Thanks to some young professionals, government schools have been renovated to help youngsters.
What’s it about? Some young professionals have been spending their weekends renovating government schools in the suburbs and neighbouring districts. It began in 2017 with IT professionals, doctors, and engineers starting an NGO called Arta Foundation to improve the look of government schools.
- The team has renovated 40 schools, 10 anganwadis, public parks, libraries, and Covid-19 wards of government hospitals. Most recently, they were at the Methuthandalam government school in Chengalpet.
- The members discuss their plans virtually during the weekdays and meet on weekends. They not only do the renovation work but also have career guidance sessions for students.
Arta’s journey: Arta’s founder Mageswar Radhakrishnan said he was motivated by the shambled look of the school where his mother was the principal. After he and his friends pooled money to renovate and paint the classrooms and library, there was a rise in student admissions. They were recently facilitated by the Puducherry government for their work.