Sinthanai Sirpi School, Akkarapettai -- Tsunami Rehabilitation

Project Brief: The Sinthanai Sirpi school (LKG to 5th tandard) at Akkarapettai was badly damaged by Tsunami. Asha is helping rebuild the school and contribute towards the improvement of education at the school.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Chennai
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Rajaraman Krishnan
Project Partner(s):
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , ,,,
TAMIL NADU 
Tel:
Stewarding Chapter: Chennai

Total = $0

Akkarapettai in Nagapattinam District was badly damaged by the Dec 26th Tsunami. The Sinthanai Sirpi school (LKG to 5th tandard) at Akkarapettai was also badly damaged. Two of the buildings collapsed and furniture was all thrown away some as far away as one Km. Twenty Eight of the school's children perished in the Tsunami. Asha is helping rebuild the school and contribute towards the improvement of education at the school.

We at Asha chennai decided to look at Sinthanai Sirpi Nursery and Primary School (School Recognition No 1725/98) No: 32A, Amman Koil Back Side, Akkarapettai-611106, Nagapattinam Dist.

This school was brought to our notice by Dr. Aruna Rathnam working with Unicef. She gave the contact of the District Education Officer who recommended that we take up the school as it was a good and flourishing school and could not get any support from the govt. as it was a private
school. The representative of the school's correspondent met Lakshmi Suryanarayanan with the details, photographs, their requests to the DEO. The school had a strength of 319 before the Tsunami. The school was charging a nominal fee and some special fees.

28 children of the school have died during the Tsunami (in their homes). The school decided to relocate the siblings in other schools to help reduce the trauma by giving them a new environment. The school now has 278 children. The children of this primary school are studying with medium of instruction as English and are in classes 1 to 5. Changing the children to the govt. schools nearby is not possible for the reason above and also because the local govt. Schools are already overcrowded. The school is now running with reduced staff due to financial constraints.

The children need bags, books, notebooks, uniforms and materials for the next academic year beginning June 2005. They need have their school getting back to good shape too. The school cannot charge any fees from Jan 2005 to May 2006 as the children are from families affected by the Tsunami. The school therefore needs support in all ways for its continuation, not just reconstruction.

The site visit has been done by Kamakoti, volunteer of Asha Chennai. The school has damaged buildings, lost all teaching learning materials. Kamakoti is very clear that the school needs all our support. He met with the DEO who
has given his complete and whole hearted "Go Ahead" for the work. With the help of an architect and Mr. Seetharaman (who is organising/supervising the construction at our& Seattle Tappallampuliyur and Vishnupuram Projects-
Project Fireproof) a project proposal is being drawn up and this should happen very soon. Mr. Seetharaman is very willing to supervise the construction work. He has experience and contacts and is able to reduce construction costs considerably