Navyug Vidyalaya

Navyug Vidyalaya is tucked away in Jambusar, over in the Bharuch district. It’s a quiet area for the most part, except when school is letting out for the day. The school itself is a straightforward building with a main gate that we lock every evening. Inside, the hallways are narrow and the classrooms are filled with the sound of teachers talking and pens scratching on paper. We’ve got a small staff room where we drink tea and talk about the day's schedule. The furniture isn't new, but it serves its purpose for the students who come here every day. In the afternoons, the sun hits the front of the building, making it quite warm, so we keep the ceiling fans going as fast as they can spin. We don’t spend much time on fancy decorations or big signs. People in Jambusar already know where we are. The kids come from the surrounding streets, many of them walking or riding bicycles. Sometimes we have to deal with plumbing issues or a broken fan, but that’s just part of managing an old building. We make sure the students have their books and that they follow the rules. It’s a steady kind of life here. We don’t try to be anything other than a local school doing its job for the neighborhood. Every year looks much like the last, with new faces joining and older ones moving on to their next steps.