Southern India and an Arangetram, or debut dance on stage, marks the completion of years of a dancer’s of rigorous dance training. She danced on stage in the traditional Bharatanatyam dance attire to classical south Indian music in front of a large community in the Catlin Gabel School auditorium. Anika provided REAL with the fantastic opportunity to promote its efforts of increasing literacy in rural India and in the Portland community through this event, setting up a booth showcasing her involvement with REAL. Impressed by both Anika’s talent and philanthropy, her audience generously donated over $1000 towards our nonprofit. We hope that through events such as these, people continue to spread the word about REAL's efforts and aid us in our mission to support the education and literacy of underprivileged youth in rural India and to support STEM education efforts in Oregon.
Laptop Drive
By Mukund Raguram
This year, REAL: Youth To Youth is sponsoring PPES (Pardada Pardadi Educational Society) with laptops in order to promote the use of technology in rural children’s education. In the digital age, basic knowledge of how to operate computers and use the Internet is an increasingly valuable skill in finding employment, especially as companies rely more and more heavily on computers to boost productivity. For PPES, whose mission involves helping Indian girls “get on their feet and find jobs†to become economically independent, promoting computer literacy brings the organization one step closer to its ultimate goal. To help PPES achieve success, REAL is organizing a laptop drive, in which Portland residents and supporters of REAL’s mission can donate old laptops to be repurposed and used to give computer access to rural students at PPES. Any functional laptops are welcome, no matter the age or condition.
To donate a laptop, please contact Mukund Raguram at Mukund@REALyouth.org or Vikul Gupta at Vikul@REALyouth.org. Alternatively, the REAL booth at the India Day festival is also accepting laptop donations. You have REAL’s sincere thanks for your contributions.
Mehendi Fundraiser
By Anisha Adke
Although REAL has provided mehendi services for years, we recently expanded our horizons and took on an entire wedding party’s henna. Several of our artistically talented volunteers stepped up to the challenge of being a part of the wedding and provided henna to over twenty members of the party. Despite our rookie status as henna artists, we received wonderful reviews of our designs and several more requests for weddings in the future. Our volunteers loved the chance to be a part of the wedding festivities.
We are very proud to recognize and thank our sponsoring partners!
GOLD SPONSOR $251+
SILVER SPONSOR $101 - $250
BRONZE SPONSOR $50 - $100
Dr. Jacqueline Bourdette, D.M.D., P.C
Nova Travel
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