Summary of our trip to the Evening School in Vadakkankulam, Koliyankulam:

My husband Balaji and I made a short trip to the school during April 2008.  Our overall impression is that the school is successfully delivering its objective of providing basic education to 42 children.

Despite the small space and the lack of facilities, the children seemed eager and enthusiastic to learn.  The small space was divided into 3 classrooms and each had a teacher.   We were really impressed by the discipline and the good manners of the children. All three teachers and Hema in particular are very sincere and one can see how much affection and regard the children have for them.  The children greeted us with garlands and kumkum and we found it extremely welcoming.  There were many touching stories about some of the children who were coming to school despite difficult family circumstances.  I think it is to the great credit of the teachers that the children continue to stay in school.  They were clearly learning a lot. They talked freely with us, and even though I do not speak Tamil I felt I was communicating well with them. Balaji of course could talk to them in Tamil and I think they really enjoyed conversing with him.  We were happy to help them a little by giving them notebooks.  Later, we met many of the mothers who seemed interested in making sure their children were getting educated.

We were also struck by the amount of effort and the genuine devotion of the Managing Trustee Mr. Jegan.  Within limited resources, he has been able to sustain the Evening School effort through hard work and dedication.  The children are clearly very fond of him and he is an excellent role model as well as a source of inspiration for them.  He has worked successfully towards gaining the confidence of the parents.  Along with Mr. Ganapathirajan, he has set the school on a good track.  Going forward, we would like to create opportunities for the older children to develop technical /vocational skills, so that they maybe employable in the local area.  Mr. Jegan has begun the process of investigating what can be done, and how to approach this important next phase in the role of the school.

In closing, I would like to emphasize that while no single person can solve all the problems of poverty and ignorance, the Evening School is an outstanding example of what can be done by a few dedicated people and an industrious trustee working together.

By

KIRAN & BALAJI, USA