Punya Pragati

An Inspired Vision to Help Registration No. 1222 / IV of Year 2009

First Quarter – Year 2012 January ’12 – March ‘12

Registered Office:

25, Kalathiappan Street,

B-253,Kalpa-Vriksh Apts,

Choolai, Chennai—600112

Phone: 26481256

Web: www.punya.org.in Mail: [email protected]

Punya Pragati – The official quarterly reporter of Punya

Punya Pragati – The official quarterly reporter of Punya – First Quarter 2012

Punya – An Inspired Vision To Help – Visit us at www.punya.org.in Page 2

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From the Founder’s Desk

I N S I D E

T H I S

I S S U E :

Dear friends and all the well wishers of Punya, Greetings to everyone and I hope that the till now the year 2012 would have usher in a new era of expanded health, happiness, freedom and profound joy for all of you! I am pleased to publish the first quarter of 2012 edition of Punya Pragati. I am very much delighted to inform you about the new focus area of Punya – Micro finance lending! We have ventured into micro-financing in collaboration with Milaap Foundation. You can get more details about the loans/borrowers in this report. For those who are new to this concept, microfinance is the idea that low-income individuals are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty if given access to financial services. It’s a loan, not a donation. This means that we get our full loan amount back once the borrower repays it. Through our small loans we enable borrowers to pursue the means that lead to an improved standard of living. This will lead to empowered communities, healthier society, and educated households In Feb 2012, I was selected as one of the 80 young leaders to participate in competitive leadership development program in Los Angeles, CA which focused on corporate social responsibility, social enterprise, and sustainability. I happened to meet some of the best social minds across the globe which enhanced my thinking style to be more dominant and explorative! I also took this opportunity to introduce PUNYA to global audience and it received much appreciation. It is through this program and after meeting the CEO of Inventure Fund Shivani Siroya, the seed idea of micro finance lending got more solid foundation . I Punya's last quarter fund raising efforts generated Rs.15800 for the social development activities. A big thanks to our donors and volunteers without their support and trust, we wouldn’t have reached here today. I look forward to your comments/suggestions on this report. I wish you all happy days head! And please remember our commitment continues! In deep gratitude, I remain for your trust and support! Thank you, Varun Singhi Founder and Chief Volunteer Punya – An Inspired Vision to Help



Details of activities executed in the first quarter of 2012 (January 2012 – March 2012)



Event # 21- 29

Last quarter, Punya ventured into micro finance lending and provided loan for nine projects in rural Tamil Nadu and West Bengal states of India. These projects were focused on energy and sanitation areas. Microfinance is a general term to describe financial services to low-income individuals or to those who do not have access to typical banking services. India has over 150 million households with no access to essentials like water, sanitation, healthcare, education and energy. Small scale artisans are forced to shut shop prematurely because of lack of access to market links. These needs can be met through access to low cost capital, affordable and relevant products, services and market links. Punya partnered with Milaap and its field partners that have a strong presence at the grass roots and a deep understanding of the audience to identify key challenges and communities that face these challenges



Long Term Impact of Micro Finance to Rural Entrepreneurs



Contribution received and Donation Utilization during the period from Jan - Mar 2012



Bills and Acknowledgements





Filings of Income Tax Returns for the Financial Year ending Mar 2012. Punya charitable trust plans to file income Tax returns in the next quarter for the financial year ending on March 2012. The entire Website Development Work Punya‘s website is currently live with limited functionality. The complete website work is expected to get completed in the next two months. The website has been designed by two software working professionals based out of New Jersey, US .They have been working on the website on a pro bono basis!

Hope” is a good thing, may be the best of things and good thing ever dies. We must count our blessings, for

there are many who haven‟t been blessed that well.”

Friends, We appreciate your concerns for the underprivileged and downtrodden. Your donation to Punya will help us continue to make an impact in supporting some of the best developmental efforts in India. Your support will promote the empowerment of women, provide educational assistance to the needy and rejuvenate rural impoverished communities. Please send in your kind contribution to the below account details

After a successful transaction, kindly fill in the details by clicking on this link HERE to intimate us. Once we receive your intimation, we will send you a formal email acknowledgement.

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Bank Name : HDFC Branch : VEPERY CHENNAI A/c Number : 10731450000282 A/c Name : Punya Charitable Trust IFSC CODE : HDFC0001073

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