Al Momin International School

Our school is located in Chirki Bazar, which is a busy part of Bishunpura in Gaya. It’s right in the middle of the market scene, so there is always something going on outside the gates. You’ll hear the sounds of motorcycles and people shopping all day long. The building itself is a bit tucked in, providing a little bit of a break from the street noise. We have students who come from the surrounding villages and the bazaar itself. The classrooms are simple, with basic fans and light bulbs that sometimes flicker. We have a small area where the kids can sit during their breaks, but it’s mostly just a concrete space with a few benches. The teachers here are mostly locals who understand the language and the way people live in Gaya. We use a lot of whiteboards now, though you can still see the marks of the old chalkboards on some walls. The stairs are a bit narrow, so we have to tell the kids to walk in a line to avoid bumps. In the rainy season, the road outside gets quite muddy, and we all have to be careful not to track it into the halls. It’s an unpretentious place for learning. We don’t have much in the way of decoration, just some maps and the occasional student drawing. It’s just where we come to work and the kids come to study.