Welcome to our first Love the One School!
"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." said Nelson Mandela famously, and at Love the One we agree!
We meet many children on a daily basis who are not in school due to poverty, chaotic family life or having to be engaged in child labour. What will their future be? 1 in 5 children between the ages of 6-14 years do not attend school in India, the majority being girls.
Many start primary school, but drop out at an early age, often due to child labour and child marriage. There are estimated to be 90 million girls and women in India who are illiterate. The education available to children in poorer areas is also often sub standard, learning is by rote and children fear being beaten by the teacher's big stick - which then leads to school truancy and failure to pass their 10th standard exams at age 16 years.
We want to see children have the opportunity to be able to attend a school where they are able to learn, in a child friendly, caring environment where they can thrive, both academically and emotionally.
The Love the One School formally began in April 2016. Our school has gone from strength to strength and by 2019 we now have 185 students ranging from UKG to class 6. The children literally adore their school! They enjoy the colourful classrooms, the extra curricular activities such as Taekwondo lessons, dancing, art and music classes. The teachers plan creative and stimulating lessons, helping the children engage their brains, love to learn and problem solve to find the solutions.
We have a seamless transition now from our EPIC preschools into the Love the One School where the kindergarten children learn to read via phonics rather than memorisation. We also tailor the education and give 1-1 teaching and support to those who are struggling with mainstream school for differing reasons such as ADHD and other issues.
Most of all, the teachers are kind, gentle and our GOLDEN RULE at Love the One is that NO child is to ever be beaten or frightened by an adult. As neglected and traumatised children start school, it is beautiful to watch them begin to relax and feel safe, start to share their problems, feel listened to and valued and then they begin to learn and thrive!
"Loving children and bringing learning to life"
That's our school motto and we LOVE it! Huge thanks to Mrs Lucy Munton (a primary school teacher from the UK) who has helped shaped and teach our techers how to teach in this new way. Our Principal Miss Santoshini Nahak is to be applauded. A young passionate leader who has built up an incredible staff team who are united in their vision to change education in Odisha for hundreds more children.
DO YOU WANT TO SEND A CHILD TO SCHOOL?
It costs £30 (UK) per month, $40 (US) per month
or INR 2,500 (India) to change a child's life and future.
If you are interested in supporting a child through school, then click here and set up your regular support, right now, with our easy online giving!
If you would like to be part of this life changing school, you can volunteer, donate much needed funds for equipment and furniture or sponsor a child. It literally is lifechanging and is breaking the poverty cycle in THIS generation!
Vocational Training
Some of our older children who are at our school may not be able to manage mainstream school lessons for a variety of reasons. For these young people we want to support them in life skills, basic literacy and numeracy learning and vocational training schemes. To see them develop in skills, self-esteem and confidence, and find productive jobs they enjoy.
Already our eldest student, who arrived from a violent and chaotic background, has now come on staff as a teaching assistant at our school and is amazing at caring for our younger children as he helps to teach them.
Positive role models
Our staff are trained to give affirmation and nurture to their students, to create a classroom atmosphere of fun, creativity, laughter with positive discipline. They help to fill the gaps where parents are intentionally or unintenionally neglecting or abusing their children. They are a safe soace for the children to unburden themselves which is transformative for them.
The younger, more energetic members of our staff team also now run a youth group at school, "The Transformers", for those 11+ years, helping them be able to discuss issues around puberty, the difficulties they face at home, talk about how they see many aroud them missuse alcohol, drugs and are violent and how can they stand against that and be the change makers for the future of India. They also have loads of fun and games too, a highlight of their week for many!
Health and Nutrition
To give complete child centered support to our children at our Love the One School, each child also receives healthy and nutritious snacks, and a delicious and filling lunch, something which is a highlight for our often hungry children.
In addition to all of this, each child on enrollment gets a thorough top-to-toe health check up and when unwell throughout the year can attend our Love the One clinic for free.
If a child is more seriously unwell, or needs a life saving operation, then the Love the One clinic team walks with the family and child in referring to the correct hospital, paying hospital fees and supporting the family through that journey.
