Past imperfect but future secured : The 70-year-old Sundargram High School in Cuttack has been in association with Mo School Abhiyan since 2019

Mo School Abhiyan was launched in Odisha in 2017. Today, the initiative has provided millions of students with a platform to hone their skills and thus propel their careers to new highs.

Many government and government-aided schools have brought laurels in terms of co-curricular activities and academic performances with active participation from alumni members.

One such bright example is Sundargram High School of Cuttack district. Just 21 km from the district headquarters, this high school is considered to be the oldest one in the Kantapada block. The school was established in 1950 under the leadership of some eminent local intellectuals. The 70-year-old school, which previously hosted classes from 6 to 10, merged with a local primary school in 2018 and now conducts classes from 1 to 10.

From alumni with love

The school is associated with Mo School Abhiyan since 2019. As most of the local parents are alumni of the school, involving community and alumni members has never been a problem for the school admin. The ‘Old Boys Association’, comprised of some eminent alumni, was instrumental in getting the school’s alumni involved in Mo School Abhiyan. In the first phase of the campaign, the school admin received financial assistance of Rs 11,81,342 from the alumni. In addition, the school received a total of Rs 35.44 lakh as total project cost, including the government’s 2x matching grants.

In 2019, Sundargram High School was badly hit by cyclone Fani. A total of 11 asbestos and tiled classrooms were destroyed in it. The funds raised by the alumni were utilised in the construction of new rooms and repairing of the boundary wall. In the second phase, toilets were constructed for students and teachers at a cost of Rs 44,000 collected from alumni and Rs 1,32,000 from government grants.

In the third phase, classrooms were coloured and doors and windows were installed. In addition, the school has improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation. In the next phase, a smart classroom and office room will be built, the headmaster informed.

The Headmaster of the school Sri Ashok Kumar Mohapatra said, “For the past 12 years, I have been working diligently for the development of the school. Our school is one of the oldest educational institutes in the district. But still, our school lacked a proper building with a roof. Ever since I became the Headmaster, I had a dream to create an eco-friendly beautiful campus. Mo School Abhiyan has fulfilled this dream of mine. I am thankful to Honourable Chief Minister for launching such an innovative programme.”