1.  FOR MEMBERS and others interested in the Monalisa Project.  

Go to the photos section on this site to see the progress of Monalisa from a rather nervous young 10 y.o. in February, 2002 to the bright, confident young woman of 14 year old today.

You are welcome to make contributions, suggestions and provide information and photos that have come to you.  Or you may have questions about where your gift has been spent.  I am hoping that this site will take on its own life as we interact with it, with each other, and with our children, teachers and the dedicated Jyoti overseer of the entire project in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India.  

Information that comes to the Monalisa Project via email will be uploaded here.  Any especially personal content will be edited out, retaining all content of interest to all of us.

GERMINATION of the seed which later gestated into the Monalisa Project is Angela's story.  You will find it on the team members personal greetings page.

EMAIL OF QUESTIONS TO JYOTI and JYOTI'S RESPONSE:

24th August, 2006

Answers have been inserted into the original text. 

 
The Monalisa Project               ^{<monalisa.project@aapt.net.au> Angela wrote:}

Hello Jyoti.  We have three new women sponsors and some who are interested and would like more information about your school. So, Jyoti, here are some of our questions:

1. How much money will it take to complete the home-school and garden, inside and outside?

Answer:  After completing of 1st floor roof work,we need to do flooring, plastering of the first floor and back side of the complete building,grills for doors and windows, electrification (Now temporarily arranged), Water connection, Toilet, bathrooms, sanitary fittings, and finally painting...

Total cost Rs 300,000(three hundred thousand rupees, only approx,)  

Rs 300,000 = AUD$8437


2. Can you tell us what you expect your monthly costs to be for running the school - including teachers salaries, disposable school materials like paper, pens, pencils, paints, books, chalk. And also for school equipment and permanent fittings like desks, tables, chairs, blackboards/whiteboards - do you need these?

(I know that you've answered some of these questions previously but we need to let our sponsors know that their donations are going to a very worthy cause.)


Answer:  Teachers Salary - Rs7,500.  5 teachers, Each Rs1500.  Disposable items Rs500/month.  Desks and tables for 4 class rooms: Rs 80,000 (eighty thousand, only aprox.) Rs 20,000 per class room.

Rs7,500 = AUD$211 (Rs1500 each for 5 teachers);

Rs500/month for disposables = AUD$14;

Rs80,000 = AUD$2251 (Rs 20,000 per classroom)

3. Who is supplying the school uniforms? Why are some children wearing blue and white uniforms, while most are wearing red and black?


Answer:  Our uniform is black and red, those who are wearing blue and red they are new admited. They are allowed to come with civil dress for one week from the admission date, because most of our parents are poor. Parents are  providing uniform to their children.


4. Are the children all members of Ananda Marga or do you accept children who are not members?


Answer. No, all the children are not members of Ananda Marga. Most of them are from outside.  We teach without discriminating caste, creed, and religion.  Purpose of Education is to Liberation of self through yoga and meditation and service to humanity through practical volunteers training.


5. Is the cost of school lunches covered by school fees?


Answer:  No.  Children are getting their own lunch box.  As our school fees also very nominal, like Rs 50/child/month. There are some free students too. School fees use for teacher salary.

Rs50/child/month = AUD$1.40

6. When the school is finished and you have 150 students, how many children will live there permanently?


Answer:  Nine children, including Mona are living permanently. So, many children like Mona are there in the society and coming to us, but due to lack of financial condition we are un able to keep them. Our planing to keep to accomodate up to 25 children (parentless) in future.

 
7. What facilities are available for you, Monalisa and the other children living upstairs? For example what bedding arrangements do you have? What cooking and bathroom facilities do you have?


Answer:  There is no bedding facility so far for mona and other chilren, Sleeping on ground.  Kitchen facility is available but no dining tables, dining space is available. Right now bath rooms of up stairs are not completed, only one is completed  for emergency and during night. children are using ground floor toilets.


8. Do you get financial assistance from Ananda Marga headquarters or any other western people, like us? Are we expected to fulfil all the needs here or do you have other assistance?


Answer:  No , we are not getting any financial assistance from Ananda Marga Head quarters, because Ananda Marga world wide socio-Spiritual organisation Developed and managed by local Followers, and units.  Any very much emergency we can approach to centre. We dont have any other western people to assist except you. You are all and all for us. We are expecting Every thing from you periodically. Suggest and advice me to develope and complete this Monalisa Project.  Please visit to this project physically. You all are most welcome.


9. What are the monthly costs for feeding, clothing and educating our permanent residents?


Answer:  Rs 1500/month/child is the monthly cost. Right now 9 children are living.

Thank you very much .. Namaskar with deep regards.

Rs 1500 = AUD$47