And away we go...: Movin On Up!

Vidya Vanam is moving up in the world. Just in the past two weeks, so many great changes have come to the school. Last Saturday, a team of five special education analysts came and tested our students for learning disabilities, with great success. For us as teachers and observers, they gave great insight into our students and confirmed some of our suspicions of their deficiencies in the classroom. Now we are better equipped to help them. Today our new playground was installed, and the kids spent most of the day looking out the window and planning out what they will play with first. They can hardly contain themselves. You will see in the pictures how colorful the equipment is and it really adds a great effect to the front of the school. In addition, our new classroom block has been finished and a more secure gate has been erected in place of the old bamboo one. We are worn out from all the excitement but it has been a great time to be at the school. There are pictures below of all our new ventures (playground photos later this week).

Recently we also published a new brochure, titled “A Personal Appeal”. After reanalyzing our appeal for support, we realized that we wanted potential donors and supporters of Vidya Vanam to know what kind of personal impact they would be having. A few of you lucky ones will be getting the appeal sent to you in the mail, but I am also bringing a lot back to the US when I return. What many of us don’t realize is how far a little money can go, and how much it can change one person’s life. For 7,500 Indian Rupees, a child can attend school here at VV for an entire year – that is less than $150, one trip to the grocery store (or in my case, J.Crew). For a rural child in India, one year in school with teachers who are trained and care about the students can transform their lives and stretch their imagination. The change over five years or ten years is unthinkable. When a child tells me in January he wants to be a brick worker, and then in March comes back and says he wants to be a photographer, I know the change is happening. For $150, he has freed his mind and imagination, opened up his life to change and progress, and visualized a world outside of his world. Who knows what will happen for him – the point is the possibility is there.

I know you are now scrambling to locate your checkbook. Don’t worry – I will be browbeating every single one of you for a donation when I see you. That is a joke (sort of), but what I am dead serious about is how little you have to give to make a difference. Obviously we are all struggling in the finance department at the moment, but this appeal is for the long term. I can assure you ten times over that your donation will be put to good use – I can even name the child whose future you are funding. All you need to do is go to Costco this week instead of Whole Foods and your donation is ready. Some donors give just enough money to pay for the afternoon snacks for a year – a small financial support that makes a huge difference in stabilizing the nutritional health of our students. Another donor will provide lined notebooks. Each donation opens up money for more growth and every little bit helps. I promise I will not be letting any of you forget that.