Blog

Deepa Padmanabhan is an ESL Volunteer for Vellore Project. She joined the Ann foundation in 2010. During her trip to India, she had the opportunity to visit students at the IELC School for the Blind. She recalled her interaction with the children and teachers of IELC to us with enthusiasm saying that it was a truly motivating experience. During their meeting, she was pleasantly surprised when the children welcomed her by introducing themselves in English. They spoke to her at [...]

Every Ann Foundation volunteer instructor I’ve interacted with has told me about the improvement they see in their wards from week to week. While affirmations of this sort are undoubtedly gratifying, a more concrete form of assessment scheme is critical to gauging the success of this initiative and using that knowledge to inform and improve our teaching methods as we go forward. The Dindigul project ESL volunteers and curriculum writers came up with an objective system of assessment founded on internationally [...]

Ann Foundation has established a strong partnership with the Institute of handicapped and backward people (IHBP)based in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. Focused on improving the standard of living, the IHBP serves as a ray of hope for those with various disabilities, and for children and women alike. The Kolkata, West Bengal project is a result of a collaboration between Dr M.A. Hasan Sahani, founder of the ,IHBP and Ann Foundation founder, Ann Moideen. The project started in June 2013 and the foundation and been associated [...]

Our Medinipur project started as a result of a collaboration between Balram Karan, founder of the Antyodoy Anath Ashram, and Ann Foundation founder, Ann Moideen. The project commenced on January 15th, 2014 and the foundation is assisting the children in their areas of need at the Ashram since then. The Ashram project aims at imparting English language skills to the children in the Ashram. The project aims at empowering children and equipping them with the right tools for a much brighter future. The foundation is [...]

Last week, on 19th June, 2014 I was given the opportunity to become a volunteer for the Ann Foundation. Upon seeing the role advertised through a sister site of the UN, I wondered, “what exactly is the Ann Foundation and what do they do?” It seems crazy that in our modern, developing 2014 world some children will never get the chance to receive the education that they are entitled to. Just today it was announced in the Guardian Newspaper that [...]

I have recently joined Ann Foundation, whose mission is to empower and educate children with disabilities. The founder of the Foundation, Ann Moideen, has encouraged me to write a blog in which I will share the emotional trauma, joy, love, hardships, and fun of raising my son. My hope is that my experience will encourage many parents in developing countries to better accept and better deal with raising a child with Down Syndrome or some other special needs. Like any [...]

My son had to be kept at the hospital for a month after being born because he had heart condition and kidney problems. In the first month he wore an oxygen mask due to his heart condition. I had to feed him every two hours and constantly watch the oxygen saturation monitor. I prayed to the Almighty and asked Him to help my son breathe. Eventually the doctor told us that we could take him home, but we were very [...]

Parents of children with special needs must always believe in their child. As a baby with Down syndrome, my son’s development has always been delayed. Normally it takes around two or three months for babies to develop stability of their neck, however in my son’s case it took almost six months. We had to do a few exercises (as per the therapist’s suggestion) with him, to help him raise his head. It was his first developmental milestone. The second milestone [...]

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education”. Ann Foundation resonates with this message. We aim to help provide disadvantaged children with a good quality of education, in order to help them strive forward in life. Here’s why education is important (according to the UN): Why is education important? Education beats poverty: one extra year of schooling increases a person’s earnings by up to 10%. 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty [...]

As said by our founder, “Ann Foundation is not a funding organization; rather, we offer guidelines, encouragement and incentives to others working to make a difference in the lives of young people.” We strive to support others in becoming sustainable, effective resources for underprivileged youth. Rather than merely donating money to partnering organizations, Ann Foundation (itself working with limited funding), offers guidance and educational resources for these initiatives. Our founder works hard to motivate small NGOs and individuals to take [...]