India
After taking part of the day to acclimate to my arrival in India, I flew from Chennai (Madras) to Trichy (officially called Tiruchchirappalli) in the south. In Trichy, I met up with our FCF Project Partners and drove 4 hours to Karankadu Village, located on the very tip of India across the strait from Sri Lanka. (see map)
The purpose was to check on progress of the Primary School and Dormitory that FCF is building, in a co-funding arrangement with L’Oreal India and other partners. A Children’s Dormitory Home is being constructed adjacent to the new primary school, allowing more local students to study, girls in particular. This campus will provide a dramatic change for students in this village and the 12 surrounding ones, all with a low literacy rating.
For contrast, this photo shows where village children are presently having their school classes — outside on the ground — since the dark, dingy 100-year-old structure they had previously used for school is closed.