Jeevanshala — School of Life

Location: Sawaryadigar Village, Maharashtra, India
Budget: $50,000

Jeevanshala — "School of Life" — is transforming a genuinely unsafe building into a thriving, sustainable learning environment, complete with a working kitchen, dormitory and classrooms for hundreds of local children.

It's a community-led school and dormitory project serving the children of Sawaryadigar Village and the surrounding area in Maharashtra. Local ownership sits at the heart of the project: the community itself is leading the reconstruction and renovation, investing directly in the future of its own children.

This will be our first project in India. It will be led by our long-standing partner Building Trust International (BTI), with whom we've delivered many projects on time and on budget across Asia. The site is easily reachable within a day from Kathmandu, so our team in Nepal will also help oversee delivery and reporting on the ground.

Once approved, construction can begin toward the end of the month — the ideal time of year to start, weather permitting.

This is a genuinely exceptional project, built on a great deal of work the community has already put in. For children whose education has so far taken place in an unsafe building that was never fit for purpose, it will be transformative: a safe, happy place for hundreds of children, for years to come.

Click to enlarge for the site plan, construction detail, and community/site photos.