Dear friends,

            Our school campus in village Betawar is surrounded by the sounds of singing all night. In the North Indian months of Kartik and Margsirsa (November to January) there are rituals, temple gatherings, and community get-togethers. To hear the clear sounds for miles in the countryside air is a thrilling experience.
 
            Life is certainly returning to normal. Bazaars are flocked and weddings are jam-packed. Whoever heard of a quiet or lonely moment in India?
 
            In our newly re-started classes we are trying for quietness. We want children to settle down, understand their responsibilities towards themselves (to community or nation only after that), to challenge themselves, to learn to focus, to take on leadership and imaginative projects, and to complete them.
 
            As always, in order to achieve this, we teachers have to be ahead of the game. We have to learn and practise all this ourselves. As well as be immensely thoughtful and creative about how to adapt all our wonderful local culture to curricular resources.
 
            The biggest story from us is of this immense labour in getting back every child to learning and designing a learning that will make them life-long learners. Not for us simple literacy and numeracy. Our children are writing book reports and stories, doing research projects, designing and performing, singing and composing, and watching and making videos.
 
            It is not easy. Everyone got accustomed to staying at home and working at their own pace. The machinery is creaky. Oiling its gears is complicated and expensive. Yet, the sound of the singing reminds us: we have to work for children, urban and rural, to fulfill their dreams. If you are looking for a worthwhile cause, do join the Friends of NIRMAN - details below.

1. Laptops or notebooks (nothing fancy)
2. Carpentry tools, or a donation to purchase enough for carpentry classes (Rs 15,000 / $210)
3. Art materials; or monies to purchase kits (Rs 7,000 / $100)
4. Funding for a long-lasting Mathematical or Science model (Rs 20,000 / $160)
5. Musical instruments, or funding for the same (Rs 30,000 / $400)
6. Playground equipment (Rs 40,000 / $530)
7. Tents and poles for outdoor work (Rs 30,000 / $400)
8. A music system and speakers for school events (Rs 80,000 / $1050)
9. Smaller speakers for classes (Rs 5,000 each / $75)
10. Atlases and dictionaries (a set of twenty for Rs 7,000 / $100)