Activity Report Ebenezer School Karwi August/September 2019
A new semester has started after a summer vacation starting the second week of May. The temperatures were reaching 50 degrees, making it very hard for both the children and the staff. Attendance is low in all schools in the area in this heat, so a vacation was ‘warmly’ welcomed. This year the maximum capacity of of 500 students was reached earlier than in former years, and several families were declined. It was heartbreaking to see parents who had travelled quite some distance to enroll their child in the program leave the office in disappointment. These were encouraged to contact the School office for the next school year.
The children started coming back to school the 1st of July. They were very excited and expectant for a new semester starting. They all received school equipment which included a backpack, school uniforms, clothes for PT, text books, fully equipped pencil case, and a geometry box for the Junior Class children. The handing-out process took quite some time but was a joyful experience as always. The staff had a hard time controlling the excitement of the children and keeping them calm.
Stories:
1. Name of Child Class Age
A. Sheelu Singh 8th 15 Years
B. Anshika Singh 4th 10 Years
C. Ayush Singh 3rd 9 Years
The father of these children, Mr Arjun Sing, is a farmer. As farming is dependent on the monsoon and therefore unpredictable, income is unpredictable. A team doing a ‘door to door’ campaign visited the family to tell about the benefit program. He was first reluctant, having a big family to provide for and little money, but seemed interested. Some days later a new team came to visit. Mr Singh asked if he could have a fee concession for one child if he enrolled all three of them. The Headmaster accepted his request and the father was excited to enroll his kids to the school.
Seeing the growth in the children and their excitement about attending school, his older brother living next door has now decided to send his children to the School for the next session.
2. Name of Child Class Age
A. Gudia Devi 1st 6 Years
B. Komal Devi U.K.G. 5 Years
These little girls live with their father Mr. Bhupat Singh in a small hut made out of tin and hay. He is a farmer and owns a guava orchard. The crops are often damaged by pests so providing for the family is hard. The Staff met Mr Bhupat when he was preparing to head for the fruit market. He invited the staff inside. When the staff were explaining about the Benefit program one could see a growing hope in his eyes for a better life for his daughter. He interrupted them in the middle of a sentence saying he would send his daughters to the school the next day.
After three months in school, Mr. Bhupat is very happy and grateful for this opportunity given to his children, as well as to the other kids in the area.
Children Enrolled in the Ebenezer School (Class wise) for the year 19/20
S.No. Class Number of Children
1. L.K.G. 63
2. U.K.G. 41
3. 1st 46
4. 2nd 55
5. 3rd 51
6. 4th 53
7. 5th 65
8. 6th 53
9. 7th 38
10. 8th 35
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TOTAL 500
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