The Crèche Projects - a short history

The projects are located in and around Kodaikanal town in the Western Ghat Mountains of Tamil Nadu state in Southern India.

The projects

Over the past thirteen years the India Projects, which were started in 2001 by Kate and Dave Harrison from La Chataigneraie, have increased to four crèches. The work of the students would not be effective without local contacts. We work with several local people and in particular the Betsy Elizabeth Trust a local non-profit organisation which runs the three of the crèches that we support. We also work with the Bethania Foundation supporting a school in a tribal village.

Childcare and education

Children at the crèches are fed three nutritious meals each day including fruit, vegetables, milk and eggs. At home they may have little to eat other than rice.
Songs, rhymes, dance, stories and group games are taught to the children by a trained teacher. Older children are also taught to read and write.
The children are instructed in basic hygiene such as bathing, washing hands after toilet use and cleaning their hair. Parent seminars are conducted on health issues such as clean drinking water, treatment for dysentery (the main cause of death for children under 5 in the area), childbirth, nutrition and vaccinations.
A nurse is also responsible for monitoring the children's health and growth rate. Monthly measurements of the children’s height and weight are made and this information is displayed on a large chart within each crèche.
Around each crèche, organic gardening of vegetables is carried out – using traditional and natural fertilisers and insecticides used by Indian farmers in the plains of Tamil Nadu state.

The crèche projects

Little Lilies Crèche

This crèche is in the village of Palangi, about 10km from the town of Kodaikanal and now supports 50 children. It was opened after considerable hard work by students from the International School of Geneva in 2002. This image shows our first view; could this old building ever become a crèche? Students named the crèche after the lilies growing on the property.

The future Little Lilies as we first saw it!

Over the next five years, a new kitchen was built releasing more classroom space and the number of children increased to fifty children. Students have returned each year to work at Little Lilies and have raised funds which have been used for rent, salaries, children's food, maintenance and the purchase of supplies.

The crèche ready for the opening ceremony 2002

Ready for the opening ceremony 2002 with Ann and Hilda.

At the end of a week of hard labour an incredible transformation both outside and inside. On the last project work-day all the students visit each other's crèche to view the work done and say goodbye to staff and children. On this occasion a special opening ceremony was held to formally start the newly established crèche.

Cutting the ribbon to officially open the crèche.

Between 2002 and 2013 work included painting the interior walls with educational murals, adding a tin roof and relaying the roof tiles, constructing a fenced area for chickens to provide eggs and the construction of an additional storage lean-too building to free up classroom space.

Students relay roof tiles in 2003

Lunch time for the children.

Between 2013 and 2014 the old building was taken down and a new brick building comprising a classroom, kitchen and superior toilet was built. When the student group arrived at Easter 2014 the shell of the building was complete and door and window frames installed. During the week of work the students were able to paint the woodwork and help the masons to rebuild the boundary wall. And of course much time was spent with the children including a puppet show and a picnic outing.

Organising games during the picnic outing.

Official opening of Little Lilies new building.

Pooja ceremony to bless the new building

After the opening ceremony in April 2014

In 2014 the funds raised by the students were used to buy paint for the woodwork and educational supplies, new sandals and pullovers. Older children who were about to graduate into primary school were also provided with a learning kit comprising a small back-pack with chalk-board, pens etc.

The new Little Lilies crèche as we said our goodbyes at the end of the week of work by the students and teachers.

Our students entertain the children as we said our goodbyes.

Little Lilies is largely funded by a non profit organisation, (managed by Ann, our local contact in Kodaikanal), Help Kids India, www.help-kids-india.org.

Peach Tree Crèche

This crèche which is near to Little Lilies is also in the village of Palangi and about 5km from the town of Kodaikanal and was opened in 2003. Funds for rent, staffing and maintenance are raised entirely by Geneva International School students. After the opening of the Peach Tree the local government provided clean piped water to the crèche and the surrounding village houses.

Starting work on the newly acquired crèche. Note the peach tree above front corner.

The following year, students constructed an outside covered walkway to protect the children from the monsoon rain when they use the toilet – this is especially important when each child may only have one change of clothes in addition to their school uniform. To encourage the children to exercise more a swing and permanent painted hopscotch grids were painted on the roof of the crèche.

Saying our good-byes at the end of our time in Kodai.

One of the problems with renting the crèche building is that the owner may want it back or increase the rent. This indeed did happen and the crèche moved to a nearby building. It was decided to buy a plot of land and after several attempts a site was secured in the middle of the village.

The new Peach Tree crèche in the centre of the village.

Work to clear the site started in 2013 and when students arrived in 2014 they found a spacious building with two large rooms and a kitchen. The crèche now supports 50 children. Work is not complete and an interconnecting door and modification to the rear classroom roof need to be addressed.

The Peach Tree work-team with their educational mural.

The Peach Tree crèche staff.

Grace Kids Centre

This crèche is in the hill station of Kodaikanal. It was the first crèche opened by the Betsy Elizabeth Trust in 1990, and now provides day care for 50 children. The Centre is funded mainly by outside donors. In 2003 the Trust asked us to fund and construct some play equipment for the children – an empty yard does not provide many incentives for children to exercise. The result: construction of two swings, a slide and a sandpit.

After work at Grace Kids.

2014 Update

Thanking the Grace Kids team before our departure

Grace Kids staff with Ann, Sheena and Hilda.

Thamaraikulan (tribal village)

The villagers are supported by a local non-profit organisation called ACT (Action for Communities of Tribals in India), but receive little or no help from local government.
Fruit trees planted by Ecolint students in 2002 have grown five metres, and are now producing fruit for the village. Students this year donated clothing to the villagers, and agreed to fund the cost of a teacher for the village school for a year – education is essential if levels of health, hygiene and literacy are to rise.

2014 Update

Students were involved in a much needed paint-job and helped to plant avocado tree seedlings. The peach trees planted in 2002 looked like producing a good fruit harvest this year.

First work party before leaving for Kodai. 

Inside the crèche; four new mothers receive baby clothes donated by the students. Preparations to paint the walls started!

Painting the school room - outside complete.

Sheep in a jeep

Students from the International School of Geneva worked on this centre in 2002. The factory and shop produce and sell textile products to the many tourists in Kodaikanal hill station. The centre provides a safe haven for single women who have been rejected by their families and/or husbands for various reasons, and a way for them to be financially independent.

No work was carried out on the centre this year, since it is now self sufficient.

The text has been adapted from an excellent account written by Tim Gurney.

Grace Kids Center: funded by ASHA, US non profit
Helping Hearts: funded by Help Kids India
Good Shepherd:  funded by Good Shepherd Church of USA
-- Your school has also generously helped with individual work projects for each of the Kodai crèches when the student tour comes to India.

Ann Peck
Donations
Checks payable to Help-Kids-India:
PO Box 1022, East Corinth, Vermont, USA 05040
Paypal online:  click DONATIONS on website
www.help-kids-india.org