TOV Furniture Catalog

tŌv lifestYle | 77 | On our recent trip to India, we had the opportunity to visit a school in New Delhi. While we had always dreamed of visiting the amazing country of India, we were totally unprepared for the conditions in which many of the Indian people live, particularly children. Many of the children live in true poverty with no formal schooling available to them. An amazing woman, Gaurav Ma, founded the school named "The Gaurav Ma Foundation School". She had always been a philanthropist using her time and ideas whilst deciding to make a difference in her hometown. After years of watching the local day laborers' children literally roam the streets of India throughout all hours of the day, looking for scraps of food in garbage bags, and not receiving a single day of proper education, she was ready to help. Along with her daughter, Gaurav Ma used long strips of a blue tarp to create three "classrooms", with a single chalkboard that would be shared among the classrooms. With virtually no funds, she opened the black gates of the school and called to the children around her to come and learn. Within a few weeks, her school was full. Children found out about the school through word of mouth, and asked to be enrolled. Each day most children walk to school alone, as their parents are already at work from the early morning hours. Some of the children walk a few miles each way to get there. Gaurav Ma works entirely as a volunteer, as do the two other teachers in the school. What struck me the most was the children's visible thirst for knowledge. During our visit, the children sat on a dirt floor, in neat rows, in front of the chalkboard. The teacher was working on a math problem on the board, and the "room" was silent. The children vigorously scribbled on their dirty notepads, while concentrating intensely on the teacher's every word. Being that I was a teacher for ten years prior to entering the furniture industry and I am passionate about education, I have visited and studied quite a few schools over time. I can honestly say that I have never seen the commitment to learning as I saw in this small outdoor school in the middle of India. It left a profound impact on us and served as an important lesson. We must be grateful and have tremendous appreciation for the incredible education our children here in the United States receive, all within comfortable surroundings, with plenty of food to eat. We decided to contribute monetarily Gaurav Ma's important work. Additionally we gave the children candy and hugs and were so grateful to be able to help and witness this amazing school.

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