Milaap and EDEX Come Together for The Guru Grant: Make Every Day Teachers' Day

BANGALORE, August 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Milaap.org, India's largest crowdfunding platform in collaboration with EDEX Live from The New Indian Express group has launched an initiative titled, 'The Guru Grant' on the occasion of Teachers' Day. The objective is to provide financial assistance to exceptional teachers who go out of their way to impart education to their students. Any teacher in India who requires monetary help to make their classroom a better place for their students is eligible to have a fundraiser.  

For all funds raised under this initiative until September 5, 2017, Milaap will contribute an additional 20% from its impact partners to encourage and appreciate every teacher who is doing something unique for their students. Moreover, the best performing fundraiser (based on the 'sense of purpose', 'impact' and 'the element of need') selected by EDEX Live will be featured in an exclusive Milaap video, and receive a cash prize of INR 50,000 from Milaap.

'Education', as a crowdfunding category, is among the more popular ones on Milaap.org. More and more teachers are turning to crowdfunding in order to take certain facilities to their students, when it goes beyond the resources of the school and community. From library books to computer labs, with a little financial help, teachers have been able to help students access better quality education, especially in rural areas.

For example, Shivappa, fondly known as the Phungsuk Wangdu of Mysore, raised funds to expand his school. A popular Science Experiments teacher for many years, Shivappa has also assisted several NGOs in holding science workshops for Government school children all over Karnataka. He now spends all his time working at Chiguru School as its Head. Chiguru School is the only private, low-cost school for about 20 villages in that region, having a significant socially backward and tribal population. To keep its educational service affordable to its target communities, it charges INR 1000 only as annual fees. Shivappa raised funds on Milaap to expand the school, which was then only a temporary structure. He has raised over INR 2.5 Lakh and utilized it to already get work started on building the school.

Similarly, Ajita Toppo, a tribal lady in a remote village of North Bengal, used to teach the children of poor tea garden workers, free of cost since 1997. Despite being from a very low income family she was educated and loved to teach and help others. Gradually many students, attracted by her good teaching style and no demand for money joined the school. To make seating arrangement for the increasing number of students, she had to change her teaching place five times. She is now fundraising on Milaap to sustain her school, and has raised almost a lakh through crowdfunding.

Anoj Viswanathan, Co-founder of Milaap.org said, "With teachers not only setting up campaigns to support students, but also using social media to reach out to the right people to raise funds, students are getting access to better quality education irrespective of their geographical location or economic condition. Online fundraising also helps teachers receive a lot of support and encouragement from like minded people across the globe."

He added, "We are delighted to associate with EDEX Live, who are helping make this initiative accessible to outstanding teachers across the country. We would like to encourage more teachers to continue giving their students the best they can without being hindered by financial limitations."

On the collaboration, EDEX Live noted that in their continued effort to make India's best and brightest teachers feel valued, EDEX has been trying to help them build - build classrooms, build systems, build institutions and by extension, build great students. Teachers in India are among the most frugally paid in the world, and yet, the stories that are being heard of and written every day tell us that they are fighting constantly to build a better future for their students. The Guru Grant will go a long way in shaping the lives of at least one little boy or girl who will change the world for the better, many years from now.

If anyone wishes to set up a fundraiser for an exceptional teacher they know, they can easily set up campaigns by using the instructions below:

- Visit https://milaap.org/partner-pages/give2guru to start a fundraiser

- Send us a WhatsApp message on (+91)-9916174848 or email at [email protected] for guidance to set up a campaign

About Milaap 

Milaap is India's leading crowdfunding platform for personal and social causes. Constantly endeavouring to make it easier for people to raise money online for the causes that matter to them, the platform enables India to raise funds for personal causes, loved ones, pets and animals, natural disasters, medical treatment, education, local charities, emergencies, natural disasters, neighbourhood, sports, documentaries, volunteering and fellowships, arts, and other projects benefiting individuals or communities in need.

Our community of funders come from 120 countries across the world and have contributed over INR 200 Cr supporting nearly 100,000 projects across India. Over the last six years, Milaap has become the preferred platform for people to raise and contribute towards causes they care about in India.

Milaap.org is constantly working to take crowdfunding to the masses. The website has over 2.5 million page views every month, and is growing 20% month on month. The platform constantly adds new features based on user feedback to ensure a hassle-free experience. The e-mail support extends over 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is rendered via a dedicated team that hand-holds users through any procedure on the website.

Media Contact:
Sayanti Ray
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