Amarpurkashi Project in India: Jafar Pur Junior High School
a classroom in jafar pur school
the school building so far; there is room for expansion
students exercising in the school grounds
the boundary wall (to keep out animals and make the school secure) was built with the help of a generous donation from the Asian Foundation for Philanthropy
The villagers' problem
Jafarpur is a village in a very rural, backward area in the block of Islamnagar in District Budaun, Uttar Pradesh. The area is almost entirely agricultural, growing wheat, rice, millet, sorghum and mustard seed. Farmers own very small plots of land so educating their children to enable them to supplement the family income is very important.
There are 15 primary schools within a 4 km radius, covering 20 villages and a total population of around 20,000 but at that time there were no schools offering any further education after primary level. This meant that children had to go to the towns. The roads were very bad and the buses infrequent so most children, particularly girls, did not study beyond primary level.
The new school is set up
A number of Jafarpur villagers knew what the Society for Agro-Industrial Education in India (the partner project of VRI) had achieved at Amarpurkashi, particularly in the field of education, and were keen to initiate something similar in their area. Promises from local politicians came to nothing so the village chief and leaders from nearby villages approached Amarpurkashi.
In March 2004, the head of the village council and several other concerned villagers approached the Society for Agro-Industrial Education in India for help and advice to set up a junior high school on some land about one km from the village. The villagers had donated this land.After visiting the area, examining the land for the school and talking to more of the villagers in open meetings, the Society expressed its willingness to help them. With the assistance of the Society, financial help from the VRI Children's Scholarship Fund, and the commitment of the villagers themselves, the junior high school was set up and accepted its first pupils in July 2004.
The continuing need
Since then, the government has set up its own junior high school in Jafarpur itself but this school only caters for 150 pupils and, as with all government schools in rural areas, the teaching is very poor. With 15 primary schools each releasing around 35 pupils every year, there is a need for 525 junior high school places. At present, our junior high school just outside Jafarpur village but well situated near the main road caters for over 150 pupils. The managing committee would like to expand it to a capacity of 300 pupils.
Recent progress
VRI and the Society for Agro-Industrial Education in India have continued to support the school. In addition, in December 2006, a boundary wall was built with the help of a generous donation from the Asian Foundation for Philanthropy.
No government funds were available for setting up the school initially, but now the school is up and running, it has been successful in obtaining some financial assistance in the form of government scholarships (in 2006-7, 79 pupils received scholarships, amounting to Rs. 43,440).
There are currently two classrooms, an open area with a tin roof, one hand pump and two new toilets. Three classes, year 6, 7 and 8, are now well established with over 150 pupils and 5 teachers. The percentage of girls at the school, though still low, has increased from 9% to 23%.
The site is large with room for expansion. It has the potential to become a high school and then an intercollege.
Information for Supporters
Find out how you can help this school, through the VRI "virtual gift" scheme.
Note also that, under the VRI volunteering scheme you can come and see this school for yourself, and get involved in the work here.