To Teach and be Taught, My Adventures in the Chander Abha Memorial School for the Blind Children, Kullu. Episode 5

I am coming to the end of my stay in Kullu, for this year at least. I finished teaching last Saturday but will continue to work at the school, in a slightly different capacity, until the beginning of November. And there is no shortage of work! I will continue to do the Saturday art activities, as painting and the new scented colouring pens are going down a treat with the kids.
I plan to introduce Halloween to Kullu next week and am working on making a Twister which will be texture based rather than colour orientated so that all the students can enjoy.

Myself, a friend Kris working with the Kullu Project as a volunteer, and a nurse Judith, from Switzerland but living locally are developing a hygiene workshop to do here and also to implement at two orphanages in the area. Unfortunately there have been a lot of skin problems recently with a few students, for various reasons. But we all (staff at the school) feel that a few basic lessons in self hygiene would serve as a reminder to the kids and renewed encouragement. We will give each child a pack including new toothbrush, paste, soap and a comb to try to encourage continued practice.

I have few friends coming out to visit from home so I’m going to rope them into helping me give the bathrooms a new coat of paint with some of the money raised from home. Hopefully, as an incentive to keep them nice and clean. Apart from toiletries and paint the money will go really far. I will be able to buy new floor mats for meal times, thermal undergarments for the cold winter that is around the corner, socks, uniforms, a heater for the boys’ bedroom and one for the classroom and some new computer equipment. But most enjoyably we were able to take the children out on a long deserved picnic.


'Are we there yet?' Drive to Prashar Lake.

Last week, the day before Gandhi’s birthday, we rented a minibus and a jeep and in true local style we all crammed in, thirty five students and fifteen staff members. We drove to Parashar Lake. I never thought so much singing and dancing and drumming could be done on a mini bus driving around hairpin bends! But this is Incredible India.


'One more chapati for anyone?' Picnic at the lake.

The children had not had an outing since I have been here and it was definitely deserved especially after such fantastic end of year results at the boy’s school. All teachers contributed to the food preparations and we doled out big pots of vegetables and stacks of chapattis, I also introduced Potato Cakes to the staff. It was spectacular to see the kids running freely in grass and just being in a wide open space. So a huge Thank you from all staff and students.

At school the children are busy preparing for a Sports Day for the Differently abled. It will be held in Shimla, the state capitol, on the25 th of October. Students of all ages will participate in games like skipping and running races and the Opening Procession. Infact they have spent most of their time learning to march, which has been very entertaining to watch.



Practice for sports day at Prashar Lake.

Some of the music students have also performed on stage at the opening ceremony of the huge Dushera festival. Each village in the Kullu valley has its own Deptha ( god ) made from brightly coloured fabrics and usually with a head of six silver faces.( please look at the photos, difficult to explain) For Dushera, all 365 local gods are carried on the shoulders of men, to Kullu town ( though the gods themselves do lead the direction ) where they stay for a week. Men, Women and children flock from every direction to witness this spectacle. Each night of the festival there is a big culture programme in which the children took part.


Local Gods, Opening Procession of 'Dushera' Festival.

Before I leave I will also be working on a website for the school. Currently they don’t have one. I think it’s essential for the school for public awareness and to raise national and international funds. But there is no one here with the time to set one up so a new venture for me. And when it’s finally done I will email you all the link and you can keep track of progress at the school after my departure. So Ill certainly be kept busy here in my last weeks.

So until I see those of you who I will see, and to those of you who I won’t, many and the most Sincere thanks for the monetary and moral support over the last eight months.

If anyone even has the smallest temptation to travel to India, Do It.


To support the school please click here to contact IntoIndia.

To Teach and be Taught, My Adventures in the Chander Abha Memorial School for Blind Children,Kullu. Episode 1.

The Kullu Valley.

It is now two months since I arrived in the town of Kullu, ready to start on a new adventure. Kullu, renound for its intricately hand woven shawls and of course its delicious apples, is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the deep glaciated valley of the river Beas. The spectacular views of the dramatic snow capped mountains of Manali and the luscious green apple orchards all around, will provide some calm in he evenings after my challenging days in school.


'Shivrathri' celebrating one of Indias many great festivals.

I came here with time to offer. Open to any work needing done I have been given the responsibility of he Prep class. This class consists of seven students with varying degrees of visual impairments and learning disabilities. There are 35 students in total attending The Chander Abha Memorial School for The Blind. The senior students are now, thanks to the perseverance and dedication of teachers and staff, integrated into the local government school. This of course is essential to the social development of the children and a huge benefit to their confidence and sense of independence.


'Chimta' one of the instruments the children love to play, music is an essential part of life here.

On another positive note the school has recently acquired a plot of land to build a new school, from the government 6km outside of Kullu. Though this was no easy task, the Principle has been working and petitioning hard for 10 years now for this. And it will take a lot more time energy and money before this project is up and running. But this will be an ideal setting for the children’s education and welfare and they will have the huge benefit of outdoor space. In the mean time, the children, for the best part of 11months of the year, eat, sleep, play and are educated in the 3 small rooms here at the Mahila Kalyan Bhawan, (Womens Social Welfare Building, another N.G.O. ) But these lively and ambitious kids make the absolute most of everything and take nothing for granted and are driven by the encouragement of their four fantastic teachers.


'Utsav Janem Din', birthday celebrations.

Each day here is a challenge for me but I have been welcomed into this warm and open family and so far am thoroughly enjoying every new experience each day. I am quickly learning the ways of the culture here and the children seem to enjoy helping me through with hindi, especially what seems to be my hilarious pronunciations




To support the school please contact us at IntoIndia.

By Meadhbh O'Donovan

India: The Adventure Destination

The Indian Himalaya is one of the great adventure travel destinations in the World today. These huge mountains stretch from Pakistan in the west to Burma in the east covering a distance of almost 2500km. This vast area is diverse in its people, culture, geography and weather. Due to the many micro climates in the region, perfect weather conditions for adventure tourism can be had 12 months of the year. The Indian Himalayas can be most easily divided into two Regions the areas to the west and east of Nepal. Both areas offer great trekking, rafting and kayaking but yet they are so different and diverse.