A strong education is vital to enable the children Reaching the Unreached supports to develop the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential. Without our schools, these children would be unable to escape the rural poverty into which they are born.

"I began my studies at RTU in the balwadi [pre-school], where I won many prizes. After my primary education, I joined St Peter's Higher Secondary and scored 462/500 in exams. I feel very proud to study at RTU. My teachers motivate me to study and to develop my extracurricular activities, too. I get a free uniform, notebooks, learning materials, lunch and snacks. I will never forget RTU and will always be very grateful." Kousalya, secondary school student

Kousalya – like Rajeswari and her siblings, who have thrived in RTU schools – is among around 1,500 students from our Children's Villages and the local area studying at our four schools and eight balwadies (pre-schools). We boast a 100% pass rate in public exams and many of the children go on to further education with our support. Help us give more students like Kousalya and Rajeswari the education they deserve.

Reaching the Unreached schools

Balwadies and day-care centres (up to age five)

Our six pre-schools (balwadies), based on our main sites and three local villages, offer a full nursery education for around 240 children aged four and five from our Children's Villages and disadvantaged local families. Our day-care centres look after toddlers who are in ill health or whose mothers have to work. All get a nutritious midday meal, often the only proper meal that the children from local families get.

Primary, middle and secondary schools (up to age 18)

Our two primary schools (Arul Malar School and St Peter's Primary) and Nirmala Middle School cater for between 600-700 pupils from the most disadvantaged families in the area, while more than 670 students continue their education at St Peter's Secondary School. Under the supervision of around 100 staff following a broad curriculum, the students benefit from facilities such as biology, chemistry and physics labs, language clubs to instil a love of prose and poetry, and elections to a student parliament to learn about responsibility and democracy. They also take part in local sporting and dance events and competitions at district and state level, and have regular trips out.

School meals

For those who come from local families, the school meal we provide is sometimes the only meal the children have each day. Fuelled primarily by coconut husks and fronds (from our own coconut plantation), the large steam cookers ensure a healthy, nutritious diet for the young people in the hostels and all the students in our schools and balwadies. 

One of our special ingredients is sathumavu, a nutritious flour that benefits malnourished rural children as well as the children in our care. We prepare and distribute around 350kg every 40 days.

Beyond our schools

The skills, confidence and knowledge our students gain help many to continue into further education, where we continue to support them towards a future that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. Meanwhile, our educational outreach programmes ensure our impact goes far beyond the schools we run.

As our schools transform so many young lives, with your support we can offer a vital education to even more of the families who most need our support in South India.

Help us provide a life-changing education to more children from the poorest families

Support our schools