Niltala Green Farm Primary School

Berhampure, Murshidabad District, WB, India

This primary school is from Nursery to class 4 and was established in 1993. For the past four years Didi Ananda Purnajyoti has been the principal. In her tenure she has increased the number of children by over 200 to the present 350. The three-storey school is located in the central part of Berhampure town and has a low monthly fee of 150Rs, serving as a very affordable good standard school. With the help of 12 teachers, they manage two daily shifts of children, utilizing the premises to the maximum capacity. Her students are 75% from Muslim families. The highlight of the school is their annual cultural programme of coulourful displays on stage by all children which lasts 3 hours.

Didi lives on the school premises with two home children and a local fulltime volunteer. Didi grew up in the AM Children’s Home in Alipurdvar with a Didi and four other girls. She studied for her BA and went to wholetimer training in 2006. She is now finishing her Education Diploma, which is newly required for a principal.

Asking her what her hopes are for the near future, she says that she would like to replace the tin roof over the school with a concrete roof. The school is praiseworthy and any support, of course, is most welcome.