It was a bright sunny morning in Harohalli, a small village located on the outskirts of Bangalore. But things weren’t as looking bright for the 90 children enrolled in the Government Lower Primary School. The students, between the ages of 5-12, had no smiles on their little faces; attending school was an ordeal for them.

The school was an old worn out building with dusty cobwebs and a patchy ceiling. The walls were dirty, and the floor even more. This was not a haven for learning and education. This was an atmosphere of despair and boredom.

It was at this point when AIKYA volunteers from BMS School of Architecture chalked out a plan to transform this school into a haven of learning. 25 volunteers came together and began the work. The children too were enthusiastic in transforming their school. The volunteers conducted workshops on cleanliness and hygiene, and the importance of keeping our surroundings clean.

The school was slowly fixed over the course of a month: students and volunteers cleaned up the school, patched up the roof, painted the walls with infographics and educated children in social values. Arts and Craft workshops were conducted during the weekends where students could showcase their creativity.

The result? Students loved it. They started paying more attention in class, they were happier, more enthusiastic to come to school every day. The old, dull building was transformed into a vibrant learning place filled with positivity.

The smiles on the children’s faces were brighter than the sun outside. Thus, had begun our journey of transformations.