When we started Back in August 9^th 2015, little did we know the twists and turns that would confront us. Our first charity visit took us to India. We arrived prepared with an introductory letter to the British Embassy, secured by Mr Jack Straw then MP, with a letter from Mr David Cameron, our former Prime Minister. Gaining advice, we proceeded to the Home Affairs Office and were granted an appointment with the Undersecretary. We had networked whilst in England, and from what we were hearing, both at home and in India, it became apparent that we had a long journey ahead of us.

Our starting point, was Kalimpong, where we had people on the ground. It is situated in West Bengal, the North-Eastern part of India, boarded by Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Bangladesh. Our aim was to fulfil our charity pledge: –

“We endeavour to ensure, that young children living in poverty have a safe place of learning, providing an environment that nurtures their development and growth”.

Did poverty exist in the hill region? We would use the United Nations guidelines as our means to identify families with young children, living in poverty.

In Kalimpong the Municipality has a system whereby, families living ‘below the poverty line’ received a BPL certification, they exist on less than 3 dollars a day. If these families were in the area, our objective would be to provide a ‘room to learn’ for the children, and teachers to teach them.

In February 2017 Ann Mills CEO, husband Brian, and Jenny Maxwell, Trustee arrived in Kalimpong, tired and weary after travelling for four days. They looked at a rentable room size 40 x 32 ft., suitably furnished. Given the term start date, the first Monday in March, the team in India just two weeks in which to find the poor families, enlist the children and find two nursery-trained teachers.

The following day with an interpreter, Ann, Brian and Jenny went to the nearest village. Word quickly got around and mothers brought their children for admission to the nursery school. Mums were asked to produce birth and BPL certificates, plus one photo.

Ann visited the children’s homes. This visit was extremely humbling, revealing the many hardships they endure. Accommodation was too small for the size of the family. Sometimes one room was all that was available, and a shared outside septic toilet. In the poorest dwellings, there was mud floors. Water was collected from a central point in the village. If you wanted hot water it had to be boiled on the clay oven. There was no source of heating except for the earthen floor stove, on which the food was cooked. Furniture was very sparse, and one large bed was shared by as many as could squeeze together. Sporadic lighting was available in some homes.

From those families, Room To Learn has enlisted fifteen children, both boys and girls, aged between 2 ½ to 3 ½ years of age. We hired two nursery-trained teachers, sourced from an acquaintance who Ann had met in April 2016.

On March 6^th 2017 we did open Room To Learn’s first nursery and have named the school ‘Happy Days’. Within the spacious grounds children have access to swings, slides, climbing frame, and see-saw. They have a snack on arrival and one meal before they go home. The Nursery starts at 11am and finishes at 2pm.We spent six happy weeks in the compound at the Snow View Homestay, situated next to the Happy Days Nursery School, spending our days helping in the nursery. To our delight and surprise the mums offered to take it in turns to clean the school and prepare the meals. Every child has free access to the nursery inclusive of meals.

“RTL has committed to fund all the financial cost of this inaugural free nursery school in Kalimpong for a probationary period of two years. During this start up period all aspects of the school will be carefully monitored and fine-tuned; and if successful longer term funding will be put in place after this initial two-year period. RTL’S aim is to replicate this free school model for poor children in other   territories in India”.

 

Our next fund raising party is Saturday August 5^th at Manor House Lodge. We are looking forward to seeing you there. Do feel free to bring a friend. We will have videos of the children for you to see, and lots of information on our future plans. Thank you all, you have been brilliant. When you look at all the children’s happy little faces you can know that you helped put those smiles there.