Nirmala Residential Aided High School

Out in Alcot Gardens, life moves at its own pace. Nirmala Residential Aided High School has been part of this Rajahmundry landscape for quite a while now. Being a residential school means things never really stop here. Even after the final bell rings, there are still kids around, living in the dorms and eating in the mess hall. The building itself has that old Rajahmundry feel to it, with thick walls and high ceilings that help keep the heat out during those long summer months. We are located near the river, and sometimes you can feel a bit of a dampness in the air during the monsoon season. The grounds are mostly packed earth where the kids play during their breaks. It is not a perfect place, as there is always a tap that needs fixing or a wall that could use a fresh coat of paint, but it functions well enough for what we need. The teachers here mostly live nearby and have been with us for years, so everyone knows everyone else’s business. It is a bit like a big, messy family. We don't spend much time worrying about looking fancy for visitors. We are more concerned with making sure the kitchen has enough rice for dinner and that the students are actually sitting down with their books during study hours in the evening. It is a lot of work, but we manage to get through it every year.