International charity organisation founder Christel DeHaan talks about her school for the underprivileged in Lavasa

Fuelling dreams

International charity organisation founder Christel DeHaan talks about her school for the underprivileged in Lavasa

Christel House International, an international charity organisation opened their second school at Lavasa. Christel DeHaan, the woman behind the initiative formally inaugurated Christel House Lavasa, a school jointly started with Lavasa Corporation Limited for providing education to underprivileged kids from local villages in that area.
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Why did you decide to join hands with Lavasa Corporation?
In Lavasa Corporation, we have found an outstanding partner that recognises the importance of corporate social responsibility, and understands the long term benefits of breaking the cycle of poverty for children living in the villages surrounding its new Lavasa hill station.u00a0 We are philosophically aligned in our value structure and commitment to excellence and inclusiveness in our business practices.u00a0u00a0

What kind of facilities are being provided for students of school apart from the course structure?
We recognise that in order for a child to learn, he/she must be nurtured academically, physically and emotionally. Christel House-Lavasa is an English medium school with high expectations of academic performance.u00a0 Healthcare ufffdphysical or psychological -is provided by professionals.u00a0 Transportation and meals are also given. The school day and school year are purposefully longer as children from these environments require more time on task. Because we believe in strengthening the entire family unit through educational outreach, our children return to their homes and families each night, and learning is shared with the family unit.

Since the beginning of the school in July, what kind of challenges has your organization faced?
The challenges have been many including gaining trust and confidence of village elders, developing school bus routes, exposing kindergarten and second grade students to a world they have not known. Many children had never even held a pencil or a crayon in their hands when they arrived.u00a0 And as an English medium school, the acquisition of the English language is a considerable hurdle to overcome.

Can you share some of your achievements in your first school in Bangalore?
Christel House India opened in Bangalore in 2001 and has witnessed outstanding achievements by its students.u00a0 Consider a few of the following - 100% of our first batch of students passed their grade 10 board examination in March 2009. Six students received scholarships to participate in a Summer Football Camp in Dubai, organised by Transguard Elite Sporting Academy (TESA), in June 2010. Two students and one faculty member were selected to participate in the First Annual Global Adobe Youth Voices Summit held at Stanford University, California, USA, in 2009.u00a0 The conference organizers covered all expenses.

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