Sheetala Children School

Sheetala Children School is found about 7 kilometers out on the Lohta Rohaniya Road in Varanasi. It’s located in Lohta, which is a bit away from the crowded city center. Because we are further out, there is more space around us. The school is a simple building that we’ve tried to maintain over the years. A dirt path leads up to the main door and some bushes are planted along the fence. Classrooms are basic, with white walls and rows of wooden benches. We don't have air conditioning or anything like that; we just use the ceiling fans. Sometimes the power goes out, and we just open the windows wider to let the breeze in. It’s a very local atmosphere. Most of the children come from the nearby villages and walk or ride their bikes to get here. Since the teachers are mostly from the same area, everyone knows each other’s families. We have a small playground with some older equipment that the kids still enjoy. It’s a practical place. Reading, writing, and math are the main focus without any extra fluff. The lunch break is the loudest time of the day when everyone opens their containers and talks at once. No big slogans or fancy brochures are used here. People just know us because we’ve been here on the road to Rohaniya for a long time. It’s just a school for the local kids.