Students Flock to SDA School in Manipur
As soon as the Indian government relaxed COVID restrictions and gave permission for a small Seventh-day Adventist School in the state of Manipur to reopen, parents flocked to the school to register their children. Over 260 children were registered for this school year, an increase of more than fifty from the previous year.Many of the local parents were concerned that future COVID restrictions may keep their children from traveling to school, so they decided it would be better for their kids to live on campus. Over 64 children were sent to live in dormitories that previously held only 25 students.In order accommodate everyone, the students, ages 6-15 years old, are sharing their bunks, two to a bed. You can probably imagine it’s not the most comfortable situation.
The Manipur School is the only Adventist school to serve an area with 22 villages. The Preschool to 10th grade school has been supported by three local Adventist churches for nearly 50 years. The school recently fell on hard times and we are partnering with Three Angels Call Ministry (3ACM) and Dennis and Judy Skandunas to help them rebuild and grow. We pray this school will inspire many young people with a knowledge of God's character and a desire to share His love with the people of Manipur.
The members of the churches that support the school are poor and cannot fund any large projects themselves, so we would like to help them build additional dorm facilities, along with a new bathroom and septic tank. This will be the first step toward completing the school's expansion project.The new dormitories will be located in the new classroom building that is currently under construction. The plan is to build or purchase at least 25 more bunk beds to create more space for current and future students.The new classroom building will eventually be five stories tall with six 600 sq. ft. classrooms on each floor. The dormitories will be completed first, and the rest of the building will be completed as God provides the funds.Once the classrooms are all finished, the dormitories will be moved to the old classroom buildings. These older buildings will also be used for staff housing and a dedicated kitchen space, which the school does not currently have.
The beginnings of the new classroom building.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPfzuZKKOWk?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque]
Watch local church and school leaders share their dream for the Manipur School and their heart for their people.
Building prices have increased in India because of COVID so the price to complete each floor of the building is around $40,000 USD.School leaders can build the bunk beds themselves for $80 a piece ($2,000 for 25). If needed, the school can also purchase beds, but at a higher expense of $130 a piece ($3,250 for 25).Pasang Tamang, the director of 3ACM, shared that many of the area’s Adventist parents do not wish to send their children to schools belonging to other religions or denominations, but the Manipur School currently has no space for additional students.Pasang and the other school leaders have a great burden for the young people in Manipur and they would like to see more children able to attend the school and learn about Jesus. Please join us in praying for this school, its students, and these building projects.If you are interested in helping the Manipur School build these much-needed dormitories and classrooms, please click the link below.