Navvani School

Navvani School is located in Harhua, which is a part of Varanasi that feels a bit tucked away from the main temple crowds. We have our building here and it's where we spend most of our daylight hours. The morning starts with the sound of the gate opening and the kids pouring in from the Harhua area. Varanasi is a busy city, but our corner is a bit more manageable. The classrooms are simple. We have chalkboards and rows of benches where the students sit for their lessons. It’s a very practical environment. We don't have any high-tech gadgets or polished lobbies. It’s just a school. The teachers bring their lunch boxes and eat together in the small staff room during the break. You can hear the noise of the traffic from the road nearby, but we are used to it by now. In the winter, it gets quite chilly in the mornings so everyone comes wrapped in sweaters. By noon, the sun is out and it feels better. We have some trees in the yard that give a bit of shade. Most of the families who send their children here are from around the neighborhood. We know the parents and they know us. It’s a straightforward way to run a school. We just show up, do the teaching, and head home when the day is done. It is a quiet, honest existence here in Varanasi for us.