Resuming Lives, Resuming Schools

Resume Schools - Resume Lives:  Our focus is to resume the network of 25 government schools that KG has been working with for the last 4-9 years.  The families of the students are from the poorest strata in society, and therefore most vulnerable to earthquakes as they live in cheap, structurally weak homes.  They are also stand the most to lose by loss of daily wages when they have to stay back to take care of children.  As a child starts to resume their school, her parents can resume work, and the life in the community starts to pick up.   Our message is that we should not wait in fear of another earthquake, or in the hope of another relief-truck, but start picking up the pieces of our lives, now.

KG's plan is to go from move past quick Relief to focus on Resume so that the long term Rebuild may commence.  Or else, we may be stuck in an aid-dependent economy that displaces market economy (as was the case in Haiti after earthquake).

KG’s long-term plan will emerge from how the situation develops over the next month, and on its assessment of the needs of the children. 

Photos of Activities

Relief:  Volunteers are currently working to locate the students and their families, and understand their needs at this point. We will provide relief (food, water, clothing, medical and sanitary/health supplies) to the students and the families as needed.  We have longstanding relationships with the schools, and an effective distribution channel, to ensure relief reaches them without leakages. We are also exploring links with local experts to provide psycho-social support.

Resume:  We are in discussions with principals and management of schools on how to resume schools at the earliest.  We are committing any help and assistance the schools may need - such as a safety assessment, educational materials, stationery and volunteer-teachers - so that the students can resume their schooling.   Meanwhile, we have started 'education camp' in Kanya Mandir for students of neighboring schools and community. 

Rebuild:  We will help the schools rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed/ damaged.  A team of structural engineers and architects has started surveying the damage in these schools.  This allows us to determine safe zones in schools to resume normal school activities, as well as areas where we need to plan for longer-term rebuilding projects.  Meanwhile, we may undertake small rebuilding projects (such as toilets, stairs etc.) if that would allow schools to resume.

Resume Schools - Resume Lives:  Our focus is to resume the network of 25 government schools that Kg has been working with for the last 4-9 years.  The families of the students are from the poorest strata in society, and therefore most vulnerable to earthquakes as they live in cheap, structurally weak homes.  They are also stand the most to lose by loss of daily wages when they have to stay back to take care of children.  As a child starts to resume their school, her parents can resume work, and the life in the community starts to pick up.   Our message is that we should not wait in fear of another earthquake, or in the hope of another relief-truck, but start picking up the pieces of our lives, now.

Update May 12:  Another shocker of 7.4 scale.  All children and volunteers in the Educational Camps were safe.  We will meet the next day, as usual, to resume our own lives, along with any other children that may decide to show up.