Our Crowdfunding Groups
Who Are We?
We are Projects with Underserved Communities: Team India! PUC India is a team of highly-motivated dreamers, chosen from the Cockrell School of Engineering and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. We work together to design, implement, and sustain a learning center in Sirupinayur, a village in Tamil Nadu, India. This large-scale project will provide unprecedented educational possibilities for Sirupinayur. We are excited to use our engineering and social work skills to make an impact!
From left: Victor B. (Technical Manager), Sarah J. (Communications Manager), Erica L. (Assistant Project Manager and Social/Cultural Manager), Ayah A. (Team Logistics Manager), Jane C. (Fundraising and Budget Manager), Zia L. (Project Logistics Manager and Assistant Technical Manager), Michael R. (Project Manager)
What Are We Doing?
PUC India is partnering with an Indian non-governmental organization called CASA (Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action) to design and construct a learning center for Irula children in Sirupinayur (sir-oo-PIN-ah-yUr). The Irula people of Sirupinayur are socially excluded, and their children are not allowed to attend nearby schools. This learning center will make education readily available for Irula children in Sirupinayur and several neighboring villages longing for inclusion. We will empower the Irula community by offering them equal access to education and community. Every day, our team invests hours of thought, heart, and effort in order to see our project come to fruition.
Site of PUC India 2017 project
Through PUC’s year-long development course, we’ll work with professors, experienced engineers, and CASA to design a learning center which addresses specific community needs and ensures feasibility and sustainability. In Summer 2019, our team will travel to Sirupinayur to build the learning center and establish relationships with the community. We will collaborate with villagers and local contractors to make our project a reality. But we need your help to make this possible!
Why We Need YOU
Every donation, every message, every share empowers our team to provide space and access for improved education. We are currently seeking $15,000 to support the construction of the learning center. Team members pay their own travel expenses, so all of the money raised goes directly towards impacting the Irula community. Your contribution will be used to purchase materials and construction tools, hire local contractors in India, and seek technical and cultural advising. Ultimately, your donation will directly support the education of Irula children.
Children in the village from PUC India 2017
Materials and labor will be provided by local Indian vendors. From purchasing flooring and roofing materials to seeking local contractors, this project heavily invests in the people of Sirupinayur. Our work will not only stimulate educational opportunities but also ignite the local economy. Please support our mission, our education, and most importantly, their education, by donating to our Hornraiser campaign.
Additionally, all donations are tax deductible! The donations made on this site are channeled directly through The University of Texas at Austin.
Our Message
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for spending your time to learn more about our project. Team India is passionate about using engineering and social work to empower the people of Southern India. We hope to use our skills to collaborate with others around the world, and we need YOUR help to do so. Please consider contributing to our cause by making a donation and sharing our story today!
The Irula people are famous snake catchers! They were brought to Florida to help catch the invasive Burmese Python that can grow over 23 feet long!
The time difference between Austin, Texas, and Sirupinayur, India is 11.5 hours!
Concrete, the most widely-used construction material in the world, has a density of 391.5 lbs/cubic yard.
There are about 74 million native Tamil speakers in the world! நன்றி! (Thanks!)
The highest point in Tamil Nadu, Doddabetta Peak, stands at 2,637 meters!
