September 2021 Update on the Amaravati Sewing School Project
As previously reported, the Pandemic recently grew worse in India and it has disrupted everything except for the deeply rooted poverty that is so pervasive in the ghettos in the cities and in much of the rural areas in India. Amaravati has not been spared from the turmoil associated with either.
In conversations with Gummadi Franklin, the founder and chair of our NGO Partner, Pushpa, and his wife, Shirley, who live in Arden Hills, they have been very positive about the school and the role they hope it will continue to have in Amaravati when the school is able to reopen. The school has been in existence now for almost three years and only about one-third of the funds from the District Grant set aside to support the school have been expended.
The school was permitted to reopen some time ago now, but only partially and only for five students. The number was subsequently increased to ten and the school was moved to a new facility in Amaravati. After the move was completed, however, the Pandemic worsen and the school was closed once again and it has remained closed. It is anticipated that the school will reopen again, but the timing of any reopening cannot be projected at this time.
The school came together very well prior to the onset of the Pandemic, but the Pandemic has affected everything. The elders in the community want the school to remain and Pushpa has been very frugal with the funds our District 5960 grant has provided, so there will be sufficient funds to reestablish the school as further steps in the reopening of the school can be taken.
As previously reported, a first graduating class received their certificates of completion prior to the Pandemic. A picture of the graduating class seated with their arms raised as they wait for their certificates is shown below.
Two of the graduating students are picture in another picture below, one, who was chosen to speak to the gathering at the graduation ceremony and another who is receiving her certificate from Chairman Franklin. Also with the students and Chairman Franklin is the Teacher (Suzanne) and a teaching assistant.
Pushpa's mission is to help marginalized community members of rural Guntur District villages transition from migrant, subsistent lifestyles, dependent on seasonal labor and temporary shelter, to sustainable livelihoods in healthy communities. Its mission has not changed. The organization’s main goal is to work together with underprivileged (tribal) members of rural Guntur District villages to find ways to enable socio-economic change in small ways, one person, one family, one student, at a time, through projects in which the recipients themselves participate. (See http://pushpaproject.org/vision_mission.htm )
One of the elders in Amaravati is pictured below after he was given the honor of cutting the green ribbon in a ceremony for the opening of the school in May of 2019.
A lot of hard work went into establishing the school and there are many people to thank for their hard work and significant contributions. Pushpa is working hard to fully reopen the Sewing School out of respect for the hard work that went before and out of respect for the funds received from the District 5960 Grant. The Sewing School has graduated its first class and the Organization looks forward to fully reopening the school when it is possible. We are now awaiting further word as to further progress regarding the reopening and that of the current students.
The leaders of Pushpa, both here in Arden Hills and in Andhra Pradesh, India are especially grateful for the support for the new sewing school from the Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary Club and Rotary District 5960.
We and Pushpa are thankful for the matching grant received from Rotary District 5960 and to the following Rotary Clubs for their generous support of our project: Belle Plain; Brooklyn Center; Forrest Lake; Fridley Columbia Heights; New Brighton Mounds View; Prior Lake; Roseville; St. Croix Falls; St. Paul No. 10; Siren Webster; West St. Paul Mendota Heights; and White Bear Lake.
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