About the Project
By raising awareness and engaging the local Seattle community and the Tathagat School children and their community in cross-cultural relationships, the goal of this project is to secure the funds needed to construct a modest school building in Bakrour village, and the ongoing operating expenses that will provide access to free primary education to about 220 children in the village communities of Bakrour and Ganga Bigha. The project aims to raise the remaining $7,000 required to make construction possible in early 2008, and importantly, to develop a reliable base of ongoing support for school operations and teacher salaries.
History (or, How and Why this Project Began)
The roots of this project can be traced to Ellis’ trip to India in 1999, when he happened upon the village of Bakrour (also known as Sujata’s Village) and the Tathagat School and fell in love with the children and the village community. The villagers told him of their dream of building a school that will make it possible for all their children to get an education. (click here for the rest of the story)
Orna’s Action Project
Following the India trip, Orna decided to take on this project as her Capstone Change Project for her graduate studies in the Environment and Community program at Antioch University Seattle’s Center for Creative Change. As an aspiring social change agent interested in rural community development, she hopes to collaborate with many interested groups and individuals to facilitate the realization of Sanjay’s dream of building and funding a school, thus paving a path to a better future for the children of Bakrour and Ganga Bigha villages.
Ellis and Orna
Meet the Students of the Tathagat School
