What am I digging at?

“...
Run rabbit run,
Dig that hole
Get the sun
When at last
Your work is done
Don't sit down
Its time to dig another one
...” - Roger Waters



I went with the 8th standard kids to dig mud from a nearby tank bed. We have clay activity in the school where children make things out of clay and we needed mud for that. Our school correspondent drove the tractor and we all sat in the trailor. The aim was to get one load of the trailor. It was back-breaking work and after almost 2 hours of work we decided what we had loaded was enough. While we were digging an old man (in his fifties) came with a bullock cart to fill it with mud. He was digging for a family of potters who live in Adhiyamankottai. When we chatted with him he said he would get 200 Rs a load. I couldn't help wonder, may be it would be better for me to work in Infosys and pay this guy his 200 Rs for the load. By doing his work am I denying him a livelihood opportunity? Since I am trained and capable (hopefully) of doing IT work, should I be doing that instead of digging holes? I was not terribly happy doing IT and I am not terribly happy digging holes? May be I should just twiddle my toes...

An Appeal

I guess most of the readers of this blog know that I have been working as a teacher in Puvidham. This year there has been a sudden surge in the number of children who want to be in the hostel. Last year two girls from a nearby village joined our hostel, and from this village now there are almost 20 kids who want to join too. The parents from this village go to Karnataka to work in stone quarries where there are no schools or facilities to take care of their children while they work. When they heard about a hostel which provides a good environment for their children they have flocked enmasse! We had foreseen this and had already planned to build a new hostel building, but now the needs are immediate. Puvidham has already started constructing the building without any funds! But without money to pay for labor the work has made slow progress, the teachers provide their physical labor whenever time permits. So your assistance would help Puvidham get the hostel constructed. If you are interested in donating for the construction of this building please send me an e-mail (ramchandar.k@gmail.com). I have included the proposal below.

Surabhi

A home for children studying in Puvidham Learning Center

Proposal
– Construction of 3200 sq. ft. of living space for 80 children.

Why a new block ?

• The current space of around 600 sq. ft. is proving to be very inadequate for the 43 children. In the school year 2008-09 there has been an addition of 30 children to the hostel. Due to the collapse of agriculture in this area, parents are migrating to Bangalore in search of work and want to leave behind their children in the hostel. The hostel needs to accommodate totally 80 children and we need additional space for them.

• Currently there is no facility for a study space, place for indoor activities and a facility to wash and dry clothes.

• Since the children sleep in one big room together, there is a need for a separate sick room to prevent infections spreading from one room to another.

• The boys and girls are growing up fast and it is appropriate to have separate buildings for girls and boys.
  Other needs

• Fuel expenditure on firewood for cooking and hot water has been more than 2000 Rs. per month. A long-term sustainable option would be to use the biogas generated from the toilets.

• For hot water a solar heater would be a good alternative solution.

• The electricity supply is erratic. An alternative power supply based on solar energy would be appropriate.

• Open well water is used for drinking purposes. A bore well is more hygienic.

The plan

• A new hostel block with 3200 square feet plinth area. This would give each child 20 sq. ft. of floor space.

• Convert the existing two rooms into a library and a carpentry and toy-making unit. The toy-making unit is currently operating in a makeshift space in the school.

• Fix a biogas digester that would digest the night soil from the toilets and generate fuel for cooking purposes.

• Equip the hostel with a solar water heater that would heat around 500 liters of water.

• Setup electric wiring and fittings that would run on solar power. Solar panels are being donated to Puvidham trust.

• Dig a bore-well and equip it with a hand-pump for pumping drinking water.

The Budget

1. Building Construction (3200 sq. ft @ Rs. 300 per sq ft) - 9,60,000
2. Biogas Digester - 60,000
3. Solar Water Heater (500 litres) - 20,000
4. Bore-well and hand-pump - 40,000
5. Solar Electricity (We have panels, need batteries and fittings) - 20,000

Total - Rs. 11,00,000