Jivan Bharti Vidyalaya

Jivan Bharti Vidyalaya is located at No 2, Karelibaug in Vadodara. It’s a busy part of town, so there’s always noise from the street outside, but once you get inside the gates, it feels a bit more settled. The building is two stories high and has those old-style windows that let in a lot of light. We have a small yard where the kids play during their break, though it’s not really big enough for a full cricket match. Most of the students come from the surrounding apartment blocks or the older houses in Karelibaug. Every morning, there’s a bit of a crowd at the gate with parents dropping off their kids on scooters. Inside, the hallways are narrow and can get a bit loud when classes change. We have a small staff room where the teachers sit and drink tea while they grade papers. The desks in the classrooms are scratched up from years of use, but they’re still solid. We don’t have much in the way of high-tech stuff; it’s mostly just books, chalk, and talk. The water cooler in the hallway is a popular spot, especially in the summer months. It’s an ordinary school doing ordinary things every day. We don’t try to be anything we’re not. It’s just about getting the kids to sit down, pay attention, and learn what they need to know for their futures in Vadodara.