Supporting 380 children at the Rishabdev Boarding in Rajastan, India

Project location: India, Rajastan
Project start date: June 2010 - Project end date: June 2011
Project number: 2010-10
Beneficiary: Associazione Amici delle Missionarie dell’Immacolata

FINAL REPORT 2010-10

Timeline: June 2010- May 2011

After the school preparation in the month of June the lessons in the boarding school started on the first of July (the school year finishes at the beginning of May) with 320 children attending the classes (of which 193 boys and 127 girls). This included eight new orphans coming from Mother Teresa's Congregation in Mumbai. The lessons provided by the school go from junior/senior reception to the eighth class.

There were 10 teachers in the school, one for each class, and in addition to that, the two fathers, one catechist and a sister supported the teaching of specific subjects. Specifically for the girls there was also a second sister with plenty of experience and a loving attitude helping them to prepare for their future role in the family.

In addition to the regular studies some additional tuition was provided to some children with difficulties and to older children who had left the boarding school but were continuing the studies, after the eighth class, in state schools.

Two separate projects brought a significant improvement in the facilities of the school. The first one was a computer and television room, it has been funded by local benefactors, a sign that the school is gaining consensus in the local community. The second was a solar heating and lighting system, funded by the Associazione Amici delle Missionarie dell'Immacolata and approved by last year boarding committee.

The classrooms are clean and tidy and are fitted with the essential furniture. From this year the English lessons have been incremented and the new television provides a good support to these lessons.

Computing lessons also started for the bigger children. This is a significant step forward for the hope for a better future for these children.

The compound provided plenty of space for the children to play and there were some organised activities to keep them busy (e.g. Dances).

A lot of stress was given from the sisters and the teachers to the personal hygiene of the children although the facilities, toilets and shower-rooms, are still very poor.

The children clothing, both the uniform used during school time and one other garment used outside school time, were clean and decent. The school focuses on teaching them the importance of their appearance.

Their diet, in spite of being very repetitive, was well balanced and kept into consideration the local customs and religious limitation (many children would not eat meat). They received three meals a day including cereal, milk and fruit.

The boarding is provided with a small casualty point and the children received regular medical checks and the medicines that they require.

During the course of the last year, the association both managed to fully support the school and the children for the maintenance of the running costs and to finance a couple of special projects resulting in the re-doing of the children toilets, bathrooms and kitchen, with great improvement in the overall hygene provided to them, and the setting up of a little library for the school.

For the future the association has identified the need for a better and more regular maintenance of the buildings and the facilities which are constantly under attack from the weather and the presence of so many children.