Suresh Ambat founded Building Blocks in 2005 to provide education to children in slums in Bangalore. Currently, Building Blocks operates 7 learning centers educating over 500 children. The organization aims to empower children through education, provide nutritious meals, and teach life skills. Building Blocks assesses its impact through evaluating children's progress, teacher performance reviews, and ensuring children integrate hygiene practices. The organization fundraising through social media, donor visits to centers, and maintaining relationships with current donors.

1. GAP Intensive
Discovery Information Set
Changemaker: Suresh Ambat
Organization: Building Blocks
Website: http://buildingblocksindia.org/

2. About the CM / Organization
Social Entrepreneur passionate to bring about a change and
working in the field of Education for children. Hailing from a
small village, experiencing the impact education had in his life,
strongly believes education can bring about a change in all the
children’s lives,. Believes these kids can make a diff in the
future. Now 66 with full of energy, had a turning point
questioning the purpose of life that kindled him to start
Building Blocks
Building Blocks began with a single centre in Bangalore in
2005. Currently, Building Blocks has 7 learning centres in
different parts of Bangalore, educating 578 children, and is in
the process of opening more. All centers follow a structured
program to educate children from the slums.

3. Discovery Information Report-
Key Insights from A Team
 “When I visited Suresh's 'Building Block​' school, the
friendly nature of people was something that struck me.
The kids and the teachers were so much happy with
what they were doing.”

4. Discovery Information Report-
Key Insights from A Team
Spot the potential
“Suresh's vision to create a school which also teaches students to be on their own as
entrepreneurs by learning trades is a big opportunity and will have a significant
impact on the society. Secondary education is no more considered as an end and is
generally aimed to prepare the students for High School and College levels, but not
everyone can/will want to go for High School/college education. Learning trade is an
important aspect for the student to find what they love to do and earn by doing what
they love to do.”

5. Vision and Focus
We envision a future India free from poverty where
all children, regardless of background or class
have equal opportunity to get an education.
To develop entrepreneurs as they finish schooling
as against job seekers.

6. Goals
 Child centric school up till 10th to cater to the same target
group by 2019
 women empowerment – skill development, financial enable,
SHGs
 Process enabled organization that will enable to focus on
development ideas. Come out of micro management.
 Sustainability for building blocks as on organization

7. Leadership and Organisation
Structure
Founder –
Suresh
Ambat
Finance
team
Curriculum
supervisor
Centre
Head
Teaching
Staff
Non
Teaching
Staff
Cook
Social
Workers
Project
MGR
Project +10

8. Board & Governance
 7 member on the Board – known people
 Bangalore based businessmen
 Meet once in 6 months
 President – Suresh
 Secretary – Sushanth Lyall
 Treasurer – Joseph Fernandez
 Others are members
 Though there is regular interaction, decision making is
with the president and his team as they are involved in the
day to day activities

9. Audit & Compliance
• CA from Vittal Roa kaliswaran Co. conducts yearly audit
with April to September as the first quarter, while an
internal auditor conducts every month.
• Audit completed till 31st March 2017
• 80G , 12 A, FCRA, Registration certificate all in place

10. Financial Management
 ESTIMATED BUDGET
 Each school has different donor and different funding partners, hence
budget is submitted to them based on the arrangement with them.
 Amount required for per child per school = Rs. 30,000
 Total number of children per school = X (differs in each school)
 Total number of school = 7
 Estimated budget for individual school:
 30,000*X
 Overall Estimated Budget
 (30,000*X*7)+ Administrative Expenses of HO

11. Program Operations
 Free, quality English medium education through 7 KG Schools
 Nutritious meals twice a day
 After School Program for the graduates of Building Blocks
SCHOOL NO OF CHILDREN IN
SCHOOL
AFTER SCHOOL
PROGRAM
SUPPORTED BY
Azalea 72 48 Boeing International
Bluebells 74 38 Trans Asia Shipping
Co.
Carnation 85 36 Chaya foundations &
Kiran Anjali project
Daisyy 78 13 Goldman Sacs
Edelweiss 77 54 Boeing International
Freesia 87 Rawal Family
Gardenia 41 2 donors French
organisation –
Sunshine for A school &
Let’s Do Some Good

12. Program Operations
 Foster home for children from street, sponsored through
project+10. Second one on its way for another 8 girls
 MONITORING & EVALUATION
 Daily report of all activities from the centre head of all
schools is sent to the admin both about the regular school
and afterschool program – who thereby provides summary
to the founder
 Summary includes - Staff attendance, attendance of children,
reason for absence, activities , food served, visitors if any , report
and maintenance
 Daily finance report from all the schools is also submitted
to the Founder. Accounts info received from branches are
collated centrally in tally, details maintained online
 Curriculum supervisor conducts surprise visits the
various school , to maintain the quality of implementation
by observing, checking, etc

13. Planning
 Strategic focus is to bring about a change by imparting
education.
 Operational Focus is on
 sustaining the existing 7 schools and
 starting one big school that will cater till 10th grade
 Tactical Planning :
 Existing Model: Daily process and routine in place which is
uniform to all schools,
 New Big School: Identification of place in the final stage
Plan for the school - ready
Funds & Marketing – planning stage
 Collaborations
 Two main collaborations Dream India Network , Casa
Foundation
 DIN have provided premises of 2 school and place to conduct
big events.

14. Fundraising
Fund Raising Team: Fund raising is mostly taken care by Founder himself along
with Project +10 Manager who coordinates with the social media by maintaining
and uploading records of the children. Son who is a professional musician has
powerful connects with corporates
 Global & Corporate connections through word of mouth
 Social media is a major source to connect globally – posting photos and
videos of the beneficiaries in their own words
 Crowd funding
 Donate button in the website that enables international donors to contribute
STRATEGIES
Reaching out to known contact through word of mouth is one of the major
strategy followed in building blocks to raise funds. Most of the donors have
continued to stay on.
 Display of progress – this is the proven method where donors are invited to
school to spend some time with the children, they get impressed with the
impact, and get engaged with the school.
 Interaction between donors & beneficiaries: Maintaining a good network
and relationship with the current donors by updating them periodically through
photos, videos and encouraging continuous interaction personally too

15. Impact Assessment
 Outcome to the beneficiaries :
 Education is not given much importance as the parents are
illiterate and don't understand that it can be a tool to break the
poverty cycle. We strongly believe that learning English can have
a major impact on the future of the child. There are some
government-run preschools called "Anganwadis" but they teach
the children in local language. Parents that are aware of the
benefits of teaching English, enrol them in our pre-school.
 We provide children a healthy breakfast and lunch to ensure that
their nutritional needs are met at the school. We know that the
parents have no money to feed the many children they have.
These things have been continuing for generations so they don't
question this lifestyle or try to step out of this.
 Emphasis on health & hygiene by inculcating good habit of
washing hands before and after meals and after using the
washroom every time

16. Impact Assessment..
 Key impact on the beneficiaries and the communities
 Children get an education (in English) in a safe, fun environment with two nutritious
meals, 6 days a week. We also provide them with access to medical attention.
 Our project also gives these children more of an opportunity to "be a child". Keeping
them away from the rough, harsh and often times intense environment of the slum,
and bringing them into a nurturing school environment that offers them the
opportunity to live and enjoy their childhood.
 Family of Student - Parents have consistently told us that they are seeing changes in
the child that affect the family. The child away at school every day can free the mother
up to take on a part time job such as cleaning houses (or something else) which
provides additional income to the family. Students are also sharing things learned
with other siblings and the mothers. Toys and Gifts received from donations are also
utilised by the entire family. We also believe that parents that see positive change in
their children, with regards to self-confidence, language skills (English), cleanliness
and all of the other qualities acquired being in a school environment -- will be less
likely to take them out of school to be placed on the street to beg.
 Building Blocks now is a medium through which about 511 children get an education
and over 206 graduated students are placed in different schools through generous
sponsors from around the world to educate them all the way to grade 10 . This makes
a huge impact on them as well as the community that they belong to.

17. Impact Assessment..
 Tools that are regularly used to measure and assess
the impact of the various projects
 Manual tools developed by the school
 Child’s progress
 Weekly evaluation
 Quarterly evaluation (September, December and April)
 EYFS (Early Year Foundation Stage) sheet for each child is
maintained
 Teacher Evaluation
 Evaluation process for the teacher performance by the
curriculum team (Teachers duty chart). 95% improvement in
method of teaching and implementing standards in
curriculum

18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIgK
3HpRRLI
https://youtu.be/z8o6UTGbtTA
Videos of Changemaker
• Building Blocks India
• Building Blocks Journey with GAP