The Spark Academy

If you are looking for us, we are right above the Khadim shoe store on Circular Road. Lalpur is always crowded, especially in the afternoons when everyone is out and about. It’s a bit of a climb up to where we are, but once you’re inside, it’s a bit quieter than the street. We’ve been at this location in Ranchi for a long time. The space has seen a lot of students pass through over the years. It’s not a modern glass building like the ones you see in the bigger cities. It’s a regular Ranchi building with thick walls and old fans that hum while they spin. We spend our days setting up the rooms and making sure there’s enough chalk or markers. Sometimes we have to move the benches around to make everyone fit. It’s a bit cramped when it’s busy, but nobody seems to mind much. The staff here are just regular people who have been living in this neighborhood for years. We know the shopkeepers downstairs and the guys selling tea on the corner. It feels like a small community even though Circular Road is so hectic. We don’t spend money on big signs or flashy lights. We just keep the doors open and help whoever walks in. It’s honest work and it keeps us busy from morning until late evening when the shops below start closing up for the night. We've been here through all the seasons and the noise.