October Update on Our School in India

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Support Our School and Science Lab Initiative

October has been a busy month with the cultural/religious celebration of Navaratri October 1-10th. For Navaratri the students engaged in competition for best artwork, memorization of poetry, and knowledge of their native Tamil language. In a week the festive season of Deepavali will begin. Deepavali is the Festival of Lights and is the equivalent of Christmas/New Years in terms of its almost universal celebration throughout India. The students are studying the significance of these festivals and enjoying celebrating them as well!

Dr. Rajamuni our beloved science teacher has been hard at work with the students. Dr. Rajamuni continues to be a source of fresh inspiration for the school. He is covering topics of pollution, global warming and restoring health to the planet. Older students are studying the structure of atoms and particles of matter. Students in the 6th and 7th grades are enjoying donated microscopes to study cellular biology(see photo below).

We pay Dr. Rajamuni $150 a month and he teaches science to all the students in the middle school. He is an extremely valuable asset for our school and students.  If you would like to sponsor his salary for a month or part of his salary CLICK HERE  Your donation will help us to keep Dr. Rajamuni employed without depleting our science lab fund. Also a reminder that a purchase from our spiritual jewelry line & vedic yantra art directly supports the school.   

Dr. Pradheep Chhalliyil ,our administrative contact here in the USA, will be traveling to our school in December to facilitate the start of the science lab. His expertise will be helpful to insure that the donated money is used to best advantage.

Traveling to India:Science Lab for the Andovar School

I am Travelling to the Porayar School in May! 

Please Help Me Raise Funds for a Science Lab

Donate Here

Hello Everyone!
In last few posts we have been telling you about our new science teacher- Dr. Rajamuni- and his efforts with providing our students at Andovar School with a solid science program. Due to his great success, we have been inspired to act on a long time dream of establishing a science lab for the students in grade 5-9. 

Dr Rajamuni and Students;
Science Lab in the Planning!

We already have a room so with the addition of some cabinets, tables and work benches, we will have a viable space for the lab. The next step is to purchase equipment and materials for conducting experiments and holding demonstrations. We are estimating that we can have a functional and exciting lab for around $5000. A recent, kind donation of a projector is a start in assembling the needed equipment.

I am traveling to the school in May and would like to present the school administrators with a check for $5000 to inaugurate the lab. I am asking for your help to stimulate the blossoming intellects of these underprivileged rural students in Tamil Nadu. Your donation is 100% tax deductible!

Please Donate Today

Science Lab Fundraiser Appeal

I am Travelling to the Porayar School in May! 

Please Help Me Raise Funds for a Science Lab

Donate Here

Hello Everyone!
In last few posts we have been telling you about our new science teacher- Dr. Rajamuni- and his efforts with providing our students at Andovar School with a solid science program. Due to his great success, we have been inspired to act on a long time dream of establishing a science lab for the students in grade 5-9. 

Dr Rajamuni and Students;
Science Lab in the Planning!

We already have a room so with the addition of some cabinets, tables and work benches, we will have a viable space for the lab. The next step is to purchase equipment and materials for conducting experiments and holding demonstrations. We are estimating that we can have a functional and exciting lab for around $5000. A recent, kind donation of a projector is a start in assembling the needed equipment.

I am traveling to the school in May and would like to present the school administrators with a check for $5000 to inaugurate the lab. I am asking for your help to stimulate the blossoming intellects of these underprivileged rural students in Tamil Nadu. Your donation is 100% tax deductible!

Please Donate Today

Photo Update for Our Andovar School in Porayar, Tamil Nadu

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Education and Building Fund

Hello everyone! We are pleased to share some recent photos of our school renovations. Classroom space has been expanded and repairs have been made from the flooding last fall. This month the roof is being installed on the new classroom space. All this work has been generously supported through your donations! Thank you.

Workers preparing to install the roof

Corrugated metal roofing sheets

We are also pleased to post some photos of Dr. Rajamuni our new science teacher at work inspiring the students. He has started on his second month of teaching our students. Notice the new science books and materials.

Dr. Rajamuni on left posing with our school administrator
Mr. Venkatesh

Dr. Rajamuni with students and
new science materials

Girls on break

Boys with Dr. Rajamuni

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Education and Building Fund

New Science Teacher Enriches Andovar School! Introducing Dr.P. Rajamuni

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Help Fulfill Our Students' Dream in 2016

Students Intently Listening to Dr. Rajamuni's lecture

We are pleased to announce the addition of a wonderful teacher to our Andovar School Faculty. Dr. P. Rajamuni has been teaching our students Science since the beginning of February. Dr. Rajamuni is from south India and has a PhD in Biotechnology from Madurai Kamaraj University. We are fortunate to have such an esteemed teacher to help our students excel in Science. 

Some of the topics he has introduced this month include: environmental science- including water, forest and wildlife conservation, combustion, evolution of the species, photonics, microscopic life and more!  Dr. Rajamuni finds the students attentive, with good interest and focus, and of course, sometimes playful and mischievous! He is enjoying his work so far.

India celebrates National Science Day on February 28th each year. Dr. Rajamuni guided the students to create science charts all month long. These are colorfully displayed in the classroom-see above.

Thanks to our wonderful school administrators, faculty, staff and donors like yourself our school is rising to provide an even higher level of education for our students. We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please consider sharing it with friends. Our goal is to build a new school with science labs, library and computer rooms. We can't do it without your help. Thank you! Marie

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Help Fulfill Our Students' Dream in 2016

Expansion and Repairs Underway at Andovar School in India

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Help Fulfill Our Students' Dream in 2016

After the flooding in South India in October and November of last year, our school was left with significant damage and problems. Due to the generosity of our donors the process of repair and rebuilding is under way. Here is the photo of the top floor of one of our buildings right after the flooding.

Below is the current view of the same area now that repair work is underway. The mold from weeks of standing water has been cleaned. The brick walls have been repaired and strengthened. Wooden awnings have been installed on the outside of the lower floor windows and the metal roof for the top floor is ready to be installed.

Soon the students will be able to use their classrooms again. Currently they are in very cramped quarters while the repairs are underway.

 Many thanks to all of you who came to the aid of our students!

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Celebrating the South Indian Festival of Pongal at Andovar School!

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Dear Friends of Andovar School in Tamil Nadu, India

I am pleased to share with you photos of our school's celebration of the festival of Pongal. The harvest festival of Pongal is celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu from Jan.13-16. It is a festival that marks the Sun's shift to its 6 month journey northward. It is primarily a festival to thank the Sun and all the laws of Nature for a bountiful harvest-especially of rice.

Deity statues are beautifully dressed and decorated
 for the occasion of Pongal

The festival is celebrated by Tamil people throughout the world-and especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. Our school celebrated in the traditional way. The first rice of the season is boiled with milk in an open courtyard until it boils over.

Beautiful drawings of spiritual significance are made outside of homes, temples and other public places. Homes are decorated with mango and banana leaves. It is a time to celebrate abundance and all the blessings of Mother Nature.

Our school administrators preside over the festivities as the students look on. 

After the rice and milk have cooked and have been spiced to create the dish called "Pongal" everyone has a taste and enjoys other sweets and savories as part of the celebration. In the photo below, our students dressed in their best enjoy the feast.

The students at Andovar School celebrate all of the major holidays of each religion Hindu, Muslim and Christian so that the students gain and understanding of each other, each culture and its special place in Indian culture and the world.

First Science Fair at Andovar School!

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First Science Fair at Andovar School

Porayar, Tamil Nadu

January, 2016

Andovar school students assemble for the
first science fair on food, nutrition and health

Last week our Andovar school in Tamil Nadu enjoyed its first science fair. It was a simple beginning of what we hope will be a regular event as our school gathers resources. The theme of this fair was simple-the topic was health and how the best medicine comes from the kitchen!

Oral presentations were given by the 7th and 8th grade students. In South India, there is a famous proverb that says "Kitchen is the hospital with mother as doctor and food as best medicine".

Students brought fruits, native vegetables, herbs and greens, milk, milk products, and spices from their homes. They discussed the special properties of each food item in maintaining health. 

Students brought native foods to discuss
nutrition and health benefits

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There were not too many scientific details discussed about the food items but practical information was given about important health issues. Students discussed how each respective food item was a remedy for common health problems.The students got good experience presenting before a group.

Students practiced speaking and presentation skills

A skit with Traditional VILLU PAATU (musical bow) accompaniment was also presented based on health and food. The skit was about modern hospitals and how common ailments were better treated by prevention.

Villu Paatu or musical bow used to accompany
dramatizations with song and verse


Of course there was room for creativity and artistic expression!

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Happy New Year From Porayar School

Thanks to your help the students at Andovar School in Porayar, Tamil Nadu India are back in classes! 

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The school was closed for about a month due to heavy rains and flooding. Thanks to your generous help we were able to send $3000 for roof repairs and to build a temporary building to replace badly damaged classrooms. 

Since the geographical area where the school is located is prone to flooding, our new school will be designed with proper drainage and as many precautionary measures as possible to minimize the risk of damages from future storms.

The children gathered together at the New Year to send their thanks and wishes for the coming year to all of you. The message reads, "May you be blessed with power to spread good cheer and smiles all around in this New Year 2016!"...signed Headmaster, Teachers and Students of Andovar School

Teacher's Day Celebrated at Andovar School : End of Year Support Requested

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Architect's Vision of the New School

The flooding and heavy rainfall in South India has abated and the students at Andovar School in Porayar, Tamil Nadu are returning to classes. A $3000 disbursement from our school fund will be sent to the school for roof repair and to build a temporary building to replace a badly rain damaged building. The 2015 tax year is coming to a close and any end of year donations are warmly welcomed as we gear up to start fundraising for the new school in 2016.

Just before the flooding in November, The children hosted Teacher Appreciation Day. The kids brought treats for the teachers and had a cake cutting celebration for them in appreciation. 

Our school staff is comprised of 6 teachers-3 men and 3 women. Together they have over 130 years of service rendered to our school! 

Students assemble for Teacher Appreciation Day

Mr. Venkatesh leads the ceremony to honor teachers

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Please help: Our School Damaged By Major Flooding Hitting Southern India

www.empoweringgirlsofindia.org / 641-919-2105 / empoweringirlsofindia@gmail.com

Please Help Our School Recover From Flood Damage

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Roofs caved in from torrential rains

Word has come from our school administrators in Porayar, India that our school has been badly damaged by flooding.  The state of Tamil Nadu where our school is located received 47 inches of rain in November- six times the yearly average for the month. Flooding has hit nearby major cities such as Chennai and Puducherry as you may have seen in the news. Our school has been closed for the safety of the children and we are trying to reopen now as the water subsides.

The major damage was to building roofs that were already in a precarious state before the flood. Roofs for two classrooms totally collapsed and other are leaking but repairable. Several classes have no where to meet at this time due to the damage. (see photos below)

Our plan is to build a simple building of about 850 square feet to house the two classes that currently have no habitable classrooms. This structure will be dismantled and brought to the new school location once the new school is completed and used as a bicycle and storage shed.

We are hoping that you may be able to help defray the cost of the temporary classroom to avoid depleting our new building fund that is slowly growing. The need is urgent. Cost for the new structure will be around $5000.

Donations are fully tax deductible. Thank you most sincerely and kindly from the kids in Porayar, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Some roofs repairable

Water starting to subside

Please Help Our School Recover From Flood Damage

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Our Andovar School in Tamil Nadu: Changing Lives One Student at a Time!

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Architect's Rendering of Our New School

Following up on my recent visit to our school in India, I wanted to share some experiences of current and past students of the Andovar School. Our school implements the UNI5 principles of teaching that aim to develop the whole student from the levels of consciousness, physiology and psychology. Some of the UNI5 teaching tools include meditation or quiet time, yoga and holistic teaching/learning methods. The result in terms of the students' success is visibly palpable when I spend time at the school.

This visit, I asked students past and present to write down some of their experiences so that I could share them with you. I will summarize the experiences of several students over the next few blog posts.  In this blog post I will highlight a young man named Anuth's experience. Anuth attended Andovar School from 2000-2003.

Anuth is Muslim and before he attended Porayar school he was only exposed to Muslim culture and religion. Attending Porayar School, he was introduced to students from several different religions. Together in class they studied the underlying equality of all religions. He learned to appreciate that there is only one God and many names for Him.

Anuth's horizons opened up to include all people of all religions as equal. Here is a quote from his written experience, "Lord Buddha got enlightened under the Bodhi tree and in the same way I got enlightened at the Andovar School. I learned to treat all the students as equals. Now I feel very comfortable and easy with people of all religions through my educational experience at the school."

Anuth's experience is a common one among the students from Andovar School. Christians, Hindus and Muslims all attend the Andovar School, They learn religious appreciation and tolerance by celebrating all the holidays of each religion. They also learn the significance of the each religion's holy scriptures and teachings. They recite a significant verse from each religion's holy book daily.

Lunchtime at Andovar School

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Getting to Know the Students at Andovar School

Getting to Know the Students at Andovar School

Enjoying the Cultural Festival in August

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Whew! I finally got back to my computer to tell you more about my visit to the Andovar School in Porayar, India and the new school project. This summer on my school visit, both the lower school and the upper school students had prepared cultural shows for me. It was a blast! 

The kids at the lower school gathered in front of me and presented me with drawings and welcome cards. There were several mothers of students in attendance and the atmosphere was very festive. The students enjoyed reciting their lessons with great energy and vigor. I was almost deafened by their efforts!

Lower School Greeting Committee 

Lower School Teachers

Parents Watched the Show

After the Show I Passed Out 

 Ice Cream Treats to the Students

The next stop was the upper school and an even more elaborate show! Most of the girls were involved with the show. A variety of folk and classical dance numbers were performed. The students wore their best outfits and it was evident that the teachers and students spent a lot of time rehearsing the performance. The boys sat patiently and watched. When I asked them why they were not dancing they broke into peals of laughter.

Plans Unveiled for Our New School in Tamil Nadu

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I just got back from visiting the Sakthi Foundation schools in Porayar, Tamil Nadu, India. This was an important meeting for myself and the school administrators.It was our first meeting to review the plans for the proposed new school. 

Mr. Venkatesh is the school administrator and his grandfather started the school over 60 years ago.  We traveled to see the 5 acres of land that his family plans to donate for the new kindergarten to 12th school. Here is Mr. Venkatesh and myself standing on the land dedicated for the new school. There is plenty of room for a sport field/playground, garden and the new school building.

We also looked over the architectural rendition of the school and the proposed preliminary blueprints of the two story building that includes 14 classrooms, library, computer room, 2 science labs, recreation hall, exam room, staff room, office and indoor toilets! The total size of the building will be around 15,000 square feet and will be able to accommodate around 250 students. Kitchen facilities will be constructed outside the building and the children will take their lunch in the courtyard. See below.

I met with the students and they asked enthusiastically when the new school would be completed. I explained that a lot of people in the USA, Canada and other countries would be contributing to make the school a reality and we would do our best to make it happen quickly. 

Total costs for building the the new school will be $331,249. This is about $23 per square foot. We will accomplish the building in two phases. First phase will be to build the ground floor to accommodate 1-10th grade. The 1-10 grade students will move in immediately when the ground floor is finished. The second floor will be constructed as funds accumulate.  See one of our meetings below.

While I was there I toured the village of Porayar. Our kids come from the poorest families and the general living conditions are less than basic. There is a water shortage in the town and water is brought in by truck a couple of times a week and there is a crowd to greet it. See photos below of school children's neighborhood and the water truck.

Despite all their challenges, the students are bright, lively and enthusiastic. The students and teachers prepared a wonderful cultural program at both the lower and upper schools to entertain me. I will highlight that in the next segment.

I have a big job ahead of me and I am hoping that you can help me through contributions, networking and prayers!

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Porayar School Building Project Inaugurated

Building Plans for Porayar ,Tamil Nadu India School Unveiled

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Last month we were informed by the Indian Department of Education that we needed to undertake a repair and expansion project in order to launch our proposed secondary school classes. New national guidelines re school building requirements were handed down just as we were poised to start our secondary school classes. This was quite a set back to us in many ways. However, we quickly regrouped and started the necessary steps to conform with the new government guidelines.

In the last few weeks, we have planned and researched the needed improvements and have a plan to build a new 2 floor classroom building that will benefit 250 students. It will replace a very old building on the premises. During the seven month proposed construction period, the students will all be accommodated in the one other building on the grounds. The construction is estimated at Rs 4,400,000 or approximately $75,000.

The building will have 6 classrooms (see plans below) and will also house a library and science lab. The completion of this building will be a blessing for all the students who have been studying under very difficult conditions of disrepair in the old building for many years. It will allow us to expand enrollment. And, once the building is completed, we can realize our dream of opening secondary classes!

Our school donors have generously allowed the donations collected to date to be applied towards this project. We are actively soliciting donations to help us with this project.
Please make a tax deductible donation today. Thank you!! 

WEBSITE  or Go Fund Me

Porayar Secondary School Update

Teachers Selected and Plans Continue to Unfold on Schedule

Secondary School to Open in June 2015

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are pleased to announce that three teachers have been selected for the new secondary school. They will be undergoing special training and will be on duty to start 9th grade classes the second week of June.

The method of education implemented in our school is called Uni5. The Uni5 School system has helped parents to be aware of their child’s growth and development or their inner-change. To read more visit our Uni5 website.

The educational techniques direct the child’s energy in more constructive work. The love and caring environment gives no stress to the child to learn from the concrete level to abstraction. The Uni5 educational system becomes unique in integrating the knowledge gained in school to their own Self, the society, and the Universe.

Secondary School Plans for Porayar School Taking Off!

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We are pleased to announce great news for the Porayar School Project in Tamil Nadu, India! Thanks to all our generous donors who have helped to date, we are in the process of taking applications for teachers for the secondary school. 

Later in February, our director Dr. Madesh will interview those candidates that have applied and he will select teachers by March.

In April and May, the new teachers will receive additional training to make them ready for our school. The school year will start in June, 2015. A new classroom is being readied for the first 9th grade class in the school's history. The students are excited and appreciative that they will be able to continue their studies. Thank you so much for your generous support!

We are still in need for funds to create a school library and lab. Donations of any amount are appreciated and can be made through GOFUNDME or our website.

Two Ways to Donate:

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www.empoweringgirlsofindia.org