India First Foundation School

Our school is situated out on the Karjat Murbad Road. This part of Raigad is quite different from the crowded city areas. We have more space and the air feels a bit cleaner out here. The school sits on a good stretch of land, and we try to make use of the outdoors as much as we can. It’s a long road, and many of the kids come from the surrounding villages or the outskirts of Karjat. We have a simple building that serves as our main hub. Inside, you’ll find the usual things—desks, chalkboards, and a few cupboards full of supplies. We don’t have a massive budget for decorations, so the walls are mostly covered with the kids' own drawings. It’s a quiet life out here for the most part, though the school gets lively once the morning bell rings. We focus on the basics. Teachers walk to work or take local transport, and they know most of the families by name. We deal with the rain during the monsoon, which can be quite heavy in Raigad, and we keep things moving even when the power goes out. It’s a local school run by people who live here. We just want to make sure the kids in this area have a place to go every morning. It’s not flashy, but it works for the families here.