When School is a Blessing

This story will be a story of education. For many of us, it comes as a given. Something that just happens between the age of six and twenty-five. I went to school when my family lived in Siberia. I was six. At sixteen, I was at the university getting my first degree that infinitely changed my life.

I told my story at one of the formal schools curated by CHORD. Nothing special, you might say, but it’s not quite true. For everything I currently have, I owe my parents who believed that education is an important investment. An investment that comes at a great price when you balance between nothing to eat and nowhere to live. This is sadly a reality for some families in Hyderabad. Instead of going to school and hanging out with friends, children go out to work with their parents, who never went to school themselves and don’t know the way to break this poverty circle.

We were lucky to meet some of these kids. They were rescued from child labor by CHORD and now have an opportunity to go to school, for free. CHORD covers all the expenses on education, study materials, meals, and uniforms. According to statistics that CHORD shared with us, a child earns approximately 1000 rupees per month, just enough to provide for themselves. With the bridge schools where children are taken care of, there’s no need for their families to send them back to work.

CHORD set up ten bridge and two formal schools in Hyderabad. At bridge schools, children get a chance to catch up with the missing knowledge and later join their age-mates at a formal school. Formal schools, on the other hand, function as governmental schools but provide more care and attention to children thus reducing the number of dropouts.

Did you enjoy going to school? Well, these children love it! It is their chance for a childhood and a bright future. You can join us and send 100 more children to school. Check out the video below and a fundraising campaign we’re currently running with CHORD. Our onsite assignment in Hyderabad may be over, but every single day we can do something that makes this world a better place!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7itF9c2z4dI&feature=youtu.be