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

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 300 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. The local community donations help cover the running costs.

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.  

School No. 3 (Dec 2008) in 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.

School No. 4 (Jan 2009)Address: Abhyudaya Nagar Secondary School, Saibaba Path in 'F' south
ward of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Educo is taking over this delapidated school in southern central Mumbai. The school is a 6 storey buidling, with capacity for 66 classrooms. However, due to previous lack of funding, it had fallen into almost complete disrepair. Educo aims to renovate this school in 2009 - re doing the plasterwork and paintwork. We will then aim to improve the classroom facilities, adding computers, broadband and introducing English medium teaching. Ultimately, when this project is fully rolled out over the coming 2 years, over 3,000 children will receive an education here.

Age: These will be taught to children from nursery infants up to the mid teens – approx. ages 2 to 15.

Student cost: The students will pay a token 150 rupees per month (€3) towards the cost of maintaining the school and the 20 teachers. The school is targeting those pupils who cannot get into the dramatically overcrowded state school system, but who cannot afford the excellent but often very expensive religious schools.

Timeframe: This school opens in January 2008.

Budget: This is being finalised, in line with contractors' tenders.

Project No. 5:-  Books for Children