“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Dear Friends,
Our 11th graders have been “on an island”—though not exactly a vacation.
After completing their national exams, the students had a few days to rest. Then, on February 20, eleven of our remarkable students—affectionately known as the “first batch”—traveled to St. Xavier’s, Burdwan for a month-long English intensive. Fr. Maria Joseph invited them to imagine they were on an island where only English was spoken.
From 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each weekday, the students participated in workshop-style classes led by three dedicated English teachers from Burdwan School, who volunteered to work extra hours to support them. Beginning with a Kindergarten-level curriculum, the group made extraordinary progress—advancing through material up to the fifth-grade level in just four weeks!
And learning didn’t stop at the end of the school day. Evenings and weekends were devoted to review sessions and homework, supported by Jesuits and religious sisters serving as tutors. Fr. Maria Joseph and Fr. Anmol (who spent a year at Gurap) led additional weekend classes. Early assessments show significant improvement in both comprehension and confidence.
When it came time to leave, the students came together to make a heartfelt request: they asked to stay longer. Burdwan School is currently on break, but one of the Burdwan teachers generously gave up her vacation to stay on with our students for an additional two weeks.
The photo above shows the students with their teacher, Arna, a former student of St Xavier’s Burdwan and of Burdwan College. We are deeply grateful to Arna—and her colleagues—for their extraordinary dedication. Their willingness to go above and beyond and provide this unique opportunity will have a lasting impact on the “first batch!”
This opportunity has also brought important clarity. While the students were able to grasp the academic material, limited vocabulary and inexperience learning in English revealed how challenging English-medium higher education may be.
Yet this realization is not discouraging. In fact, it’s opening new doors.
Students who once dreamed of becoming doctors are now considering nursing and other sciences as a meaningful first step. Others may pursue higher education through Jesuit Bengali-medium colleges. With better understanding comes better decision-making, and the students are embracing new possibilities with maturity and resilience. We are so grateful to our Jesuit partners, their thoughtfulness and guidance continue to provide pathways for everyone to succeed.
This group holds a unique place in Gurap’s history.
In 2019, they should have left after fourth grade—the highest level then offered. When the pandemic closed schools across India, these students continued to show up whenever workshops could be held. In 2022, with Gurap’s new licensing, they chose to return for the school’s reopening and became Gurap’s very first middle and high school students.
They have moved forward on sheer grit. And their experiences have shaped the support systems and resources now available to the students who follow them.
As we await official licensing for grades 11 and 12, we are working closely with our partners to ensure this group receives the support they deserve—including continuing to live on campus and receiving extra guidance to complete their 12th grade education. And beyond that, we look forward to helping each student discern a path toward further education or vocational training.
We’re incredibly proud of these tenacious, courageous young people—the true pioneers of St. Xavier’s School Gurap. And we are deeply grateful to you, our committed donors, for making this possible.
Aima sarhau,
Annette
The vision of an Artisan Skills Studio—a space where students can learn traditional crafts with pathways to income and entrepreneurship—is beginning to take shape.
During our recent visit, three sewing machines were purchased, and the school has since added two more. With this foundation in place, a local tailor has been hired to train a self-selected group of eager girls in the art of sewing.
As with every new opportunity, our students have embraced this experience with curiosity and determination. In fact, the tailor has taken real pleasure in working with such motivated learners and now is teaching twice a week! We look forward to sharing photos of their creations in the months ahead.
This initial step—made possible through your support—is already opening new doors. Once this first group completes the 12-week course, a group of boys will begin the same training, expanding both access and impact.
With your continued engagement, opportunities like this will keep growing—equipping students with skills that can lead to greater independence and new possibilities for the future.
Construction is still booming. Thanks to our charitable foundation grant and your generous support at last year’s gala, the second floor has been cast, and the building is quickly taking shape.
For now, mealtime at Gurap still looks much the same as you can see in these photos. Students scatter across campus in small groups—under trees, along steps, gathered in patches of shade—balancing plates on their laps and sharing space with friends.
What might feel makeshift anywhere else, has become routine here, and, as always, the students meet it with ease and good spirit. Still, we’re looking forward to what this new building will mean. More than just a dining hall, it will be a place to come together—a space for meals, conversation, studying and community life to unfold side by side.
After several years of “picnicking,” the simple act of sitting down together under one roof will be a meaningful milestone for our growing student body.
