A school comes to life
As the Interactors from Utterbuniyadi Vidyalaya in Amalsadi, a tribal village near Surat, Gujarat, worked on their cleanliness drive, the wind seemed determined to make their job harder. “The moment we started sweeping, paper bags and plastic bottles flew right past us like they had grown feet,” says Sahil Rathod, the president of the newly installed Interact club. “We couldn’t stop laughing, it was as though the wind was playing games with us. One of us even chased down a plastic bag that had taken off with the breeze.”
Despite the wind, Rathod adds, “We didn’t want to give up.” By the end of the day, the school and streets were clean, though the Interactors were “tired and hungry but proud of our work. We showed our parent club (RC Surat, RID 3060) that we could clean and maintain the school facilities they had renovated for us,” he adds.
In February 2022, the school approached RC Surat for computers, and after a visit from club members, it received 10 computers. “The visit also revealed deeper challenges. This residential school, which houses 358 students, many of whom come from underprivileged families, lacked basic amenities and faced severe infrastructure challenges. Toilets were in disrepair, access to drinking water was inconsistent, and basic hygiene practices were neglected,” says Ajay Mahajan, the project coordinator of the club.
With a ₹40-lakh global grant and RC Emory Druid Hills, RID 6900, US, as its global partner, the club transformed the school. Separate toilet blocks for boys and girls, handwash station, a 1,500-litre storage tank and a drinking water station were set up. The hostels, home to 115 boys and 90 girls, were revamped with updated plumbing, new tiles and fresh paint.
The computer lab was expanded and equipped with furniture and infrastructure to provide hands-on technology to more students. “When the school later received government funding for additional computers, those funds were redirected to build restrooms for teachers and to expand lab space,” says Giridhar Tandel, the school principal.
The club members also brought their professional expertise to the project. Architect Umang Dalal handled the planning and work drawings, structural design was undertaken by Zawareh Wadia, and project supervision was managed by Kamal Gandhi. “All three contributed their time and skills , saving the project significant cost. Their expertise not only brought this project to life but also helped us to channel resources into additional improvements,” says Mahajan. Recently he, along with two other club members — Dr Viral Choksi and Swetha Jajoo — conducted health and hygiene workshops for the students.
To ensure the project’s sustainability, the Interact club was installed at the school in September 2024. The Interactors play a crucial role in maintaining the improvements while developing their leadership and teamwork skills. “They diligently monitor hygiene practices, ensuring that students wash their hands with soap before meals, and after using the toilet, and take responsibility for keeping the toilets and school campus clean, fostering a culture of accountability and cleanliness,” he says.
