In 2015 The Foundation also commenced support for the East Coast Primary School in Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu, India. Our first grant was for £1,500 to construct a roof to cover three classrooms replacing old, leaking asbestos sheeting.

The Principal at East Coast Primary School, Mr G. Raja, had this to say about our support:

“We are thankful to your organisation for helping our school which provides education to semi-orphan and ‘Dalit’ caste children. Without your help we cannot provide education for these deserving children.”

A little about the school and it’s difficult circumstances:

  • The school provides education to predominantly Dalit children aged 3 to 11 who would not normally have access to education because of their low caste status.

  • The school survives solely off donations.

  • The school trucks in fresh water every other day. This is the only reliable fresh water most children have access to (the school’s bore-hole water supply was contaminated by the December 2015 floods).

  • School fees are 5,000 rupees per year (£50), but currently less than 40 of the 102 children in school belong to families who can pay all or most of the fees. Donations make up the difference.

One of our trustees, John, spent a week volunteering with the school and had this to say:

“A full week’s volunteering was draining, particularly in 35 degree heat and without the aid of AC or fans, but reading and pronunciation sessions with the older children and three separate 1 hour sessions with the teachers working on pronunciation and grammar were amazingly motivational: Can you imagine, nine staff, on minimal salaries, sat for an hour at the end of a hard day in unbearable heat, studying intently. Wow.”