Our project began in October, when we contacted Building Blocks and confirmed that the AlphaBet Club Board of Directors had just approved the funding of a new school with them. The first step in the project was to identify a slum that could benefit from a school. There are hundreds of slums in Bangalore alone, of all shapes and sizes. Almost all slums are built on land that is typically in some sort of dispute, with an owner wanting the land and the people and local government (due to voter support) wanting the land to stay as living area for the people there. So the selection of a slum that can support a school encompasses various criteria – primarily size (ie. how many people living there) and the risk of the slum disappearing.
The Building Blocks team suggested the school that ABC was going to fund should be for a large slum in the South of Bangalore in the BTM 2nd Stage area. It is a slum that has been there for 10+ years and is estimated that there are 3,000 people that live there, including 250 children between the ages of three and five. The residents are registered voters there and have local political organizations that represent their interests. The slum houses have walls made of cement blocks and roofs that are (sadly) made of
asbestos sheets. Most houses have electricity. There are a few water wells in the slum – not all of which work – that the locals need to go to daily and carry their water supplies home with them. Of the 3,000 people living in this slum, we estimate that the breakdown on religion and native language is as follows: Hindu (65%), Muslim (25%), Christian (10%), and Language – Tamil (70%), Kannada (20%), and Telgu (10%).
After identifying the slum for our school, it was time to select a building next to the slum that would become our school itself.The Building Blocks team took to the streets, looking for signs and speaking with local people and real estate agents.After a few days a great 3-storey building was located close to the slum.Upon meeting with the landlord and seeing the good condition
that the building was in we began negotiations with the owner.The building is nearly 3,000 square feet (915 square meters) which provides lot of space to have multiple class rooms and play areas. The owner was very sympathetic with our cause and wanted to see his building go to use to help children in need, and we made an agreement to rent the space from him.
The building was constructed a few years back and is in great condition. This is important for our project, as it means that less time and money will need to be invested for it to be in the condition we need. Key considerations in selecting buildings next to slums are water and energy supply – often water can be polluted or difficult to access. The house
has a great water supply and access to electricity, so these are things wedon’t have to focus on. The layout of the house is ideal for us, as it creates 3 large class rooms, one large kitchen, a good-sized office, an entrance area and a balcony on the 2nd floor. The highlight of the building however, at least for the children, will be the top floor/roof. It is a huge open area that we can make into an oasis for these kids to play every day – something they don’t have in the slums where they live.
— After reading this page – View the Video in the last post—
The week after arriving into Bangalore was Children’s Day (a national celebration in India). Building Blocks had organized an event for all 153 of their pre-school students, from 4 different schools to come together to celebrate this special day.
Children’s day is a special day for any child in any country. But for kids that don’t get out of the slums, nor their neighborhood’s much – the day takes on a new meaning. Things like getting into a bus, going to a new place in their town, getting up on a stage to perform and receiving gifts become experiences that they don’t forget.
We started the morning at 7am in 2 of the slums to shoot some video footage (SEE VIDEO IN LAST POST) of how these kids celebrated Children’s Day. We followed them from their morning routine at home, then going to school, then getting on a bus to attend the celebration, and finally their performances.
The event was a tremendous success – and a great cultural experience to be witnessed– with the event being inaugurated by the local police chief, the teachers from the school on stage dancing to local music in traditional outfits and gifts being given out by a famous Indian Actor.
At the event, the AlphaBet Club officially announced the funding for a new school, and I gave a short speech about our project. In the video (around 2:15m) you will see me hand over a check in the amount of “One New School”.
When funding is available, Building Blocks gives gifts to each child for Children’s Day (and other celebratory days). They make a gift package for a girl and a gift package for a boy. The gifts are practical, and are things that each of these children need (ie not fun toys). The things included in the gift package were: Big towel, 2 small towels, hair clips, hair band, soap, comb, nail clipper and a small ball. The AlphaBet Club was happy to add the following to each gift for each child. Jumbo crayon set, 2 coloring books, 1 notebook, rubber slipper shoes, toothbrush and toothpaste.
In India – its amazing the impact you can have – for just a small amount of funds. The 6 things the ABC added for each child cost about a total of 3 Euros per child ($5 USD).
***I have informed Building Blocks that I will reach out to our community to see if anyone would like to make donations that would specifically go to the next gift giving occasion to all of the children (Christmas). If anyone is interested in us buying things to include in a gift set, or to buy something specific for a school, please send us an email to abcATthealphabetclub.org and we will work with Building Blocks to get these gifts to the kids. I can testify that your gifts will be GREATLY appreciated.
It was a festive day, and one that Im glad the AlphaBet Club could take part in. Experiencing the excitement of these children throughout the day is a highlight shared by their parents and all of the adults that were around them.
There are many different ways and methods to bring education to children in need.
Over the past year, I’ve met with many different organizations and spoke with many people working in this space. The common themes that I hear in these conversations are about the importance of creating a good, safe and fun learning environment that is easily accessible to the students.
As our school building project is focused on helping very young children (3-5 yrs old) that live in a slum, the proximity of the school to where they live plays a big importance. For children that live in a slum, there are many things in their lives tempting them to not get an education (like working on the street to provide the family income). So them having access to a good, safe and fun learning environment that is close to where they live increases the chance of them choosing to go to school.
The model of the project that we are doing, as a funding partner to Building Blocks, is one which creates impact in the community very soon after the funding for the school is granted. It also creates a nice school, which is very close to where the students live, right next to the slum. A new school can be opened in 1 to 2 months time, as is the case with our school.
How this is done is as follows: A large slum area is identified in Bangalore. Local, Indian social workers walk around the slum and speak with the people living there. They assess what types of education the slum children have access to. They also assess which of these options are free or affordable. It is common that there aren’t many educational options, and rarely any that are affordable (for the parents living in the slum). It is also uncommon that there is anything for 3 to 5 year olds.
After assessing the size of the slum, and the number of children in the slum, a decision is made if it could support a new school. Almost always, it is agreed that a school is needed. Then, it just becomes a question of Building Blocks finding a funding partner to open a school there.
When a funding partner offers to fund a new school, the local team, then begins walking around all of the neighborhoods that are next to the slums, to see if there is a large (2 to 3 story) building that is vacant. They meet with local real estate agents and begin asking people that work in that area if they know of any buildings available to rent. The focus is to find the right building, that can be turned into a school that can have 35 to 50 children. The building should be in good condition and have areas where children can play. Finding the right building can take time, but it normally only takes a few weeks.
Then, there is a meeting with the owner of the building, and a formal walk through of the property is conducted. It is then that the monthly rental price is discussed (typically $400 USD a month) and also the security deposit down payment (typically 10 months rent).
If both sides are happy and agree on the pricing – then in a few days a rental agreement is signed – and the project enters into the “how do we make this place into a school and get kids in here as quickly as possible” phase.
Assessments are made for what physically needs to be done to the building for it to be a fun and safe environment first. Then the purchasing of furniture, school and kitchen equipment etc begins. I will not go into the specifics of the next steps here as I will share more detail about all of this in upcoming posts – as this is what we are in the process of doing now to open the new school.
The AlphaBet Club is funding a pre-school and is partnering with a local charity in Bangalore called Building Blocks.
After already having funded a primary school and a library with the charity Room to Read (view school completion reports and see photos here), we’re happy to be working now with a charity that has welcomed us to participate in the roll out and operations of the school project.
Although we are opening up a school, the objective of our project is actually much more than that, as it is aimed at children who are currently spending their days in the street, have no access to education, little or no access to medical/health services and receive very little food every day.
Our objective in getting these children into a school, we hope will also serve as a first step for them to help break the cycle of poverty. By getting them into a school, we begin to get them an education. We also get them at least one nutritious meal every day, and access to medical services. We also get them off of the street and into a fun environment where these children can enjoy playing and “being a kid”.
In India, at 5 years old, to enter most schools, a child has to pass an entrance exam. Uneducated street children will have no chance at passing this exam and are faced with being shut out of getting an education. Beginning to educate these children at 3 or 4 years old, with a strong focus on English language, ensures that entrance exam scores will not be an inhibitor of them receiving an education.
The realities of these kids – and the slums, is life in an environment where most everyone is a migrant from a poor rural village, of the lowest Indian castes, of varied religions (Hindu, Muslim, Christian etc), with most everyone only speaking their home regional languages. The houses are never spacious, secure, nor sturdily built, and will hold almost all of the family’s worldly possessions (which often times can be summed up into Television, clothing and cooking equipment). Houses typically have electricity, but will rarely have running water, which will have to be carried to the house in pots from a local well. Water contamination is a big issue in the slums as according to a report released by the Indian National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), of the estimated 49,000 slums in India, 24% are located along “nallahs” or open sewage canals.
Families typically consist of two parents in their early twenties, with multiple kids, and often time grandparents in the same living unit. The father (if he is still active in the family’s life) will typically work laboring, selling random items on the street, collecting trash or driving an auto rickshaw and will be gone all day, leaving the mother to take care of the many kids. It is also very common that the mother is the only income earner in the family, and that as she goes to work during the day to provide the income for the family, the eldest child is left to take care of all of the younger kids.
And yes – there are many kids. You see children everywhere, of all ages in the slums. In our first walk through the slum where our school will be, the definite highlight was the first interactions with the mothers and their children on the streets… seeing how their curiosity in why we were there, transformed into enthusiasm and big smiles when they learned that soon there would be a free school close to them for their children.
Although it had been about a year, since I was in Bangalore, it didn’t take long for India to sink back in. Arriving at 4:30am and having already eaten two curry masala meals on the plane flight in from Europe, I was warmly greeted at the airport by two members of the local NGO (Building Blocks) that we are working with to build a school here.
After the one hour drive from the airport into the city center – I realized how nice it was to be back in India. From the 30C/80F degree weather, to the what I call “organized chaos” of auto-rickshaws and traffic, to cows on the streets, to women wearing saris, to a wide array of smells, to being called “Sir” and “Uncle” and having people respond to you when you ask them a question with a head bob that to a westerner is both a Yes and a No at the same time.
Depending on who you ask – Bangalore is India – or Bangalore is not India. It’s the example of how India should be – or is a place that has culturally evolved too much beyond it’s roots. After having spent 3 months last year in travelling around 15 cities in India, I recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of Bangalore… for India and for the world. There’s definitely a buzz here, especially in the technology space – as this is the epicenter of India and perhaps the world (in number of employees) for tech. And it is precisely the “opportunity” and the jobs that Bangalore creates – which make it a prime location for migrants and poor rural Indians to want to move here. And when they move to Bangalore, many will occupy any piece of land they can. There is an estimated 600,000 people living in a slum in Bangalore and our project, is to build a school next to one of the biggest slums here (estimated 3,500 people) for 40 children.
Little did I know, that my first day, would be one of my busiest. From the airport to the slum next to our school, to visit the building that we will make into a school. I was lucky in arriving in town right as the multi-day festival, Diwali (the largest national celebration in India) began. Besides feeling like the city was under siege from bombings (ie fireworks happening all day, everywhere and all night) it made for a festive first weekend in India, getting to know the Building Blocks team while celebrating Diwali.
Our one hour walk around the slum where we are building our school was the highlight of the day. Seeing the size of the slum and the number of kids just hanging around surprised me. As you can imagine, us walking through the slums arouses curiosity for those that live there, and as they learn we are building a school for 3-5 year old children – it is very encouraging to hear from the mothers how greatly that it is needed and will be received.
But for now – it’s only Day 1 in India – and there’s still a lot of work to do before we can begin to get any of these kids into a school…
Namaste ABC Friends and Greetings from Bangalore India,
We’re happy to finally enter the blogosphere and begin to share more insight on the IMPACT that your donations have been having on ABC’s charity efforts, beginning with the school project in Bangalore, India.
When the AlphaBet Club began 5 years ago, it was simply a way for internationally minded people to connect. I never envisioned that it would grow to the size that it has, having branches in multiple cities that hosted over 50 events; nor that we would become an officially registered charity, having funded various educational infrastructure building projects and local community outreach activities in multiple countries. And I definitely never imagined that I’d be in Bangalore, India for 5 weeks, aiding in a project (and writing a blog) to share interesting observations on the school that we’re funding and opening for underprivileged children.
This has happened thanks to a lot of great people that have volunteered their time, energy and passion. From Board Members to Event/Charity coordinators to members that help us with events, technology, marketing, communications and charity. Over the years I’ve realized it does “take a village”, especially as we’re working with volunteers.
Transparency in our finances and the allocation of donations is a key pillar of our operations, and we would like to thank Media Business Solutions (MBS), for being a true business partner to the ABC, as well as offering their services at substantially discounted rates, and making a donation to our school building initiative in India. Your support and guidance in our operations is greatly appreciated.
A sincere THANK YOU for your continued support and interest in the AlphaBet Club; in making ABC events fun and memorable; and in helping us have the IMPACT that we have in our charity initiatives.
Namskaar,
Troy Swanson
Founder (and ABC blogger from India)
AlphaBet Club Charity
(We hope you’ll be an active participant in our blog and community, and welcome your comments, referral to friends and linking with us on Facebook and Twitter)
The AlphaBet Club is an international charity focused organization creating exceptional and fun experiences, impacting lives and enabling real life connections.
This blog is to share more insight on the IMPACT that our member's, corporate sponsor's and friend's donations have been having in ABC’s charity efforts.
Troy, ABC founder, is in Bangalore launching our new school project. Thanks Martin & Karile Klug @ travelessence.nl for donating the flight! 2012-01-16
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— After reading this page – View the Video in the last post—
We started the morning at 7am in 2 of the slums to shoot some video footage (SEE VIDEO IN LAST POST) of how these kids celebrated Children’s Day. We followed them from their morning routine at home, then going to school, then getting on a bus to attend the celebration, and finally their performances.
The event was a tremendous success – and a great cultural experience to be witnessed– with the event being inaugurated by the local police chief, the teachers from the school on stage dancing to local music in traditional outfits and gifts being given out by a famous Indian Actor.
They make a gift package for a girl and a gift package for a boy. The gifts are practical, and are things that each of these children need (ie not fun toys). The things included in the gift package were: Big towel, 2 small towels, hair clips, hair band, soap, comb, nail clipper and a small ball. The AlphaBet Club was happy to add the following to each gift for each child. Jumbo crayon set, 2 coloring books, 1 notebook, rubber slipper shoes, toothbrush and toothpaste.
anyone is interested in us buying things to include in a gift set, or to buy something specific for a school, please send us an email to abcATthealphabetclub.org and we will work with Building Blocks to get these gifts to the kids. I can testify that your gifts will be GREATLY appreciated..jpg)
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There are many different ways and methods to bring education to children in need. .jpg)
The AlphaBet Club is funding a pre-school and is partnering with a local charity in Bangalore called Building Blocks.
language, ensures that entrance exam scores will not be an inhibitor of them receiving an education. 
according to a report released by the Indian National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), of the estimated 49,000 slums in India, 24% are located along “nallahs” or open sewage canals.
Although it had been about a year, since I was in Bangalore, it didn’t take long for India to sink back in. Arriving at 4:30am and having already eaten two curry masala meals on the plane flight in from Europe, I was warmly greeted at the airport by two members of the local NGO (Building Blocks) that we are working with to build a school here. 
Depending on who you ask – Bangalore is India – or Bangalore is not India. It’s the example of how India should be – or is a place that has culturally evolved too much beyond it’s roots. After having spent 3 months last year in travelling around 15 cities in India, I recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of Bangalore… for India and for the world. There’s definitely a buzz here, especially in the technology space – as this is the epicenter of India and perhaps the world (in number of employees) for tech. And it is precisely the “opportunity” and the jobs that Bangalore creates – which make it a prime location for migrants and poor rural Indians to want to move here. And when they move to Bangalore, many will occupy any piece of land they can. There is an estimated 600,000 people living in a slum in Bangalore and our project, is to build a school next to one of the biggest slums here (estimated 3,500 people) for 40 children..jpg)
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