June Update

As many schools in the States enjoy their last few weeks and get ready for summer, Opportunity Foundation is already gearing up for another school year. The blistering summer month of May finally finds relief during the rainy season when things cool back down just in time for school to start again.

The beginning of the month was spent busily preparing for the new school year. You don't realize how much goes into the start of a new school year until you are a part of the whole process. First of all, we have nearly 500 children this year, with 22 having moved on to 5th, 6th, and 7th class at Valerian to continue with their education beyond Opportunity Foundation's 4th class. It is so incredible to see how God is blessing this school and bringing so much growth. 500 children are receiving an education, our 40 staff members are able to support their families and all have hopes for a better future. It is such an amazing thing to be a part of. However, along with the large growth, comes a lot to do.

The new classrooms had some last finishing touches while the rest of the school needed a little bit of cleaning after sitting for a little over a month. The classrooms were cleaned out, the schoolyard's trees and bushes were trimmed and the grounds swept, the new playground at Mark and Jordi School was installed and finally finished. There were, what seemed like, endless amounts of new supplies to buy for each class to get the new school year going. We also had the daunting task of assigning teachers to the different schools and lessons, along with hiring on three new teachers and an aaya (helper) for the increase in our school's size.

All of the hard work paid off though and the children are happily back at school. The energy is full of excitement and the kids are ready to learn. We are excited to see what this school year has in store. Wonderful things are happening in India and lives are being changed. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as Opportunity Foundation begins its fifth year in India.