The first 100 students of the new Asian Aid Bobbili Blind School in Andhra Pradesh, India, got a "hands-on" orientation at their new facility on March 21. After ribbon-cutting ceremonies and a worship program, the students, whose ranks are expected to gro
The first 100 students of the new Asian Aid Bobbili Blind School in Andhra Pradesh, India, got a “hands-on” orientation at their new facility on March 21. After ribbon-cutting ceremonies and a worship program, the students, whose ranks are expected to grow to 300, were given a “tactile tour” of their new home and learning center.
Urgency was placed on the project because of the grim conditions of the old blind school. The children resided in a dilapidated, rented building and were forced to sleep and study in the same space. After an uncomfortable night of sleeping shoulder to shoulder on the floor, the children had to roll up their thin mats and carry their personal belongings outside to make room for class during the day. The kitchen was the size of a closet and children ate their meals on the floor. There was no wide open space for play.
Construction of the school was funded by the McNeilus family and Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI), while Maranatha Volunteers International did the construction, completing the school in 96 working days. Supporting groups behind the new school include Asian Aid, Australia; and the Southern Asia region of the Adventist Church.
“Today, to see the dedication of this school and to see the children come in and to see the expressions on their faces as they went to their first bed, as they touched the mattress, put their head on the pillow, the big smiles on their faces, it was gratifying,” said Garwin McNeilus, a board member of ASI Missions, Inc., who attended the event.
The 60,000 square foot facility has capacity for more than 300 children. The five-acre campus also includes boys’ and girls’ dormitories, classrooms, offices, a library, a kitchen and dining hall, housing for staff and guests, and multi-purpose areas.
The school also features a state-of-the-art computer lab equipped with programs for the blind. Students will be able to send and receive e-mail, write and read letters, scan books and have them read out loud, and have the text printed on a Braille printer.
“We’re especially excited about the computer program that is being provided because this will give them skills that will be a great benefit to them,” said Helen Eager, who has worked with Asian Aid for over 30 years. “In India, for people who are disadvantaged, often these children possibly would just end up as beggars or would be pushed in a corner. The children really have no hope in life, unless we give them an education and give them some hope for the future.”
Enrollment to the Bobbili Blind School is open to all visually impaired children, free of cost. All tuition and boarding fees are funded by individual sponsorships through Asian Aid.
According to statistics from the Blind Foundation in India, there are more than 13 million blind people in India, constituting one-third of the world’s blind population. Out of this, 2 million are children. Only 5 percent of these blind children receive any education.
Asian Aid is a supporting ministry of the Adventist Church. Established in 1966, the organization gives aid to disadvantaged communities and populations all over the world through sponsorship and donations.
Maranatha Volunteers International, based in Sacramento, California, is a non-profit organization committed to constructing urgently needed buildings through the use of volunteers. Since 1969, Maranatha has mobilized more than 50,000 volunteers to 61 countries.
