Donation

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has been a challenging task for Yakshagana Kendra over the years to select suitable candidates  for the Yakshagana courses with the objective of promoting Yakshagana tradition and culture. The original idea was to qualify youngsters with appropriate formal training in Yakshagana theatre art for employment in Professional Yakshagana troupes so that with their formal training they would be able to make a mark on the Yakshagana stage and help preserve Yakshagana tradition in the professional troupes.  But this hope, we found to our dismay, was belied because of the greed  of the masters of the professional troupes who only absorbed the newly trained Yakshagana artistes but used or abused them to serve the purely commercial interests of the troupes and thus the very purpose  of conducting Yakshagana courses in a  formal training programme was foiled.  This experience finally led us to evolve a system where we could synthesize the interest of the arts and that of academics. In the earlier system that we carried on for nearly four decades students who learnt Yakshagana had no other option than to join profession/Yakshagana troupes to eke  out a living because they would not have acquired any other skills that would be required in today’s job market. So we thought it would be better to provide students of Yakshagana Kendra if they so desired, an opportunity to get formal school education and get trained in the art of Yakshagana so that they would have the option of joining the job market and continue their interest in Yakshagana as a hobby and take part in amateur   troupes or to join professional troupes and retain the option of opting out of it and seek other avenues of occupation if they were to be forced to do so.

In the new system we have found several advantages-

1. Parents are more willing to admit their children to Yakshagana courses with the option of school education integrated with Yakshagana.
2. The cost of the school education and Yakshagana training is borne entirely by the school and wither parents nor the students have any financial stress.
3. The students being residents of Yakshagana school utilize  their  free time both in the morning and evening (4 hours every day), week ends and holidays for intensive  training in Yakshagana.
4. The system makes these students superior to others in a way because they get the benefit of both the schools.
5. As stated earlier they have a wider option in choosing their means of livelihood – joining the troupes or taking up jobs  and pursue  the interest of Yakshagana as a hobby.
6. The present students of the Yakshagana Kendra are more cheerful because of the better prospects and are learning in both the schools with avid interest and enthusiasm.
7. With the back-ground of their school-education learners of Yakshagana are able to acquire better proficiency in speech and dialogue which is also integrated with the Yakshagana theatre.

This year 25 boys were admitted  in the Kendra in June 2010 of whom 18 boys are also attending schools and Colleges.

This system has worked just because  the Kendra provided for two kinds of  education: Yakshagana education and school education. The primary reason is that the boys are poor and come from a rural background. The school in addition to providing them free training  in Yakshagana dance and music, free board and free accommodation ,  looks after their school fees, cost of text books, examination fees etc. This is indeed a burden which we have chosen  to bear  with a view to promoting the cause of Yakshagana and  preserving the Yakshagana tradition for posterity.

Below is the list of students who attended schools in addition to learning Yakshagana  during the  academic year 2010-2011.

PU – Courses

1. Dhanush : MGM passed with distinction
2. Rakshith Shetty ,MGM, I Class

Highschool : U. Kamala Bai

1. Shailesh Naik waiting for SSLC result
2. Sachin 
3. Rathish   promoted to 10^th
4. Vinuth           ”      ”
5. Karthik   ”      ”     
6. Anantha                ”      ”     

( PUC )Govt. Junior College Udupi

1. Subrahmania             : II Class  Arts

2. Nandan                      : II Class Arts

3. Nithish                       : II Class commerce

(Degree) Poornaprajna College

Srinath Urala      :  II Degree

Primary : Kadiyali Kamala Bai

1.         Sanjaya

2.         Sathisha

ITI Course

1. Nagaraja
2. Karthik – completed the course
3. Avinash

The total expenses incurred during the year 2010-2011 was Rs. 1,06,000.00 which includes school fees, exam fees, computer fees, uniform, bus charges, stationeries/books, medical expenses, food extra.

In the coming year we are planning to admit 20 students afresh making the total 35 (with 10 students continuing in the second year course of Yakshagana).

The expenses in respect of school fees/uniform/books and stationeries etc will come around Rs 2,00,000 and the food charges are  extra.

You have come to our help   in the past years and we request you to help us further so that you will have the satisfaction of empowering a few families by helping their children get themselves educated and stand on their own legs.

In case of direct payments we furnish below our Saving Bank Account in Syndicate Bank,Kunjibettu Branch, Udupi.

As part of our ongoing efforts to support international philanthropy as safely and effectively as possible, CAFAmerica is now making all grants by wire transfer. Please complete this form and return it to our office by post or fax to (1)(703) 549-8934, by post to CAFAmerica, 1800 Diagonal Road Suite 150, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA; or by email  to info@cafamerica.org.

Please complete as thoroughly as possible, print legibly or type.

Account Name	MGM COLLEGE TRUST, UNIT RRC
Bank Name	SYNDICATE BANK
Bank Address	SYNDICATE BANK, KUNJIBETTU BRANCH, UDUPI- 576 102, KARNATAKA, INDIA
Account Number	SB A/C NO. 01862200006270
SWIFT Code / Sort Code	SYNBINBB 014 IFSC:SYNB 0000186

Please send grants by draft (please  explain)

The draft may please be drawn in favour of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College Trust, our parent trust, which is already registered under FCRA the Registration No. 094630097 dated 19.9.1985 The Yaksha Gurukulashikshana Trust has been created by the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial college Trust in March 2006. Hence the above arrangement.

I confirm that the above information is for an account that solely benefits the above named charity.

Thanking you,

  Yours faithfully,

                           Sd/-

 (H Krishna Bhat)

      Director