Precious Time with our Friends from USA, Ethiopia & Sri Lanka

Posted: 31 January 2023

Earlier this month (January 2023), our friends Mr. Greg Buie (Executive Director & Co-Founder, Visions Global Empowerment USA), Mr. Amsalu Desie (Executive Director, Visions Global Empowerment Ethiopia), and Mr. Mayuran Antony (Executive Director, Visions Global Empowerment Sri Lanka) paid us a week-long visit. All the organizations represented are independent organizations managed by their own respective Board of Directors and governed under the laws of their own countries, including Visions Global Empowerment India. However, we all share a common mission and a common name. Our esteemed guests spent time visiting several of our after-school programs and interacting with students. They also met with some of our university scholars. We had many interesting and fruitful discussions and happily shared with them a little of our beautiful country and culture, including celebrating the Pongal holiday together.

6th Annual Youth Talents Meet Brings Joy & Excitement

Posted: 2 January 2023

This December 2022, Visions India hosted its 6th annual Youth Talents Meet event with nearly 500 youth from communities across Tamil Nadu participating in this flagship event. Youth demonstrated their talents in dance, art, singing, sports and more, with friendly competitions and games taking place between youth from our various after-school centers. As always, this event was made possible through the generosity and support of the local community, our amazing staff, and our friends at Visions USA. Thanks to all who joined us and made this fun event possible!

Visions Co-Founder Dr. Meera Pathmarajah Visits Tamil Nadu

Posted: 23 September 2022

We were thrilled to welcome Visions Global Empowerment (USA) Co-Founder Dr. Meera Pathmarajah to a visit to some of our after-school centers and a meeting with our Community Educators. Meera was visiting Tamil Nadu with her family and made time to check in on our progress. As one of the leaders behind the Blue Brick School project, Meera was especially interested in seeing how the pilot of the Blue Brick School English-language pre-K content was going at the centers where we are currently conducting testing. It is always a pleasure to have Meera here with us to share her insights and expertise. We are already looking forward to her next visit!

Article Published: “Reusable sanitary napkins in rural India: a remote quality improvement project for adolescent girls promoting menstrual hygiene health during the COVID-19 pandemic”

Visions India is proud to have assisted researcher Samantha Sassone of Duke University (North Carolina, USA) with her study on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education and the adoption of reusable sanitary napkins amongst rural young women in India.

Abstract: Medical and public health research supports an ongoing need for health promotion in meeting menstrual hygiene needs, including menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education and the adoption of reusable sanitary napkins. This quality improvement project focuses on menstruation education for adolescent girls in rural Tamil Nadu, India and the promotion of reusable sanitary napkins. Results indicate a significant improvement in MHM knowledge, confidence in managing menstruation, adoption of reusable sanitary napkins, and a decrease in missed school days. These findings support global recommendations for health promotion in India.

Celebrating 6 years of service!

Posted: 15 August 2022

Visions India Granted FCRA Status!

Posted: 15 February 2021

After many years of working to complete the necessary requirements to receive federal recognition under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, Visions Global Empowerment India was formally granted “FCRA status” today (# 076040441)! Originally incorporated in August 2016, Visions India first had to complete 3 years of operations before being eligible to apply for this recognition, and then began the arduous legal process of securing FCRA recognition. Our entire team is uplifted by today’s news, and we look forward to continuing to grow our organization with the support of friends both domestic and international in the years ahead!

Enabling Virtual Learning Through Tablets

Posted: 26 September 2020

Without a doubt, the ongoing pandemic has caused massive disruptions to education throughout the world. For our university scholars, it has been no different. With classes transitioning to virtual instruction only, many of our university scholarship recipients found themselves without any technological device with which to learn.

In turn, Visions India committed to making sure all of our university scholars have the necessary tools to continue learning as best as possible at this very difficult time. Tablet devices and bluetooth keyboards are being provided to those students in need, which can essentially function the same as a laptop computer.

We started this initiative by distributing tablets to the first 6 recipients today - Geetha, Jebasheela, Mariammal, Swedha, Sasikala & Vaitheeswari. They all expressed their appreciation for this vital support. “It gives me energy to work hard and focus on my online classes. It is a treasure which I will always cherish,” shared K. Mariammal. “I never thought I would go for higher education. I didn't dream of having a tab. It is a blessing for me. Thanks a lot to Visions,” commented K. Vaitheeswari.

We are thankful to all who supported this critical initiative!

2019 Visions “Youth Talents Meet” Event Held

Posted: 1 December 2019

This year, 239 youth from across our Visions India after-school Learning & Empowerment Centers took place in our annual Youth Talents Meet event. As always, it was a great display of talents, happiness and teamwork. In total, our team distributed 60 1st places prizes, 60 2nd place prizes, 60 3rd place prizes and 50+ participation prizes, so that all children were recognized and felt encouraged.

In addition to our incredible staff Ambily & Anbarasi, one of our university scholarship students (Ms. Arulrasi) helped to put on the event, along with the support of her peers and her college principal.

We wish to congratulate the following 3 Learning & Empowerment Centers which emerged as our overall champions for this year:

1st Prize: Algananthal

2nd Prize: Olaiyur

3rd Prize: Kannapanthal

Visions India Advisory Board Meets

Posted: 17 July 2019

On Tuesday, July 16th, 2019 the 3rd meeting of the Visions Global Empowerment India Advisory Board was held at our head office in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. We welcomed several new members, remembered our member Governor Sudarshan Agarwal who recently passed away, shared the accomplishments of the past one year and discussed plans for how to enhance our work & reach (particularly in the areas of leadership & technology).

Our new members are Ms. Sangeetha Nair (Chennai), Mr. P. Chandrasekaran (Trichy), Mr. Antony Edwin (Bangalore), Sister Bernadu Mary (Pondicherry), and Mr. Reveendra Nathan (Viruthachalam). They bring with them a breadth of experience from law to business to health — and above all else, to social service. Welcome to all!

Honoring a Great Humanitarian - Governor Sudarshan Agarwal

Posted: 3 July 2019

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Governor Sudarshan Agarwal, who had served on our Visions India Advisory Board for the past few years. Governor Agarwal served as Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha for over 12 years and later on as the Member of the Human Rights Commission. He also served as Governor of the States of Uttarakhand and Sikkim from January 2003 to July 2008. He is a former President of the Delhi Gymkhana Club, former Director of Rotary International (1987 – 89), and an active supporter of the Him Jyoti School in Dehradun. He was a great humanitarian with a huge heart and a lifelong commitment to service. He is an example to us all, and he will be sorely missed.

Visions India Team Lead Mr. Shylet Moni Wins "Local Partner of the Year" Award!

Posted: 12 April 2017

Our very own Visions India Team Lead Mr. Shylet Moni was awarded the 2016 “Local Partner of the Year” Award by Visions Global Empowerment (USA) last week! Each year, Visions honors those individuals who in the true spirit of service made the greatest contributions to its work over the past year. These individuals embody the values of the organization and the qualities of a leader that Visions seeks to instill in others through its efforts.

Quoting directly from Visions Global Empowerment (USA), "It is with great esteem and admiration that we present our Visions 2016 “Local Partner of the Year” Award to Mr. Shylet Moni, Team Lead at Visions Global Empowerment India (www.visionsindia.org). Joining our Visions team a few years ago as a Leadership Program Manager, Shylet quickly demonstrated both his capacity and his eagerness to lead an organization himself. We were happy to support Shylet in his efforts to establish a new, independent organization in India thru which we could implement our ongoing efforts – soon after, Visions Global Empowerment India was born. Today, Shylet manages a staff of 3 and oversees the Visions Leadership Program (at 26 villages), e-Learning Program (at 6 schools), Youth Guidance & Support Program, DREAM Youth Leadership Magazine, and more. The amount of progress he has made over the past year has been truly phenomenal, and we know he will continue to amaze us as he grows Visions India and impacts the lives of many thousands more deserving youth."

e-Learning Program 2016 "Top Teacher Awards" Announced

Posted: 19 September 2016

We are very pleased to announce the winners of our Visions India e-Learning Program "Top Teachers Award" for 2016:

• 1st Place: Mrs. J.A. Femi (St. John Vianney's School, Palliady, TN)

• 2nd Place: Ms. Sujatha G. (St. Norbert School, Trichy, TN)

• 3rd Place (tie): Mr. Livingston (D.M. School, Melvalai, TN)

• 3rd Place (tie): Mrs. Antony Jabastin (St. Anne's School, Nagercoil, TN)

Congrats to the winners of our first annual competition, who went above & beyond in making the e-Learning Program a great success at their schools!