Through the extraordinary support of staff from Sky TV UK, and their partners in Mumbai and Bangalore, £81,000, was raised to build the first phase of this ambitious school project: Paravour Primary School. Opened in 2015 with 20 pupils, the school now accommodates 145 children, plus 8 teachers and a full complement of ancillary staff. This year’s annual intake will see numbers increasing to 230. To cope with this, the school has constructed a first-floor extension which adds seven more classrooms and a staff room to the current building, at a cost of £26,000. The school took out a bank loan to cover this cost. Lotus Flower Trust has been asked to fund £10,000 of this. Over the next four years it is anticipated numbers will grow to a remarkable 480 children in 12 classes.

The school has been a resounding success. It has been approved by the local Education Authorities who question why the school was not built in the city where more money could be made! Villages in the Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu, where the school is located, are very poor. Before Paravour School was built, there were only a few poorly run schools and children for the most part were not interested in becoming educated. When Lotus Flower Trust was approached by Mrs Priscilla Joshee, the school’s founder, to fund the school to cater for the Dalit caste who live in this very poor district, we were only too glad to help.

Mrs Joshee’s vision is to one day develop the school into an Inter College, covering all levels of education from Kindergarten to High School. She wants to provide long term education in a loving, caring and safe environment for children who otherwise will get very little or none. From this school will come young adults capable of breaking the bonds of the caste system and will be able to play a part in developing India.

Please support the Paravour School first floor extension, help educate these very poor children and Donate if you can.