The Residential School ‘Hariharananda Balashram’

- School for underprivileged children

The school

Schoolgirls and schoolboys

Classes and lessons

The teachers

School campus

The school

The ’Hariharananda Balshram’ is a charitable, and state recognized, residential school located in the little village of Arua, 80 km from Cuttack, in the Indian State of Orissa. It was opened in 2004 with the aim of helping poor children to get a home, a comprehensive education and a vocational training, which otherwise would be reserved only for those children coming from richer backgrounds. Here education is the key to combating poverty. At the moment 160 schoolgirls and schoolboys are living and learning at the residential school. In less than 10 years the school will give shelter to more than 480 pupils. The estate comprises 4 hectares.

Hand in Hand is constructing the Balashram residential school together with the local Indian non-profit organization Prajnana Mission. During the last year one school building has been constructed. The girls ’ quarters which comprise also a school kitchen and canteen, is still under construction, but already partly occupied. Construction of the boys ’ quarters started in 2007, and the first boys will move in, in 2009.

The extension of the staff quarters for the growing number of employees and their families is progressing well. Meanwhile we also have 55 cows on the premises to provide the children with their daily supply of fresh dairy products.
The extension of the Balashram resulted in the expansion of the infrastructures of the otherwise structurally weak village, Arua. Grocers and vegetable farmers benefited from the school’s large demand and the village women carry out sewing work for the children who need 3 items of clothing per year. The planned school ambulance with doctor, laboratory technician and medical support personnel will be available also to the local population.

Schoolgirls and schoolboys

At present Balashram is serving as a school and home for 160 children aged 3 to 9. Half of them are girls - which is not very common in India. All children come from remote rural areas in Orissa and are half–orphans or orphans.

In April of each year the committee chooses, conscien-tiously, an additio-nal 40 new boys and girls aged 3 to 4, to be accepted by the residential school. The financial conditions of parents or relatives are checked out in order to ensure that only children coming from destitute families are considered for selection. Should the family have a regular income or a small house or any property, then the child will not be chosen. Should a child be half-orphan or orphan, then they will comply with one of the criteria and will be included on a shortlist. Many children come from indigenous tribes.

Classes and lessons

In its fifth year of existence there are now five classes: a pre-school class (‘nursery’), a kindergarten (‘Kg’) and a Standard I a Standard II and a Standard III class.

‘Balashram’ is an English speaking secondary school. Four languages are taught: English, Hindi, Oriya and Sanskrit. Mathematics and natural science are also taught. In all classes it is compulsory to learn the alphabet, and rhymes and songs. Practical lessons like garden work, handcrafts and cooking, as well as classical dance and music are also offered to the children.

Much room is given to learning through play and there is a playground with swings, rockers and slides. The children’s day starts with outdoor morning gymnastics and yoga. The classrooms are equipped with worktables, chairs and board games. Also, there is now a computer laboratory, as well as a library. Official representatives of government educational institutions are already taking interest in the residential school.

An administration board supervises all activities in the ashram to ensure that all educational promoted projects and objectives are achieved.

The teachers

A 15-person committeeselects teachersand supervisors according to their academic qualifications.

Teachers and carers live, together with their families, on the Balashram premises.

School campus

The two storey, 3.400 m2, school building on the school campus will accommodate 480 school girls and boys. The completed ground floor comprises three classrooms, the teachers’ room, the school director’s office, the computer laboratory, the school library and the toilets.
The extension of the second floor will be completed in 2008. A total of seven classrooms and toilets will then be available. Construction of the external walls on the second floor, have already started.
The two storey, 5.000 m2, girls’ quarters accommodate, at the moment on the ground floor, boys and girls of Balashram. The first floor is almost ready for occupancy, while works on the second floor continue. The canteen and kitchen are situated in the girls’ quarters.

The ground floor’s structural work of the boys’ quarters is completed and remaining works are continuing. In April 2009 the first batch of boys will move in.

The first building of the personnel quarters complex, which now accommodates four out of the six families, is completed. Three more buildings are planned in order to house the growing number of staff and their families.

The works and construction of the main playground of the residential school are starting late 2008, this winter.
In the grounds in front of the pre-school and kindergarten classes, a small playground is planned where the children can play football and other games.
The planned schoolyard in front of the school building will be utilized by the children of Standard I and Standard II classes.

The construction of a Health Center for the children and the inhabitants from surrounding villages is in its planning phase.
70 cows and calves in the new cowshed ensure that each child receives two glasses of milk per day. Balashram cooks with bio-gas obtained from cow manure.