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Latest
Kullu update from Jam Mc Manus - January 2006
Following from the Zanskar Expedition in
August 2004, Jam decided to return to India to work as a river
guide. He has been there since September 2005 and recently
took time out to travel back to Kullu. It seems that the €4,000
raised for the school by the Zanskar DVD's has been put to
excellent use...
On the 4th, Rosie, Himanchu and I went to visit the school.
They were having a celebration as it was Louis Braille Day
and the Christmas exam results were announced. It was really
nice with some outside speakers, all in Hindi but apparently
very funny. And also all the kids were getting chocolate for
their results and competitions...
The school seems to be going very well. I had a good chat
with Shalini and she is as enthusiastic and driven as always.
So in the 18 months since I was there:
* The number of students has risen to 35 compared to 19 when
we were last all there.
* They have 4 new computers and two new braille machines.
* They have moved the computer room to where Shalini's office
was, and she has moved upstairs.
* The room Rosco mentioned from his visit in August is finished
and looking slick with roof spots and attached flush toilet.
*
They have a big solar panel on the roof and a new dog which
looks like Britney.
* The rooms on the top floor look a lot nicer and all the
kids have big blankets for the winter.
All in all its looking good. All the staff seemed really happy
and all the kids were going crazy cos they were starting a
2 month holiday after the Louis Braille celebration. Shalini
also said they are in the process of being awarded a small
piece of land from the government to move the school to a
bigger new site. This would mean they could design something
suitable for blind kids on the ground floor with playground
rather than on the top of a 4 story building. In saying that
the main reason for moving the school is that there is not
enough room for them in that building as it house a women's
society as well and a local old cripple who i woke up when
i went into one of the rooms!!! I think they will still use
that building somewhat for the blind kids but more so for
the women's society and running computer course etc for the
education of everyone in the town and surrounding area.
I think that's about it, I took loads of photo's as well which
I'll show u guys at end of the month when I'm home.
Jam
_____________________________________________________
Ross visits Kullu, August 2005:
Team Zanskar member Rossco
Redmond returned to India during the summer and
took time out to check up on our charity project in Kullu.
This is what he found:
Hey
Guys,
Been
a busy 12 months for all of us and at the end of my year I
am back in Manali. Yesterday, Claire and I visited the school
and hung out for the day. Things are really looking up there
and we can all be proud of our contribution.
The building has had a facelift (a bright peach colour), they
are building on a new bedroom for the male students and there
is now a computor lab (funded partly by the goverment and
partly by our donation) complete with dust proof barriers
which is used to teach pc skills and to store e-books for
further education. In fact one on the older students has been
accepted onto a teacher training progam because he could study
books in the lab.
There are also more staff at the school and there is a really
positive vibe in the place. This is due I am sure to Shalini,
who is still as awesome in her energy and professionalism.
It can only get better at the school.
So I feel particularly chuffed this evening, I think we can
all affford to be a little smug. We had an awesome time, learned
lots about the quality of life at the Kullu School and how
its students, staff, parents and volunteers have been directly
affected in a positive way.
Well Done!
Rosco
__________________________________________________
Kullu
School for the Blind
by Colin Irvine
Kullu is a small town on the banks of the
Beas river in the Himachal Pradesh region of Northern India.
In August 2004 the Zanskar Expedition team visited the Kullu
School for the Blind and met with the schools administrators…
India is truly a land of extremes. Large, western industries
thrive as thousands are forced to sleep on the streets. A
huge country with much material wealth and resources, India
is also densely populated and suffers from extreme inequality
between rich and poor. The average income is just $450 per
annum, with 29% of the population living below the poverty
line. 25% of the population is unable to feed themselves adequately.
Against this setting, opportunities for those with disability
are severely limited. Blindness and visual impairment are
crippling conditions for a child in India, leaving them often
forgotten and neglected in a “survival of the fittest”
environment that simply cannot cope with the special needs
of the blind child.
The school at Kullu is offering food, shelter and education
for children from a wide rural area that cannot survive in
their home environment. The ethos of the school is one that
encourages children to develop skills so that they may one
day contribute to a rapidly changing Indian economy. Central
to this concept is a strong education that maximises the child’s
academic potential and helps them achieve self-sufficiency.
At present there are 25 students at the school, but they are
desperately under-resourced and in need of external assistance
to continue operating.
How did we get involved?
When we were planning the Zanskar trip we rallied around a
concept of involvement for as many people as possible. We
wanted to share our adventure with people back home - through
magazines, newspapers, television, radio, internet and the
Zanskar DVD. We also wanted to do something with our adventure
that would help those who don’t have these types of
opportunities. Himanshu, a friend of ours in Manali, directed
us to the school and introduced us to the staff.
After meeting with the principal and some email correspondence
we decided to donate 50% of the DVD proceeds to the school.
This was a massive commitment, as 50% was already committed
to the Irish Cancer Society. It meant that everything apart
from the cost of producing the DVD’s would be going
to charity. There would be no financial reward for the endless
hours of editing, the marketing campaign or the sales drive.
Having met the children that will benefit, none of us had
any complaints. The daily challenges that they face, battling
in the dark in a society that is unable to cope with their
basic needs, makes our adventure on the river seem easy.
The money raised will be used to furnish a computer room and
basic accommodations for the students.
Keep an eye on rivernomad.com to see how we’re getting
on.
How can YOU get involved?
To join the Zanskar adventure and offer the children of Kullu
a better future, order your copy of the Zanskar movie by sending
a cheque for €27 (or stg£20 if you live in the
U.K.) made payable to "Zanskar" to:
Colin Irvine,
Beginish Crosthwaite Park West,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin,
IRELAND.
... and I'll pop a copy in the post.
Read more on the Zanskar Kayak Expedition here.
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