Dornakal Fundraising Day 2023
Last week our school community came together once more to raise vital funds for the DDEM School in Dornakal and we are delighted to have raised in excess of an incredible £7,000, meaning we can continue to sponsor 18 pupils, as well as providing another school trip and computers for the school.
Since 2008 we have had a partnership with the Dornakal Diocesan Schools in the Cathedral compound at Dornakal, Telangana, India. We are partnered especially with the Dornakal Diocesan English Medium (DDEM) school and since 2013 have been sponsoring students who, without funding, would not be able to afford their education. The DDEM School receives no government funding and has to charge minimal fees to attend. The pupils who we sponsor are from very poor families or are orphans with no relatives.
Sponsoring a child’s education is so important in Dornakal. Many of the children are from tribal families, who live in remote villages and where their child is the first to receive an education; vital for girls especially, who might otherwise be child brides or for boys, who are forced to forego an education and go out to work as a daily labourer in the fields, mines or local quarries. Many of the pupils we sponsor go on to become engineers, doctors, nurses, run their own businesses; education is the way out of poverty.
This makes such a difference. Jyothsna Rani, who is 10 wrote a letter stating how much she appreciated our sponsorship as she knew how difficult it was for someone of her background, from the Lambada tribe and whose father is dead, to gain an education especially as she would like to become a doctor when she is older and to open an orphanage for children from her tribe. The Lambada tribe is a nomadic people, although many now live in designated homelands but very discriminated against. Most are unable to read and write because the language they speak has no script and very few have access to an education. They earn very little and due to the harshness of their lives, many die young. The DDEM School offers places for children from the Lambada tribe.
Our fundraising day was a fantastic team effort from all staff throughout the school, including the fantastic Carol in the kitchen for making all the cakes, our wonderful estates team, playground supervisors, all those teachers who allowed themselves to be sponged, and all the office staff. We are also grateful to all the Lower Sixth volunteers who helped with activities throughout the day, from selling ice lollies and cakes, to helping with obstacle races, welly throwing competitions, sponging the teacher, a penalty shoot out, as well as a Lower Sixth fancy dress competition. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all and a wonderful way to raise money for such a worthy cause.
