Vazhai Begins Again - Remote Hills to New possibilities !

Vazhai —  From Vision to Action

This Independence Day marked a special new beginning for Vazhai.

Our teams from Bangalore and Chennai travelled to the remote schools around Seethapuram and Bettamugilalam in Krishnagiri district, in the hilly Thally–Kelamangalam region. This is not the kind of place where you simply “take the next bus” and reach school! 😄

These villages are surrounded by hills and forest landscapes, and several habitations in the region face significant road and public transport challenges. Even today, transportation remains a major challenge for students—and equally importantly, for teachers who have to travel to these schools every day.

So, when we say teacher shortage, it isn't simply about finding a teacher.

It is also about finding someone who can reach the school consistently, every day, and stay connected with the children and community.

Why Vazhai?

Many of these schools function with only one or two teachers, making it extremely difficult to give every child the individual attention they deserve.

And when the school itself is difficult to reach, getting additional teachers there becomes an even bigger challenge.

That is where Vazhai's School Companions come in.

We have begun by appointing School Companions and a Field Coordinator, with an initial focus on two simple but important goals:

📚 Improve learning abilities

🏫 Improve attendance and strengthen children's connection with school

From the outside, these may sound like simple goals.

But when a child has learning gaps, irregular attendance and limited support—and the school has very few teachers—the solution needs much more than another textbook.

It needs someone who is there consistently.

Vazhai chose the Independce Day celebration as an opportunity to visit the schools and take the first step towards building a conncetion with schools and  students. After quite a journey through the hills, both Bangalore and Chennai teams finally reached the schools around 8:30 AM.

And our first reward?

 The Independence Day celebrations!

We got to see the children perform dances, give speeches and participate in various activities. Watching them confidently perform in front of everyone was a wonderful reminder that distance from a city does not mean a lack of talent or potential.

After the celebrations, we spent time with the children through games, conversations and small gifts—not simply to celebrate with them, but to begin getting to know them.

We also handed over books to encourage their learning and reading habits. 📚

🌳 From the classroom to Aiyur Forest Camp

After the school visits, both teams came together at Aiyur Forest Camp.

And then came the real second shift! 😄

Who are these children?

What do they enjoy?

What are they good at?

What makes them curious?

And what prevents them from coming to school regularly?

These are questions we want to understand before deciding what support they really need.

🤝 Listening to the School Companions

Our School Companions are going to be the people closest to the children every day. So we also had an open conversation with them to understand their experiences, the challenges they are facing, their concerns and the support they need.

The newly appointed Field Coordinator also shared his objectives and plans for the coming months—how he will work with the School Companions, coordinate with the schools, follow up on attendance and learning, and help the Vazhai team understand what is happening on the ground.

These conversations reminded us that the people working closest to the children need to be heard too.

🛡️ Creating safer spaces for children

Alongside our focus on learning and attendance, Vazhai also conducted a basic child-safety session for the teachers.

The focus was simple: how do we ensure that every child feels safe, respected and heard at school?

Through a short and engaging skit, we explored some simple but important ideas:

👧 Treat every child with dignity and as a child—not based on their background, ability or circumstances.

🤝 No discrimination between children.

👂 Listen to children when they speak about their experiences or concerns.

🛡️ Understand the teacher's role in creating a safe environment and knowing when a child needs help or protection.

It wasn't meant to be a complicated training session—just a reminder of the everyday actions that can make a school feel safer and more welcoming for every child.

We spent the evening discussing everything from School Companion training and priorities for the next year to finances, volunteers and how we can make Vazhai stronger and more sustainable.

There were ideas, counter-ideas, action points—and, thankfully, food in between. 😄

By the end of the discussions, several action items had been identified and responsibilities assigned.

The next morning, we went for a walk around the forest area. Staying so close to the reserve forest meant there was always a possibility of spotting an elephant. 🐘

We tried.

The elephant apparently had other plans. 😂

But the morning walk gave us something equally valuable—a little time to breathe, reflect and enjoy the beautiful landscape surrounding these communities.

🌱 And now, the real work begins.

Seven schools.

New School Companions.

A Field Coordinator.

A team of volunteers.

And many children waiting to be understood, supported and encouraged.

Our next interaction with the schools is planned around Children's Day in November, when we hope to return, spend more time with the children and see what has changed.

This is not just about bringing another teacher into a school.It is about making sure that a child in a remote village gets the same opportunity to learn, explore, discover their strengths, feel safe and dream about their future.

🌱 Vazhai — walking alongside children, one school at a time.