Infrastructure

Our decision to embark on providing infrastructure stems from our unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of life and standard of living across the community.

Inauguration of The Banyan Tree Park! Unrecognizable transformation of a swamp into an amazing space – a multi-functional hub for various activities 

The journey to revitalize our outdoor areas has been one of perseverance and hardwork. What was once a 4500 square foot swamp with overgrown parthenium and garbage is now a clean, levelled enclosed space that now houses our new and spacious classrooms repurposed out of shipping containers, a play ground for kabadddi/volley ball, enough space for play equipment for toddlers and a large, thriving kitchen garden.

This newly created beautiful area has been named The Banyan Tree Park. It not only incorporates the name of the Trust but also represents our long-term vision for this space. Banyan Tree is revered in India. Its called the tree of life and represents growth, strength and self-awareness through reflection and meditation, an apt name for the initiatives we have in pipeline.

Safety comes first

While creating this space, we prioritized safety measures, such as cordoning off the transformer with a chain-link fence and installation of a large gate that will be kept locked at all times when not in use. It underscores our commitment to prioritizing the well-being of the community, especially its children. Unsupervised toddlers have been known to wander off onto the busy streets surrounding the community.

A little bit about shipping containers…

After several months of hard work purchasing, transporting, installing, and repurposing two shipping containers, our community space opened on 11th August, 2024. This indoor/outdoor space will serve as a multi-functional hub for education, skills development, art, health check-ups, wellness activities for women etc. Here we will run additional classes and implement several initiatives that are in the pipeline that could be life-changing for the community.

We are grateful to NG Associates who volunteered to contribute by designing the layout and interiors of the containers to create an interesting and utilitarian space for our activities.

Play area

For the first time our community with roughly 150 children have a safe, clean and dedicated space to play!

A play area serves as more than just a place for children to expend their energy; it’s a vital component of their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Beyond the obvious benefits of physical exercise, which helps children build strong muscles, develop coordination, and maintain a healthy weight, play areas also offer opportunities for social interaction. In these spaces, children learn to negotiate, cooperate, and communicate with their peers, fostering important social skills that they will carry into adulthood. Moreover, play encourages creativity and imagination, allowing children to explore new ideas and express themselves freely.

This large space has a kabaddi /volley ball court and a dedicated space has been earmarked for toddlers’ play area to house swings and slides.

Community kitchen garden

Breaking down barriers—both literal and metaphorical—we cleared debris,  leveled the ground by digging up several layers; and made it a space where community engagement and growth thrive.

We planted trees such as orange, lemon, guava, papaya and chikkoo fruit trees on the day of the inauguration of Banyan Tree Park. We are in the process of designing an organic kitchen garden for the residents within the community space, aimed at enabling them to cultivate their own food and allowing children to learn the art of nurturing living things.  This initiative thus embodies the values which are integral to the community we are striving to foster.

Solar-Powered Lighting

In collaboration with the Menda Foundation, we embarked on a mission to illuminate our community using solar-powered lights. At the heart of our initiative lay the aspiration to provide extended study hours for approximately 100 children from various age groups who diligently engaged in their homework and after-school studies. At the time, their study time was limited by the availability of sunlight, particularly with the onset of winter diminishing daylight hours, causing a loss of around an hour and a half of study time as darkness fell by 5:45 pm.

The Menda Foundation’s visionary plan includes the installation of solar lights, ensuring that these young minds can pursue their education even after sunset. Moreover, our endeavor extends beyond the confines of the classroom. We have transformed our outdoor spaces housing the container classrooms, play ground and kitchen garden to enhance safety and usability, thereby enriching the overall learning environment – The Foundation was quick to jump in and help with installation of outdoor solar lights in The Banyan Tree Park providing a safe environment and allowing the children to play beyond sunset.

Beauty through Art

As part of our endeavor to beautify our surroundings, we painted the external walls and compound walls of the school and the containers. Art students from across Bangalore infused their creativity onto these canvases, over two week-ends, symbolizing the collective spirit of rejuvenation and artistic expression.

Brand new toilets in collaboration with The Rotary 

 

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