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

During the 2011-2012 school year, the Saint Paul School - Richabdev Boarding worked with about 450 children of which 70 have only attended the school (local children) and about 380 have lived in the boarding school. The exact children numbers fluctuate, as most of the families of the children are nomad of tribal origin and move around in a very large area and some of the children join and move out because of change family location or condition.

The usual annual visit to the school managed by the Missionarie dell'Immacolata (responsible for the girls) and father Paul (responsible for the boys and director of the school) has provided very positive impressions in the improvement of the children in many areas: school results, interpersonal relationship between children and teachers. Even the confidence of the children with the Italian Friends (the team visiting) has proven increased and this is a very good sign. The children have also shown a healthy appetite for competition in the team games part of their school curriculum.

As reported by Father Paul the library has proven more successful than expected and it's generating interest in reading.

After the usual school hours the children are helped daily by support teachers to complete homework and clarify whet done during the lessons. The children are subject to regular medical examinations in particular to early detect any illness (tbc is particularly common in poor families) and definition of necessary cure. High attention is given to the teaching of personal hygiene as a mean to prevent illness.

So, together with the school-related support the local team has been trying to help the children in all of the relevant areas of their lives in order to give them a hope that goes beyond the local opportunities of life after school.

A great contribution to a growing and continuous improvement for these children is to be credited to the fact that the Saint Paul School - Richabdev Boarding is providing them with an environment which is tidy, clean, serene and generally happy not losing sight of the strong discipline typical of their culture. At the boarding school they have received proper food, in line with their personal/traditional/religious preferences, and dedicated teachers, sisters, and fathers.

In this period of time new living spaces were completed: sleeping area (still to be increased), new kitchen with a new aluminum pot where it's prepared the food for all children, and the computer room has been better equipped. Opposite the kitchen it has been created a covered area where the children can ear, study and play when raining.

Important investments have allowed significant improvements of the infrastructure of the boarding school.