1) A group of 5 students from Oakridge International School identified issues like lack of proper facilities and amenities at a local government school that was preventing girls from regularly attending. 2) They organized a food festival and rally to raise funds and promote hygiene awareness. Through these efforts they were able to collect Rs. 1,40,000 which was used to construct toilets, repair infrastructure, and maintain the school playground. 3) The changes they brought about helped improve the school environment and were expected to encourage more girls to attend and continue their education.

1. ‘ Chalein Saath Saath ’
Our story of Change from the Oakridge International School, Hydreabad.
Pallav, Vishal, Krishna , Vamsi , & Gaurav logishetty of class 8B.
Mentor Teacher : Mrs.Meenakshi Joshi
Step 1: FEEL
• We were given a presentation on DFC Programme by our Mentor teacher and were
asked to give and record our ideas. It was fantastic to learn that our team’s idea (To
provide equal opportunities which facilitate our learning to students of government
schools. Play ground, maintenance of washrooms & create awareness about hygiene)
got selected from out of 400 students i.e 125 team’s ideas.
• To further work on our idea we decided to go out and check the root cause of the
problem.
• To further understand these problems we went out into the city to visit different
municipal schools.
• Of the several schools we visited, the Khajaguda Govt School left an indelible
impression on us.
• It was then and there that we decided that here was a change we were looking to bring
about.
Why Khajaguda Govt School?
• Khajaguda Govt School is a school based in Hyderabad that educates the
underprivileged children, free of cost.
• After going to the school and interacting with the students, we learned that the school
lacks the basic facilities like maintenance of the washrooms for girls/boys and a
decent play field.
• On further inquiry while collecting and compiling the data ,it was learnt that many of
the girls did not attend/ missed school due to lack of proper infrastructure and basic
amenities in school. The hygiene standards were very low and the students were
shying away from attending school.
• The school did not have adequate funds to provide these basic amenities for their
children.
• A thought that left us pondering-Are we promoting education of a girl child in the
real sense? Are we sensitive to their needs in particular and the rest of the children of
Govt school in general? What should we do that girls in and around the Khajaguda
village do not shy away from attending school.
• A girl child is a very important part of our society and we wanted to work for their
betterment. To make the rough edges smooth and thus help in their smooth education
journey.

2. • Keeping this issue in mind we went ahead with a renewed vigour and
spoke to the Principal of the school, Mr Kishen and took on the problem of raising
funds for Khajaguda Govt School as our challenge.
Step 2: IMAGINE
We discussed ideas with our mentor teacher. Many ideas were put forth such as:
• Conducting a Fair
• Money through selling cards/ artworks(this was done last year)
• Corporate Sponsorship
• Food Fest
• Stage shows
• Rally to promote health and hygiene.
Why Food Fest?
• We decided on the food fest as this idea expressed by our students generated a lot
of enthusiasm amongst all.
• Every group charted out a plan for the food stall, sell food that would appeal to all
and the collection of the money would be used to bring about a change.
Why Rally to promote health and hygiene?
• We visited Khajaguda school to conduct a ground survey and to identify the
real problems faced.
• We interacted with the Principal and the students of Khajaguda school.
• A need for a rally to promote awareness about health and hygiene in and around
the Khajaguda Govt school and village was identified.
Step 3- Do
Rally organized by the students
• A big rally comprising of 400 students from classes 7& 8 , the school Doctor,
Nurse, Teachers, Admin staff took place in the early hours.
• The school Dr first educated the students of Khajaguda Govt School and then
about 200 students from the Govt school joined us for the rally. About 1000
pamphlets regarding health and hygiene were distributed in the village and the
students spoke to the villagers advocating the need for the same.
• Banners, placards and slogans promoting the health issues were very strongly
advocated by the students.
Food Fest organized by the students
• The interested students actively arranged a food fest.

3. • They baked and cooked and sold food worth Rs 1, 40,000.
• Bake sales were held in the school, housing complexes and were totally managed
by the enthusiastic students. Parent’s involvement was there as they helped in
baking and cooking at places.
• It was an unbelievable fete. Everyone had worked so hard and the DFC Teams
hard work had paid off.
• They were the once to generate the idea but they themselves were not aware as to
how many lives and minds their idea had changed.
• It started as a small trickle but ended in a mighty rush of sea wave of emotions.
Step 4- The Change WE brought about-
• The money collected was used for construction and repair of the school premises.
• The toilets and urinals were constructed, school playground maintenance was
taken care of, Open drains were covered, school building and classrooms were
painted.
• It was a mind numbing experience that changed so many lives in such a positive
way. The joy on the faces of the Govt school children was a befitting reward for
all the hard work the DFC Team had put in along with the effort of people
connected with it.
• WE can only hope now that there will be a no. of girl children who would benefit
from the change we tried to bring in their lives.
Thank You,
Pallav, Vishal, Krishna ,Vamsi & Gaurav logishetty of class 8B.