Cosmic Raises Funds for School Sanitation Project in India

BANGALORE, INDIA December 9, 2005 -- Cosmic Volunteers is raising $2,500 to install bathroom and toilet facilities for students at the Kengeri Primary School in Bangalore, India.

The Kengeri School is a government-run (“public”) co-educational school with 702 students and twelve teachers. The school is located in a rural area in south India, on the outskirts of the city of Bangalore. The students are from Class 1 to 7. Sixty percent (60%) of the students are from the Dalit caste, which is one of poorest, most marginalized and oppressed groups in India.

The school currently has only one toilet to serve over 700 students. The situation is extremely unhealthy and degrading for students. Furthermore, many of the female students of menstruation age regularly miss several days of school each month because of the lack of bathroom facilities.

The $2,500 total cost of the project is being raised through donations from friends of Cosmic Volunteers during the Christmas season. Cosmic Volunteers itself is donating $1,000 toward the project.

The project is being coordinated in India by ARIVU, a local organization in Bangalore that develops education programs for rural schools in India.

Cosmic Volunteers' President Scott Burke visited ARIVU and the Kengari School in September 2005 to meet with students and tour the school’s facilities. This was Scott's third trip to India.

"This is something we are proud to be a part of," said Scott. "It's hard to imagine growing up and going to a primary school where there really aren't any bathrooms for kids to use. We are planning to do many more projects like this in the future."