Empowering Rural India Foundation

Big Idea:

  Hello, my name is Krithik Ramesh. I am 16 years old, and I started a nonprofit organization called Empowering Rural India. The goal of Empowering Rural India is to help impoverished schools and children in India get access to sustainable and clean energy solutions. I am trying to raise $10,000 dollars to help Government Higher Secondary School, which serves approximately 1,000 students in Deviyakurichi, Tamilnadu, India. Government Higher Secondary School is a co-ed educational institution in rural India that lacks both a reliable power source and sanitation.

The money you donate will go toward providing solar panels and energy-efficient light bulbs for the school, as well as renovating its restroom facilities for sanitary and health purposes. Installing solar panels for the school will produce efficient and Eco-friendly energy that will empower students and allow them to achieve more in the classroom by giving them reliable access to computers. The solar panels cost $5,000 for installation, maintenance, shipping, and warranties. The additional $5,000 will be used to refurbish the school’s bathrooms. The current bathrooms do not meet sanitary standards for student safety.


For the sake of the students and the future of the village, we are asking for your help. Even just a $50 donation is enough to run this school everyday for over 20 years . Any amount helps. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration!



For more information please visit: www.empoweringri.org 



For any questions please feel free to contact me on: 
Twitter - @propulsionnerd 
Instagram - @krithikramesh 
Email - [email redacted]


Nice to meet you all:
 
I’m a kid that loves engineering, computer science, and aviation. I am lucky enough to have the right resources for me to explore my passions and pursue my hobbies. I want to be able to share the joy of tinkering with 3D-printers and messing with computers. I started Empowering Rural India in the hopes that kids from disadvantaged backgrounds can one day have the opportunity to share the same exciting experiences I have had!

 
My Family’s Story:
 
Both my father and my grandfather came from very humble beginnings and grew up in a small rural town in India called Deviyakurichi. My father worked incredibly hard to enter the STEM field and eventually got a job at IBM through sheer hard work and a bit of luck. My father made it very apparent to me from a young age that I was very fortunate to live in the United States and to have access to the best resources in the world that allowed my inquisitive mind  follow my passions and interests.
 
The Problem: 
Many developing nations such as India currently get short term developmental aid. This kind of aid includes providing medical kits, food, and electronic devices; while this aid is useful, it creates a level of dependence on other nations actually crippling infrastructure and societal framework. 
 
The Solution:
 
I wanted to develop a sustainable solution for developing nations to improve their educational landscape in rural areas for future generations and improve the overall infrastructure in the region. Specifically, I wanted to make a onetime investment that would be reusable and actually build the framework for societal advancement. In order to do this I wanted to provide solar panels along with some building renovations for the Government Higher Secondary school, in Deviyakurichi, Tamilnadu, India. By providing solar panels for the school it enables them to power the their school along with computers and other science labs, that would aid students to explore the wonders of STEM and the arts that many of us have been fortunate enough to experience. These panels would allow for students to get a better learning environment in the physical classroom along with the ability to expand and develop their computer science program and help more students get access to a growing industry. It also reduces the financial burden on the school allowing for the redistribution of allocated funds to better equip the school.
 
 
Advantages of Implementing Solar Panels:

1. Economically Viable: It is a one-time investment with low operating and maintenance costs that will be completely covered by the money from the fundraiser.  


2. Environmentally Conscious: Solar panels use completely renewable energy from the  sun, thus eliminating any significant carbon footprint and making the school almost carbon neutral.


3. Infrastructure Development: By adding solar panels to a school it becomes the start of a self-sustainable energy solution for rural regions and allowing for more students to get access to new technology, changing the community as a whole.


4. Academic Success: Once this project is complete, students will actually be able to turn on the lights and expand their computer programs for the first time. By giving students a better classroom environment, we are helping them to get a better education. There will also be more funds available for other aspects, which will pave the way for educational prosperity.  


A Final Word of Thank You:

 

பல இளம் மற்றும் ஆர்வமுள்ள மனங்களின் நன்கொடை மற்றும் எதிர்காலத்தில் முதலீடு செய்வதற்கு நன்றி மற்றும் இந்தியாவில் ஒரு சிறிய கிராமத்திற்கு சமூக முன்னேற்றத்தை நோக்கி ஒரு பெரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உதவியதற்கு நன்றி.

 

Thank you for donating and investing in the future of many young and curious minds and helping a small village in India take a big step towards a better life.