Every day after the final school bell rings at Government Upper Primary School Gori Palya, one of our partner schools in Bangalore, some of the children stay back and continue studying. The teacher who leads this class explains that these students need additional support as they sometimes find it challenging to fully comprehend the day’s lessons. The Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Kusuma, has been instrumental in bringing initiatives like these to the school since she took on the role two years ago.

Most of the children who attend the school are the first generation of their family who are literate. Mrs. Kusuma shares; “the parents of most of our students don’t understand the importance of education and therefore encourage their children to go out to work”. Mrs. Kusuma has been prioritising explaining the benefits of education to these children’s parents. The Akshaya Patra school lunch plays a vital role in enabling the pupils to approach learning with a full stomach and an enquiring mind instead of focusing on their hunger. The lunch provides a primary incentive to attend school on a regular basis, as it is often the only full, balanced meal that the children will receive all day due to financial constraints at home.

Mrs. Kusuma aims to promote not just academics, but also extra-curricular activities to help her pupils with their overall development. She has big plans for the school, and wants to transform the attitudes of the children towards education. She adds; “I want them to be educated, securely employed and, most importantly, to become good citizens of the country”. We are privileged to partner with Mrs. Kusuma to enable her pupils to become the best version of themselves.