Jain Vidyaashram

Pozhal is a bit away from the main city center of Chennai, and Ottraivaadai Street has a quiet, local feel to it. Our school is at number 150. It’s a place where you’ll find kids from the nearby streets walking in every morning. We don't have a giant shiny entrance. It’s just a gate that opens into a space where children spend their day. The classrooms are simple with wooden benches and blackboards that are a bit grey from years of use. In the afternoons, the smell of sambar and rice comes from the lunch boxes as the kids sit together. We spend our time trying to keep things organized, which isn't always easy with so many students. The staff doesn't wear suits; we just wear what is practical for the heat and the dust. There is a lot of chatter in the hallways between classes. Sometimes the traffic on the main road gets backed up, but back here on our street, it stays relatively calm. We have a small playground where the dust flies up whenever the kids play. It’s not a perfect setup, but it works for us and the families who live around here. We just go through the lessons, ring the bells, and start over again the next day. It is a very normal life for a school in this part of town, without any extra fuss or ceremony.