Lighthouse School
Chennai India
When Solomon moved the orphanage from his home to the new facilities in Ponmar village (a town outside of Chennai) there were many benefits, but educational opportunities were not among them.
The school serving Ponmar children had dedicated teachers and administrators, but was very crowded and underfunded. It had dirt floors, no desks or school supplies, and little instruction in English, a necessity in India for those who want to break free from poverty.
In 2009, Solomon's dream for a school for the orphanage children and others in the community was realized and learning English started to become a reality. That first year Lighthouse School started with Pre-K through 1st grade and had 25 students – three from the children’s home and the rest from the local village (the other children at the orphanage were in older grades).
Yet the Lighthouse School had no real school facilities. The classes met in the dorm rooms while the older children were away at a local school. Lighthouse School started with just a few grades. Each year, however, more were added.
With the planned addition of a grade each year, constructing classrooms became a priority. Thanks to donors like you this was able to be a reality, and a school building was built! It was completed in the fall of 2010, and enrollment continued to grow.
In addition to wonderful teachers, we now have a small library of early reader books and five computers with children’s software such as Reader Rabbit and Jumpstart. These programs supplement classroom work, helping the children learn English and have fun at school.
As of March 2022, Lighthouse School has 42 children enrolled. As India has been hit hard by the COVID pandemic these rates are expected to grow as the community recovers both in heath and economically.
We are excited to share that this year, 2022, we were also able to purchase a school bus to aid the village children in commuting to school and home!