Hi,

I am very pleased to report that thanks to your generosity we have now reached our initial online target of raising $10,000 for children living in poverty around Sangamner, Maharashtra.

We can all be proud that:

As per the original plan of providing benefit to 750 children, through 30 crèches, the project is now providing support to 762 children in this way.

27 out of school support classes are taking place each evening, helping 458 children who are not doing so well in their studies, to catch up in school.

3,067 school children have benefited from health checks. Medicines have been given to 1958 children. And thanks to these checks, 27 boys and girls have been referred to doctors for further treatment.

Whilst it is fantastic news that we are achieving our goals, there is still plenty work to do. Karuna has funded the capital build of a Child Rights Centre in Sangamner, which is being project managed by our partner, the National Institute of Sustainable Development (NISD). The building will be complete and ready for use by the end of August 2010.

The Child Rights Centre will bring together parents, local authorities, village leaders, teachers, and governors, who will work together to get children out of labor and into school. Karuna is committed to funding this project until at least March 2012. Before March 2011, we still have $28,000 to raise and I am hopeful we will fund $10,000 of this through the Global Giving website.

To do this I could really do with some more of your generous help. Please consider telling your friends and family about our project - share the link on your blogs or social networks, use the tell-a-friend feature on the project page to email your network, or just bring us up in conversation. You know your friends and family best, so use your own words - tell them why you chose our project and what it means to you.

Thank you again for all you have done to help this cause.

With gratitude,

Steven Murdoch

Pictures:

• 100% of children in this village now go to school (JPG)