Prathamik Shala Bhadrewadi

Out here in Bhadrevadi, in the Banaskantha district, we have this primary school. Prathamik Shala Bhadrewadi is what everyone calls it. It’s a rural area. Life is slower here than in the cities. The school is a small place for the local village children. Most of the families around here are involved in farming. The kids come to school in the morning, often after helping out at home. We have a couple of rooms. The walls are plain. We don't have many fancy supplies. It’s mostly just the basics like chalk and paper. We have a small yard where the children play. Banaskantha can get very hot, so we appreciate the shade when we can find it. I've been here long enough to see the seasons change many times. The road to the school is just a dirt path mostly. When it rains, it gets muddy and hard to walk. We do our best to keep the students focused on their lessons despite the heat. It's not about being the biggest school. It's just about having a place for these kids to go. We have some old books and some charts for teaching. Every day is pretty much the same. We open the doors, the kids arrive, we do the lessons, and then everyone goes home to their farms. It’s a simple existence, but it’s what we do here. It works.