Tribe Rising India

Short Term
• Safe school—adult monitors (RA-style) in dormitories, cameras, mindset of cultural acceptance, complete rejection of caste prejudice
• Girls’ dorm, boarding for older girls--complete
• Consistent thru grade 10 educational opportunities—have already expanded form grade 4 prior to lock down through grade 7 today, will continue to add a new grade each year
• Subject specific education, computer skills—computer lab/language lab is running, Math teacher, adjunct teachers on Saturdays are supporting elementary English and remedial needs
• Nutritious meals—3 per day and two snacks served
• School counselor—hiring is complete
• Simple medical care—school nurse is full-time campus resident and monitor for older girls in dormitory
• Intro to English—through adjunct teachers, Tribe Rising-sponsored language lab

Medium Term
• Literacy—85-95% of our 10th grade graduates will achieve full literacy in Bengali, the remainder will achieve functional literacy in Bengali, 5% will achieve conversational English level; measured by standardized tests
• Fluency in vernacular language—85-95% of graduates; measured by standardized tests
• Increase self-confidence; measured by interest in continued education and appropriate life building decisions such as postponed marriage and interest/efforts in establishing a consistent source of income vs. day labor
• Increase pride in tribal identity
• High School diploma—75% of students will graduate 10th grade
• Opportunity for vocational school—is available to 10th grade graduates
• Opportunity for grades 11 and 12, higher ed—is available to 10th grade graduates
• Opportunity for land ownership, small business development—is more readily available to graduates with full literacy in Bengali

Long Term/Generational Change
• Social change—improved conditions for the tribe, defeat prejudice—measured by increase in numbers of tribal members who earn jobs open to tribal quotas, open businesses and buy land or build permanent homes
• Change in economic standing—decrease poverty—measured by less malnutrition and related disease, more consistent work in the mainstream economy vs day labor, more students achieving high school diploma
• Better physical and mental health—as a result of participation in the mainstream economy and increases in spending power—especially purchasing nutritious food, political voice and cultural acknowledgement
• Political influence—increasing participation through education and placement in government jobs
• Fluency in English—20% of graduates 10 years from completion of high school
• Access to higher education, professional careers—20% of graduates 10 years from completion of high school
• Acceptance in mainstream culture—50% increase Santal-owned businesses and earning government-quota jobs
• Respect for cultural traditions/history—decrease in prejudice/marginalization of Santals to the degree that people are able to share cultural traditions openly in mainstream culture

Build schools for Santal students with our partners in West Bengal.

Provide scholarships to help support high quality educators, counselors and medical care

Time—Tribe Rising is an all-volunteer organization that is supported by some 35 people of varying talents and professional skills

Talent and Skills—finance/accounting, graphic design, advertising and marketing, florist, computer scientist, project manager, Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor, Educator

Jesuit educator expertise—the entire province of the Jesuits of West Bengal has focused its philanthropy on creating an education network for Santal students

Relationships—with donors across a broad field of experience/lifestyle; 95% of occur current donors have supported us for multiple years

Partners—Jesuits of West Bengal

Donors/Sponsors—among our 2022 sponsors (to date) 90% increased their giving from last year, several doubling and one almost tripling their commitment

Our Passion—150% personal, and long-term family foundation commitment from the Venables; Annette’s full-time job

We have provided over 600 scholarships to deserving students since our inception.
We completed construction of the first girls' dormitory despite a two-year global pandemic lockdown in the area.
We have hired a counselor and a math teacher, our first specialty staff who are outside of the tribe.
We are building the first high school for Santal students. It will be a modern, fully equipped building for up to 1,200 students.
We have purchased additional land for expansion and are currently building a border wall to provide security for our campus.