Posts Tagged ‘English Schools in India’
GOALS AND DREAMS GALORE
Students 10th Level Class
The photo (click on photos to enlarge) above was taken during my recent visit to our H4C children’s residential school (NCRS) located in the breathtaking Naga Hills in Mokokchung, Nagaland. The school was founded in 1996 and since then has continued to advance both academically and numerically. Current enrollment for the 2012- 2013 school year is 409 students. Approximately half of the students are “hostelers” because they live in one of the dormitories or hostels on campus.
Zululemba ~ Future Engineer
One such hosteler is Zululemba (Zulu), age sixteen, who is on full scholarship at NCRS. Zulu lives with his grandmother when school is in recess because his parents divorced when he was a young boy. Here is what Zulu has to say about NCRS, “Being in NCRS has given me many opportunities to learn. I have come here when I was five years old, growing up here, learning the Word of God as well as excellent educational foundation. I will go from here (next year) with confidence and the opportunity to explore the world.” I asked Zulu what is his aim in life – what would he like to become. He answered, “I would like to become an engineer.”
r. to l. Nungsangmongla, Samuel, Zulu
I interviewed three other students on that lovely morning at the NCRS campus. Samuel Langleh was next. He is also on full scholarship at the school and is fifteen years old. He began at NCRS when he was six years old. Samuel summed up his years by saying, “I have learned the Word of God, games and sports, and received a good education while learning to study in English which gives me many options for further studies. I want to be an engineer as well.”
In Nagaland, students leave their elementary schools after completing Level 10 and transfer to another school for 11th and 12th grades. Young people who have attended an “English School” where lecturers have instructed in English have an advantage and can be admitted to the best schools. NCRS is an “English School.” Your support of this H4C school gives these young students remarkable opportunities. Thank you!
NCRS Classroom Building in distance
All In A Day’s Work
NCRS Nursery Class
Now in my eleventh day here in Mokokchung, Nagaland I have switched “hats” to fulfill my assignments for Hope For Change International.
I will be evaluating the progress and needs of Nagaland Children’s Residential School (NCRS) located here in Mokokchung. The school, which was begun in 1996, launched a new program for young children when the school year began in February, 2012. Because of their desire to provide education and English literacy to the children of the town they have inaugurated a “Nursery Class” for two and three-year old children. Seven chosen ones make up the first class. These are privileged children because they are learning English at such a young age which will be their gateway to a vast array of educational/career opportunities as they mature.
My next blog will focus on some of the older children’s stories telling us just how important attending and “English School” is here in the Northeast of India.
Hope for Change International supporters make these dreams come true for the young people enrolled at NCRS. Thank you!
Partial Staff Members @NCRS
“Buying 8,000 Liters Per Day”
Tiala Ao presenting us with precious gift
In 1996, my friends Chuba and Tiala Ao opened a children’s residential school, referred to as an “English” school, in Mokokchung, Nagaland, part of the Northeast States of India. Hindi is also taught to all students. Currently, the enrollment is 430 children ranging in age from four years old through eighteen. Today I spoke with Tiala and her daughter, Sentila, who now runs the school since her father’s death in July, 2005. Sentila and her husband, Moa Jamir, are among our HOPE FOR CHANGE partners in India.
Last year Monsoon brought rain during the second week of April which was much earlier than 2009 and 2010 when the school campus was parched until mid-June. Generally, the “dry season” lasts for four months from January thru April and everyone watches the skies over Mokokchung for the winds of Monsoon to bring the big, dark clouds. However, in order to “harvest” rainfall from the sky, the bulging clouds must stall long enough to deposit the rainfall in the existing roof reservoir. When they don’t - the school staff must purchase bottled water.
Rainfall in 2009 was too sparse; in the final analysis rainfall in 2010 was too much ~ crops were ruined. Too much rainfall also brings sickness ~ epidemics of malaria, cholera, and typhoid. Sadly, immunizations are few and far between. Rainfall last year was moderate.
During the months of February and March and early April of last year, school administrators had to send their chief driver, Bahadur, to town to buy water every day. Actually, Bahadur made the 5K drive twice a day never knowing for certain if the town supplies had run out or not.
Now look at the picture up above. Tiala is standing next to a case of twelve 1-litre bottles of water. Add 7,988 litres to that case and you’d have the amount that Bahadur hosed into the truck ‘s water tank each morning and afternoon during the dry months ~ 8,000 litres of water a day. At the present exchange rate the purchase price comes to approximately $ 17.40 per day plus the cost of diesel fuel and Bahadur’s pay. That adds up to just under $130.00 per week and close to $520.00 a month.
In Tiala's kitchen ~ Bahadur on far left
I can think of better uses for the school’s precious operating funds. So can Tiala, Moa & Sentila. Placing more children in the classrooms and dormitories comes to mind first ~ local children who long for the type of accredited education provided by the school.
Here is good news ~ there is a solution to having to buy 8,000 litres of water a day! Moa, the school’s resident engineer, has a plan to build a second “Roof Reservoir System” which would harvest rain from the heavens during the rainy season. Enough could be collected, stored, and filtered to see the campus residents through next year’s dry season. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
You can read all about the details of this system and the modest cost on our web site www.H4Cinternational.org Click on the Current Projects Tab and then the Engineering icon and scroll down to “Nagaland Water Reservoir System”. Construction can begin as soon as the funds come in. Donations may be sent via U.S. Postal System to our Lake Katrine address or through PayPal on the web site. Please note that PayPal deducts a processing fee.
Yours for Hope For Change,
Sarah Anne Smith
Naga school children enjoying "snack time"
windows of boys' dorm ~ middle years