Fr Lobo is the Pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Udangudi, Tuticorin diocese, Tamil Nadu State in the extreme south of India.
There are three schools: One Primary and two Upper Primary Schools.
The fund-raising project is to help towards the construction of a new school building for one of the two schools, which is St. Joseph Xavier Roman Catholic Primary School in Kulasekaranpatnam of Udangudi Parish.
At present the school takes in 125 children. All these children have to be accommodated in the existing building. Sometimes the teachers take the lessons under the trees because of the dilapidated condition of the building. During the hot and rainy seasons, we have no other accommodation except the existing poor and unsafe structure.
After the Tsunami in 2004, the Tuticorin Diocesan Association allotted some amount for the school building construction. For five years the new building construction has remained at the foundation level.
Due to failure of monsoon, the poverty of the people, and currently the impact of Covid19 pandemic, the parish is not in a position to complete the construction of the building.
The aim is to construct five classrooms for the school and the office room.
The people of Kulasekarapatnam and the School administration have contributed by way of land for the school buildings and the playground.
The Volunteers among the Parents Teachers Association has come forward to contribute their physical labour, which, as local contribution, will certainly reduce the labour cost of the school building.
Though the local Catholics are very poor they have generously agreed to offer Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees two lakhs only) which is equivalent to 2298 Euros towards the completion of the school building.
The total cost of completion of Primary school building construction will come to Rs. 37,00 000/- (Rupees thirty-seven lakhs only) that is equivalent to 42513.00 Euros.
When the school is built the Children of Kulasekarapatnam will get standard primary education irrespective of Caste, Creed or Communities; the construction of the new building for the school will assure safety of the children and will assure the State Government’s approval for its continuation in the coming years; when the State and the Central Government start the projects in this area focusing on the development of the Nation, people of Kulasekarapatnam will be better equipped, if needed with basic learning so as to find the alternative jobs other than their traditional fishing profession.
We want to build on the foundation work done and help get the school built. If we can help from a long way away, the locals will do their utmost to construct using the material we have been able to buy for them.
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