Kotha Yellaiah Memorial High School

If you walk down Akurli Road in Kandivali East, you have to look closely to find Saraswati Chawl. Inside that chawl, at Room No 1, is where Kotha Yellaiah Memorial High School is located. It is a very modest setup, just like many of the other rooms in the rega 858 area. We don't have a lot of space, so every inch of the room is used for desks, chairs, and books. The chawl life is very close-knit, so there is always the sound of neighbors talking or water running in the background while the students are studying. It is a far cry from the big private schools you see in the news, but it is a place where real learning happens every single day. We use simple wooden benches that have been around for a long time, and our blackboards are well-worn from years of use. The teachers here are local people who understand what it is like to live and work in this part of Mumbai. During the monsoons, the narrow lanes of the chawl can get quite wet, but the kids still show up with their umbrellas, ready for their classes. We don't have a big staff or a fancy office; it is mostly just one or two people handling the administration and the teaching at the same time. We don't make big promises, we just keep the doors open and make sure the students have a place to sit and read their books.