Digantar’s philosophy is actualised through the AEEP that comprises running four schools in the immediate rural neighbourhood on the outskirts of Jaipur and associated activities. These schools are:

• Bandhyali School
• Bisayatiwali School
• Kho Shala
• Ratwali Shala

Bandhyali School

Bandhyali School, in Bandhyali village, is our largest school. It serves as an upper primary school for 325 children, 201 girls and 124 boys. All these children are from educationally, socially, and economically disadvantaged communities like Muslims, Malis and Gujjars from the surrounding villages. This school is a free school. There are no fees and all books, notebooks and stationery are provided. There is a waiting list of 197 children.

The current issue around Bandhyali School is ownership of the land on which it stands. The Bandhyali School has been running on this land since 1993 - land that was decided upon by the community of the villages of Kho Nagoriyan and Bhavgarh Bandhya. Digantar has applied for the allocation of the land to the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) several times over the past 12 years. It now appears that the JDA has reserved this land for a "Mahima Shiksha Samiti" to set up a private university.

For a complete history of Bandhyali School and more information on the current conflict, visit Save Bandhyali School.

Bisayatiwali School

Bisayatiwali School is essentially an extension of Bandhyali School. Bandhyali School was growing and there was no space to begin additional groups there. We therefore set up a separate school for the primary children.

It began first in Badhli in July 2004 and now in Bisayatiwali in July 2005. There are 60 children with 33 girls in the school. There are 2 teachers. The school runs in a building provided by the Faqir Muhammadji of the community. We did however construct a toilet there.

Children from the Nagouri, Gujjar and Mali communities study here.

We hope that when we are able to construct a building for Bandhyali School, these children can go back to the main school.

Kho Shala

The school in Kho began in November 2002. It was initiated after a survey indicated that despite the presence of an upper primary government school and 2 private schools, there were many children, especially of socially and economically backwards communities who were out of school. It began with 60 children and 2 teachers in Chajuramji’s house. After a year, the community suggested that we move the school into an enclosed bit of land in the village which used to house the government school many years ago, before the construction of the current government school. This compound also housed the government ayurvedic clinic. For some time, the clinic and the school ran together. We invested in the flooring and the roof to make it more conducive to work.

Unfortunately, the doctor in the ayurvedic clinic felt that the entire compound should belong to the clinic. This led to several meetings in the village. While the majority of the community felt that the school should continue in the same compound, opinion was divided in the community. The matter went to the police. The law then decreed that as the ayurvedic clinic had ……………..…., it should go to them.

We then tried to buy some land in the village, but that too proved to be almost impossible. Almost all the land that is available is encroached on with no clear legal ownership, making it impossible for us buy land.

We now run the school in three different locations in the village. We know that this not a good practice, but the only alternative we have is to close the school. And so we continue with the school, in circumstances that are obviously unsuitable.

Kho School has 151 children with 98 girls. There are 5 teachers. Most of the children belong to the Nagouri, Mali, Gujjar and Scheduled Caste communities. There is a waiting list of 55 children.

Ratwali Shala

Ratwali School is one of the oldest schools of Digantar. It began in some space provided by Manzoor Ahmedji and Hamidullahji in the main village. The increasing number of children and the shortage of space led us to move to the current location in 1996. The land on which Ratwali School stands was identified by the community. The building was constructed in several phases. The first rooms were constructed with funds that were generated by the community through a goth (community get together for a special meal). The community organised a goth and sold tickets for it. This generated a surplus of Rs 40,000 which was used to construct the first 2 rooms. Members of the community and the teachers built the schools largely on their own. The other rooms were built with a private donation and from funds that we generated from other sources.

Currently, there are 150 children, of which 94 are girls in this school. It is a primary school with 5 teachers. Children of the Nagouri, Mali and Gujjar communities study here.

Our experience with our other school in Bandhyali village tells us that the expansion of Jaipur is likely to affect the existence of the school. For now, we continue our work on the belief that Ratwali School stands on land identified by the community.