February 2021 Update on the Amaravati Sewing School Project
As previously reported, the Pandemic has disrupted everything in India except for the deeply rooted poverty that is so pervasive in the ghettos in the cities and in much of the rural areas. In spite of the ongoing Pandemic, there is also a great political upheaval that has created a greater divide in India than arguably exists here in the United States with rural subsistence farmers demanding the repeal of new laws rescinding established laws regulating the sale or barter of agricultural produce. Amaravati has not been spared from the turmoil associated with either.
In a recent conversations with Gummadi Franklin, Pushpa’s founder and chair, and his wife, Shirley, who live in Arden Hills, they have been very positive about the school and the role they hope it will continue to have in Amaravati.
The school has been permitted to reopen, but only partially and only for five students. The school had come together very well prior to the onset of the Pandemic, but the Pandemic has affected everything. The elders in the community want the school to remain and Pushpa has been very frugal with the funds our District 5960 grant has provided, so there will be sufficient funds to reestablish the school as further steps in the reopening of the school can be taken.
As previously reported, a first graduating class received their certificates of completion prior to the Pandemic. A picture of the graduating class seated with their arms raised as they wait for their certificates is shown below.
Two of the graduating students are picture in another picture below, one, who was chosen to speak to the gathering at the graduation ceremony and another who is receiving her certificate from Chairman Franklin. Also with the students and Chairman Franklin is the Teacher (Suzanne) and a teaching assistant.
Pushpa's mission is to help marginalized community members of rural Guntur District villages transition from migrant, subsistent lifestyles, dependent on seasonal labor and temporary shelter, to sustainable livelihoods in healthy communities. Its mission has not changed. The organization’s main goal is to work together with underprivileged (tribal) members of rural Guntur District villages to find ways to enable socio-economic change in small ways, one person, one family, one student, at a time, through projects in which the recipients themselves participate. (See http://pushpaproject.org/vision_mission.htm )
One of the elders in Amaravati is pictured below after he was given the honor of cutting the green ribbon in a ceremony for the opening of the school in May of 2019.
A lot of hard work went into establishing the school and there are many people to thank for their hard work and significant contributions. Pushpa is working hard to fully reopen the Sewing School out of respect for the hard work that went before and out of respect for the funds received from the District 5960 Grant. The Sewing School has graduated its first class and the Organization looks forward to fully reopening the school when it is possible. We are now awaiting further word as to further progress regarding the reopening and that of the current students.
The leaders of PUSHPA, both here in Arden Hills and in Andhra Pradesh, India are especially grateful for the support for the new sewing school from the Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary Club and Rotary District 5960 and have expressed their gratitude privately and acknowledged the Club’s sponsorship of the school by erecting the sign shown in the picture below.
We and Pushpa are thankful for the matching grant received from Rotary District 5960 and to the following Rotary Clubs for their generous support of our project: Belle Plain; Brooklyn Center; Forrest Lake; Fridley Columbia Heights; New Brighton Mounds View; Prior Lake; Roseville; St. Croix Falls; St. Paul No. 10; Siren Webster; West St. Paul Mendota Heights; and White Bear Lake.