Chisalia village in the East African country of Malawi has a school building that is known as the ‘Kerala Block’. The reason behind this name and the school building is a beautiful and selfless young Indian Malayali couple. Arun Ashokan, and Sumi. Sometimes some glimpses are hard to forget, and they later become the reason behind something amazing. Such is the inspiring story of this Indian couple who built the ‘Kerala Block’ in East Africa.
Kerala Block, A School In East Africa
It was February in Malawi, and Arun was on his way to his worksite in Chisalia when it began to rain. While en route to his worksite, he saw that children were running across the road in search of covers with books over their heads. He asked the driver the reason and was shocked to learn that the school does not have a proper building to shelter the kids. Arun could not sleep that night as the glimpses of these kids kept flashing in front of his eyes. He decided to help these kids.
Arun came to Malawi four years ago for work and bought a house too. He owed a lot to Malawi and wanted to give back to it in some way. So he began his work to construct his dream school with a small amount he had kept aside. He requested the villagers provide him with manpower, and they agreed. Slowly and steadily, the dream began to progress, and Kenneth, his colleague, also chipped in.
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Low-Construction Technique And Help From Villagers
Arun flew to Kerala to get married and came back with his wife, Sumi, who supported him in every way to build this school. The couple also started a YouTube channel named Malawi Diary and used the money for the construction of this school. Arun, Sumi, Kenneth, and the villagers together finally built the entire building in a span of 18 months. On February 17, the school began functioning and the classes began. The Kerala Block school has four spacious rooms.
Their initial plan was to construct leak-proof classrooms, but they managed to plaster the rooms and draw designs in them. Slowly, help started pouring in. A UN team that was working in the Malawi village under COVID-19 management built another room using the low-cost construction technique like Arun and his team did. The children also have a garden outside the school building, and a play area is also in the plan. There will also be uniforms, a play area, and a library.
What do you think about this inspiring story? Let us know below!
Cover Image Courtesy: @aruncashokan/Instagram
First Published: February 22, 2023 12:10 PM