Sharada Residential School

Living and working at Sharada Residential School here in Kunjibettu is a bit different from a normal day job. Since we are in Dakshina Kannada, the weather definitely keeps us on our toes, especially when the rains start coming down hard. The school is where we spend most of our time, both day and night. It’s a bit of a quiet area compared to the city center, which is nice when you’re trying to get through a pile of grading. The students stay here with us, so the dining hall is usually the heart of the place. We see the same faces every morning at breakfast and every evening at dinner. It creates a certain kind of routine that everyone just gets used to. The buildings are sturdy but they show their age in some spots, which we try to fix up when there’s time and a bit of extra money. We don’t have much in the way of big corporate offices; it’s mostly just us in the staff rooms talking about how the week is going. We keep the grass trimmed when the sun is out and try to make sure the dorms are comfortable enough for everyone. It’s a simple life out here in Kunjibettu. We just focus on the daily tasks of running a residential spot and making sure the kids are doing their work and staying out of trouble. It’s a long day, but we are used to it.