The Proposal: A New School in Vesai, Mumbai

School 1 In Mumbai

School 2 opened in April 2008

School No.3 in Sahar Village

School 4

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Kerala Books

Vesai School no.1 (Jan 2008)was built to serve both poor and orphaned primary school children in Mumbai (Bombay). The school is based in Vesai, about an hour outside Mumbai metropolis. The school caters for about 80 handicapped pupils, but has capacity for 500 pupils. Once morning, afternoon and evening classes begin, there will be capacity to teach over 500 pupils. Classes are taught in "English Medium", as this facilitates the students getting better jobs later in life.

Those that can, will pay a nominal 150 rupees a month. Local community donations help cover the running costs.

Kolkata School No. 2 (Feb 2008) was set up in central Kolkata (Calcutta) as an "Educentre" to teach vocational skills to teenage pupils. Many of the targeted pupils are streetchildren who, through poverty, did not receive an education. Traditionally many of these children got by with proceeds from the sex trade. What the Educentre aims to do is to teach them Life Skills e.g cooking, waitressing, computer skills, photography, dressmaking and so forth, as well as basic education. In this way, these teenagers can become self sufficient in a longterm sustainable way.

Assam School No. 3 (Dec 2008) in Pengree, Assam. This school has been built as a joint project between Educo and Monaghan man Eoin Finnegan. The school has capacity for almost 800 pupils, and currently has over 500 attending class. This new concrete built school is based in the remote northeast province of Assam, in a rural village of mainly bonded tea garden labourers. Access is difficult and time consuming; While we have a computer lab with 20 computers, broadband speed is still very slow. This school, St Xavier’s, is run the Jesuits, in line with the Educo charter. Sahar Village will be a purpose built school suitable for primary and secondary school pupils. Teaching will be provided by the Handmaids Of the Blessed Trinity, but will be multidenominational i.e allowing the large Hindu and Muslim minorities integrate best with the local Christian majority, as well as the smaller numbers of Buddhist and Jain followers.

Mumbai School No. 4 (Jan 2009) Address: Abhyudaya Nagar Secondary School, Saibaba Path in 'F' south ward of Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Educo is adopting what was a delapidated school in southern central Mumbai. The school is an impressive 6 storey building, with capacity for 66 classrooms. However, due to a previous lack of funding, it had fallen into almost complete disrepair. Educo is working with the Mumbai Municipal Corporation now to gradually renovate the school. To date the corporation has been exceptionally helpful in renovating sections of the building. Educo now teaches kindergarten children in newly replastered and repainted classrooms. Annual intake is increasing by about 100 pupils per year. (No tuition fees are charged). Educo has also worked to redevelop and enhance the computer lab. The first cohort of older children (standards 5 – 10) are learning how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, email, Internet and Skype. It is inspiring to see Meenal’s work behind the scenes bearing fruit: - currently 842 pupils are learning computer skills here.

Assam School No.5 Educo has plans to work again with the Jesuits to develop a St Stanilaus school in Assam, within 15km of our existing St Xaviers school. This school may be completed in 2010

Kolkata School No.6 Educo colunteer Iain McDonald is currently doing a feasibility study with Arvind Sinha and school Principal Shazia, with a view to developing a kindergarten school in Tangra, in Kolkata. If this proves feasible educo will fudn this school in 2010. .

Project No. 5:-  Books for Children