KSV Monthly Newsletter - Feb/March 2020

For a much-improved viewing experience, open in your browser window.

Forward this email to a friend

Subscribe to this mailing list

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya - Monthly Newsletter

Welcome to the KSV Newsletter. Due to the COVID-19 situation we didn’t send out a February edition, so this newsletter is a combination of events that took place at KSV during February and March. Although, and to be honest, not much has been happening on-campus since the lockdown and imposed restrictions.

February was still a relatively normal month for us. We held an Inter-House Performing Arts competition, and of course, lots of progress was made on the classroom construction project with the valuable help from Casira and Ingénieurs Sans Frontières Québec (Engineers without Borders), and all this took place amongst lots of our regular activities including one Manch Pradharsan session.

We hope that you enjoy catching up with our news from February & March at KSV?

Much Love

The KSV Family

♥♥♥

The COVID-19 Situation at KSV

As you must be aware, India, like many countries around the world, is on a general lockdown. Mid-March, just two weeks before the summer holidays, the State Government announced the closure of all schools, so the students went back home to their families. Our foreign volunteers have also returned safely to their respective countries.

There are still eighteen people remaining on campus: seven college students, a few members of staff and Adam and his family. The college students are engaged in their music practice with Krishna, so the sound of music can still be heard in the hills around Kalkeri.

Those remaining on campus are involved in getting the school ready for when the restrictions will be lifted. When that will be, of course, no one can say or predict, but we are still optimistic and hopeful that it will not be too long until we can resume activities at KSV.

During this period of lockdown, we have given the task to our teachers and wardens to keep in regular contact with the students to see how they and their families are doing, to ensure that everyone is safe, and to offer moral support. At present we believe all of our students to be safe and well, although, for some, the conditions are starting to become challenging.

We are committed to maintaining the full payment of our staff salaries through these challenging times. As, indeed, they and their families depend upon this income for their sustenance and most have no other alternative.

While the present situation is having a significant social impact, there will undoubtedly be major repercussions for the global economy. This might make it a challenging situation for many small NGOs such as KSV to raise funds in the coming year. We are greatly encouraged and blessed that we have your precious support, and this now, more than ever, is indeed critical.

Please do take good care of yourselves, your families, and those around you.

♥♥♥

Annadaan Donors - February & March

In February and March, we were most grateful to receive Annadaan donations from the following people:

♥♥♥

If you are interested to support KSV and the children by making an Annadaan donation then please write to us at annadaan@ksv.org.in or give us a call on (0)9945906721.

Manch Pradharsan

Back in February, we held one Manch Pradharsan session. All the students gave excellent performances that were greatly appreciated by the students, staff, and volunteers.

We were also honoured to welcome Pandit Shivanand Tarlagatti, a noted sitarist who has travelled extensively in Europe, and opened a music school in France. Even at 93 years of age there are still many students under his guidance. Pandit Shivanand Tarlagatti’s son, Pandit Mallikarjun Tarlagatti is the current Principal of the KCD Music College.

The Manch Pradharsan sessions are empowering for the students as they have the opportunity to showcase the outcome of all their hard work and effort, and their Guru’s performances are inspiring for the students which serves to further motivate them onwards in their musical journey.

Pandit Shivanand Tarlagatti being felicitated by Krishna Sutar

Pandit Shivanand Tarlagatti with some of the KSV Team at Manch Pradharsan

The Senior Vocal Class

One of our volunteers, Elodie, gave an excellent performance

The Junior Sitar Class

Kaveri, from the Junior Sitar Class

Inter-House Performing Arts Competition

Each year, we hold several Inter-House competitions. Early in March, we held the Inter-House Performing Arts Competition. Various students from all the six KSV Houses took part in the competition with various performances in music, dance and drama.

The competitions was held over a period of two days and coming out on top at the end was Gwalior House. Patiala House came second, and Rampur House came third.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated, especially those from Gwalior House.

Sneha and Anjali from Agra House

Vittal and Sandeep from Patiala House

The Jaipur House Elementary students presenting a drama sketch

Keetana Nayak from Rampur House

Kaveri, Sipha and Sangeeta from Rampur House

Akshata from Kirana House

Allaudin from Gwalior House

Radhika from Agra House

Classrooms Construction Project

Thanks to the help from the Casira teams, and the guys from Ingénieurs Sans Frontières Québec (Engineers without Borders) we made steady progress on the new classroom construction project in February and early March.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation the work came to a halt mid-March. As soon as the lockdown restrictions are lifted we will resume the work with the intention of finishing one full classroom and the foundation work of the second classroom before the monsoon season starts.

We are most grateful to Casira and Husky Injection Moulding Systems who have funded this project.

Many thanks from all the KSV Family.
♥♥♥

The first few courses are red bricks

And, the remaining courses are all earth bricks

Then, the door frame was ready to go in

The classrooms will have large windows letting in a lot of light and air

Steady progress being made

Starting to take shape

The arrival of the timber for the roof

The first thing was to treat the timber with linseed oil

The roof trusses were made on site

Roof trusses installed

We managed to get a little further than this before the work was halted by the lockdown

Marking out the site and foundation for the second classroom

Starting to dig the foundations

The first phase of the foundations completed

Karma Yoga!

AMISTAD Casira at KSV

AMISTAD Casira supports disadvantaged communities in developing countries. The organization recruits volunteers to work abroad who donate their skills and experience to organizations that operate at the community level.

We were indeed fortunate to partner with Casira this year whereby we welcomed two groups of volunteers, each consisting of 16 dedicated and highly motivated individuals. Each group stayed at KSV for three weeks; the main task being to work on the construction of the new classrooms, although several other tasks were undertaken such as electrical repairs and making paths.

The Casira volunteers are all around retirement age. The level of energy and enthusiasm that they put into their tasks was indeed inspiring for all of us.

All the KSV Family are most grateful for all of their hard work and for the valuable financial contribution that they made towards the project. We are very much looking forward to partnering with Casira in the coming years at KSV.

♥♥♥