Annual Reports

Annual Report to the Board of Directors
Dr. Franklin Richard Schneider, CEO
For May 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011

Each year has its special uniqueness and challenges as well as successes and the past year was no exception. The reporting year began with a Board of Directors meeting on May 1, 2010. I returned to India August 19, and stayed until February, the maximum allowable with my visa. I flew from Los Angeles to Chicago and then took the 16 hour flight to New Delhi. Then I went on to Hyderabad where I was greeted by a host of happy and excited students.

It was a busy and rewarding year for our students. G. Upendar finished his advanced accounting course and his degree. Fast forward, he was hired by Bank of America-India.  He was selected from a field of 60 applicants. He was married on March 11, another first for our program. Veeranagulu completed his Master’s degree in advanced manufacturing design. Jacob Dilip completed his Master’s degree in computer application. Venu completed his Business Commerce degree in computers and will go on to a Master’s. Unagesh completed his MBA and has great plans for his future. Gopi, our youngest, completed Tenth Level at the top of his class and will go to on university in June. He wants to be an optometrist.

The rest of our students are doing exceptionally well. Ravi will begin his second degree year at Wesley and finish a six month program at L’Oreal in Mumbai, Ramakrishna will begin his fourth degree year in electronics communication engineering, Ch Nagesh will begin his fourth degree year in computer science engineering, Sravani will begin her second year in computer science engineering, Dileep will begin his third degree year in pharmacy, M. Naresh will begin his second year for his MBA, Ghouse will begin his third year for a master in computer application, Ch Naresh will begin his third year in electronics computer engineering, P. Ravi will begin his third degree year in law, Venu will begin his first graduate year in computer applications.  Four others are now deciding on the next step in their education. There will be more graduates in the coming year. Several will be job hunting and career developing.

The highlight of the year was convening the Consortium; Embracing Peace Education: Empowering the Individual, Institutions and Communities, November 6-9 at Martin Luther University in Shillong, northeast India. I was ably and extraordinarily assisted by my co-convener, Dr. Leban Serto, who is Director of the peace studies program there. We had spent a year putting the Consortium together. We had attendance from all over India and several countries from as far away as South Africa.  The Consortium was fully funded by private and governmental agencies.  A permanent Consortium resulted with the joining of 12 organizations and groups.

David and Venu accompanied me to the Consortium and actively participated. David conducted his first workshop as a full partner with me. It was an invaluable experience for all.  You may read a report by the Global Campaign for Peace Education at www.peace-ed-campaign.org/newsletter/archives/78.html. It is issue 78 for December 2010.

We had a major apartment move even though it was just across the hall from our former apartment. It still made for a big effort. It was a wonderful upgrade to move to a completely updated and refurbished apartment to our specifications and at lower rent. Seven to nine students continue to live at the apartment to create a family setting and to save a substantial amount of money which would otherwise have to go to hostel fees.

The school year was interrupted repeatedly with strikes and stoppages. The issue for the agitation is to support the division of the state into two separate states. Exams were cancelled and rescheduled and many days of instruction were lost. Transportation was frequently halted. It was strange to see a city of 13 million brought to a standstill. There was great suffering as day laborers do not eat if they do not work. The issue is still not resolved and strikes continue sporadically.

January 3 was the 11th Memorial Anniversary for Ruth in Mucherla. The students, with David’s leadership, planned and carried out the commemoration. I stayed in Hyderabad as we were in the midst of another strike and buses and trains were halted. Those of us left in Hyderabad had a private but very touching memorial on our own.

In January, I spent three days visiting schools in Vijayawada and Kakinda in Andhra Pradesh. The later meant a ten hour train trip to Hyderabad. I had been asked to review academic programs in a school for slum children and a large public school but privately funded on the coast. I try to do outreach when asked and I can fit it in to my schedule.

New scholarship payment rule changes came into effect May 1. The new policy is a significant step toward enabling our students toward greater independence and personal responsibility.  The student and family will now help finance personal expenses and pay a share of the hostel fees. IGE pays for one half of graduate education expenses. The fact is that economic conditions have improved for most families.  Exceptions will be made as needed for those who have no support system. Independence and self sufficiency are not just goals but a direct product of the education we have given each of our students. Students agree to help pay back once their education is complete and they have jobs. Some are paying back and others will shortly join them as they complete their education and secure jobs.

David took over as Director of the Indian Student Scholarship program on a daily basis before I left India in February. P. Ravi was appointed the assistant and also as the funds monitor. David is finishing his MBA and has an additional course added by the university to meet international standards. P. Ravi is completing his second year of law school. They make a great team and we are in good hands with a team we trained and nurtured for many years.

David, P. Ravi and five of the “brothers” incorporated Granny’s Memorial Welfare Foundation. The legal work is done and it is an existing corporation. They are searching for some funding to undertake their first project. The ownership of the Ruth A. Schneider Memorial and land given to me for the memorial is being transferred to the foundation. It is wonderful and inspiring to see their excitement and enthusiasm in undertaking their first big independent step. All five members of the foundation knew and loved Granny and now want to carry her Nine Rules for Living forward in a lasting way.

It was a difficult year financially due to worldwide recession and Indian inflation that topped 15%.  We must rethink our strategies and reach out for more sponsors.

In January I began my 20th year in India. Together we have made an extraordinary difference in the lives of more than 200 young people and touched and influenced many more. We have made a real difference in many villages. In the report to the United Nations for continuation of our ECOSOC status, we documented we had touched and improved the lives of at least 6,000 people in the two years covered by our latest report. The full report is available on the internet. This effort is one of our finest achievements.

I would never have believed that I would be in India to see five and six year olds grow up before my eyes and now are graduating with Master’s degrees. Each graduate lifts the entire family socially and economically. Our young people are a great credit to themselves, to their families, and to those of us who have sponsored and nurtured them. They are, indeed, the future leadership of India. They have developed the values, the character, the necessary skills, and the determination to succeed and make a real difference in creating a better world and a more equal society.

Our work is not yet done. In some cases, we are needed as much as ever. We have helped build a solid future for those who have broken many caste and social barriers. They are strong in spirit and strong in character and strong in goodwill. We must continue to stand behind them and provide the resources and support that they still need. Let us go forward and finish our chosen task and our chosen responsibility. Together we can insure that our students can reach their full potential and go on to productive, healthy and beneficial lives that will create the positive and creative changes that are needed in India and in the world. For some, we are still their full support system as they have no other. The challenge and opportunity is to enable them to expand and develop additional support systems through their careers and relationships.  On the cusp of 20 years of tireless, devoted and loving effort we have succeeded beyond my greatest hopes and dreams. Together let us finish the task.

Additional information and background is available on our website.

Respectfully submitted,

Franklin Richard Schneider

Annual Report of the Chief Executive Officer to Board of Directors
Institute of Global Education, April 30, 2009 to April 1, 2010

We are completing our 18th year in India. I was in India until January 2009 and again from July 31, 2009 until January 29, 2010. I had the immense pleasure being invited to Horto via Thessaloniki, Greece July 23 to July 30 and did a workshop there on my way to India. The workshop was sponsored by the Pia Halzinikou Angellini Cultural Foundation which includes several Robert Muller World Core Curriculum Schools and many cultural activities as well as an intentional community. It was an incredible and wonderful experience. I had met Dimitris in Zukovsky, Russia many years ago and he had tracked me down to invite me to Greece. I received a handsome 2,400 Euro honorarium and an airline ticket to India. I am grateful and indebted to Dr. Neils Christensen and Bernard Gross for their extended help and research for my workshops.

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INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL EDUCATION

Annual Report of the Chief  Executive Officer to the Board of  Directors
For the period April 30, 2008 to April 1, 2009

We had another eventful and wonderfully worth while year with the Indian Student Scholarship program (EMBRACE) and our outreach activities in India. In 2008, we saw the graduation from Tenth Level for Ravi (now completing first year Intermediate in 2009) and graduation with bachelor degrees for David, Ramakrishna (William), Hazrath, Vijay and a nursing degree for Rajini. In 2009 we see the graduation from Tenth Level of Veerababu and graduation from Intermediate for Ch Naresh, L. Nagesh and Kavitha. We also see the 2009 graduation with bachelor degrees for Upendar, Unagesh, Ghouse, and Saritha.   Pavani received her master’s degree in microbiology. We have Jacob Dilip and Veeranagulu still in graduate school.  Sai Pavan, partial scholarship student, received a bachelor degree in 2008, and P. Ravi, a partial scholarship student, is receiving a bachelor degree in 2009.

It takes a lot of time keeping up with the changes in school and schedules and the ever constant task of admissions, negotiating tuitions and fees, counseling, consultation and intervention when needed.  We maintained the apartment in Vijayawada for five students, and sometimes more, all year. The students in the program greatly enjoy the independence and family atmosphere of the apartment. We had our usual wonderful Christmas party at the apartment with 20 students arriving to stay two nights at the apartment. The boys gave the mattresses to the girls in my office, and the boys slept elbow to elbow on mats. I felt a little crowded but the students seemed to love it. The girls especially love this excursion as they have much less freedom and rare chances to travel. We continue the family meetings whether I am in India or not. Eleanor and Peter Schaffer sent nine pounds of sweets which arrived via courier and a song. The Christmas tree was its usual hit with many visitors just coming to see it.

The movement of students toward Hyderabad has caused us to make the decision to move to an apartment in Hyderabad for the new school year beginning in June. It is an eight hour ride by train or bus from Vijayawada to Hyderabad. Several of the students in Hyderabad are anxious to get out of confining and strict hostels into an apartment with their brothers. It also saves money to have such a group as hostel fees continue to increase substantially year by year. In the recent past we paid 1,000 rupees per month and are now paying 2,500 and 3,000 rupees per month per student. Our rent for a three bedroom apartment has been 4,200 rupees ($86US @48).

I returned to India September 12 and remained until February 14, my second longest time in India. I was able to return at that time because of the timely donation of an airline ticket from a friend. I was met at the brand new Hyderabad international airport by David, Ravi, Venu, and a taxi and driver. It is the world class airport in India and a truly remarkable achievement for India and has been opened less than a year.

It was another year of medical emergencies. We had several cases of thyroid fever and one near fatal incident. We thought we were monitoring the student but unbeknown to us his mother, who neither reads nor writes, took him to another village to a witch doctor. We recovered him as quickly as possible but he spent ten days in intensive care and a full month recovering. Fortunately, he is one of our brightest students and was able to make up all his work without undue difficulty. It was not a pleasant experience, but a great learning curve for all involved.

I visited several tribal villages in our outreach program including two overnight trips to Puntinathanda, 25 kilometers from Khammam. I made several trips to Khammam and Hyderabad to meet with and visit students to review their progress and curriculum. I provide them the emotional, social, and family support that the students need and some lack altogether otherwise.

I appointed David the Director of the Indian Student Scholarship program in India. He is now responsible for all financial accounting in India under my supervision. He does much of the negotiation with the colleges. He can do better than this white foreigner appearing with what many assume to be bags of money. He consistently gets better concessions and discounts than I did. In November, David made his maiden voyage as our representative to an international conference on nonviolence in Jaipur, Rajastan. He went on his first airplane flight. He met many Indian and foreign attendees including the former president of India, Mr. Kalan, who is more popular and respected than ever. David turned 21 on February 1. He received his bachelor’s degree in business in 2008 from Modern in Vijayawada. Our Canadian support group with Dorothy Argent, chair of the Board of Directors, has been trying to get David a visa for advanced training in Canada. We have two rejections for questionable reasons, and will continue to try to get him a visa until we eventually succeed.

In January, I took six students, who go to school outside of Vijayawada and who I don’t see often enough, on a field trip to Kinnerasani Surya. It is a famous reservoir with a large animal park. Then we went north of Bathrachalem to Papikondalu for an all day boat trip on one of the famous rivers. We went by bus and taxi. Arrangements and housing were made by our Erukala Tribal friend who is a police officer in Kothaguden. We spent many hours travelling but it was a fun and new experience for the students. Five of them had not had any travel experience.  Bathrachalem is one of the most important temple cities in India.

It fills me with awe and humility to look back over 17 years in India. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever expect to be in India, let alone be there this long and continuing. On the other hand, it is so natural and so right I cannot imagine doing or being anywhere else. As I have watched, supported and counseled them, and held hands and gave hugs through both joys and sorrows, I have seen these children become youth and then adults. I have become so much part of their lives that I am simply Grandpa to them. I enjoy it when they bring their friends for an introduction and have so naturally regard me as Grandpa that they have not told their friends in advance who I am. More than one friend has then taken me aside and asked how they can become a grandchild of mine.

As I have mentioned numerous times, not a single one of our students would ever have gone to college, let alone get a degree without us. With our help, support and love they have broken the barriers of caste, poverty and in some cases neglect and even abuse. They are now assured of a real future and are, in fact, the future leadership of India. We cannot do other than continue to love and support them and strengthen the bridge to their future. It is with deep gratitude that I thank you for your confidence and your support in letting me serve in your name.

Respectfully submitted,

F. Richard Schneider