How a UAE-based couple’s foundation is changing the lives of thousands of students

Alexiba Samson pauses for a moment before the small mirror that hangs on the wall of her modest three-room home to line her large, dark eyes with kohl. Then, flashing a smile at her reflection, she grabs her smart school bag and football kit and races out of the house.

'Wait, I'll pack your lunch,' says her mother.

'I'll have it in the school canteen. I don't want to be late for class,' she shouts out before disappearing down the road with a bunch of friends who are waiting for her.

Until a year ago, the grade nine student, all but detested going to school - the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls in Nadakkavu, a small town in Kozhikode in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

'The school used to be dilapidated, the furniture broken, classrooms leaking and the washrooms were very, very dirty,' says the 14-year-old.

The 122-year-old school, attended largely by students from fisherfolk families who live on the fringes of the town, was in a truly pitiable condition. The walls were chipped and had not seen a coat of paint in years, the pillars holding up the roof were shaky, furniture non-existent in many classrooms, and the roof missing tiles in several areas. The yard was overgrown with weeds and the playground was a dusty uneven rectangle pockmarked with rocks and shrubs.

That was not all. For the over 2,000 girl students, there were just nine washrooms, many of them without doors or running water, while the library was dark and dank with barely three or four racks of books. Parents were withdrawing their children in droves and the staff were demoralised and lacked initiative.

'To be honest, I used to shudder to enter the school compound,' says Shubha M, a teacher of Malayalam. 'The yard was an eyesore with weeds and the buildings were so run down, we used to be scared to be inside during the monsoons. In many classes, the students were forced to sit on the floor as there was no furniture.'

Hoping to improve the conditions, a local legislator, Pradeep Kumar, opened the first chapter of change in 2008.

Launching a project called Prism (promoting regionals schools to international standards through multiple interventions), he utilised a portion of the development funds granted to local legislators - in this case around Rs10 million (around Dh561,445) - and set about repairing the crumbling school.

'I also met with the authorities at Indian Space Research Organisation and Infosys, the software giant, and requested them to donate whatever they could towards improving the school,' says Pradeep. A telescope and some multimedia equipment were the result. But that was not enough to save the school. 'A lot more needed to be done, and quickly,' he says.

Luckily for the students, the successful UAE-based businessman Faizal E Kottikollon and his wife Shabana Faizal happened to visit the school two years ago. The couple had established the Faizal and Shabana Foundation in 2007, keen to do something for the community 'to pay back, so to speak', says Faizal, 'and we were looking for a project to support in India, particularly in Kozhikode, because that's my home town'.

By sheer chance, he met a journalist who suggested that government schools in the country - which are often shoddy, and lack facilities and structures that private schools boast of - would benefit if successful businessmen offered to revamp them.

Faizal - whose Dh1.8billion turnover company KEF Holdings does business in precast concrete floors, walls, frames and foundations - didn't need to think twice when he saw the school. Last April, he granted Rs160 million to the government school for a makeover.

Old structures that could not be salvaged were knocked down and modern ones built. The relatively better structures were spruced up. 'We wanted to preserve some of the buildings because they were heritage structures,' says Faizal. 'We designed it to blend the old with the new.'

In just over a year, the school morphed into a modern institution with state-of-the-art educational facilities and play areas.

The changes are visible right from the entrance of the school. The broken gate and run-down wall have given way to a boundary wall with a large gate manned by two security personnel at all times - a rarity for the state's government schools.

The school also boasts a 132,000-sq-ft landscaped garden, a library with around 25,000 books and an 18,110-sq-ft AstroTurf multipurpose playing field for athletics, football and hockey. The new sports complex has a 13,000-sq-ft indoor stadium, wood-floored basketball and badminton courts, and spacious changing and locker rooms for students.

'Now, it's a pleasure to come to school and teach the students,' says Shubha.

With digitally equipped classrooms, modern laboratories for physics, chemistry and botany, 92 spotless toilets, a corporate-style kitchen and dining hall that can seat about 600 at a time, the school is an example of how a couple's initiative to make a difference in the field of education can change the lives of thousands of students and their families.

'The Faizal and Shabana Foundation has done a fantastic job of improving the school on all levels,' says Jaloosh M, a senior teacher at the school.

The 81 other teachers would agree with him, and it's not just them: the 2,497 students also hate to miss a single day of school. 'We wish we could come here even on off days to spend time in these beautiful surroundings,' says Alexiba.

The improvements are reflected in the attitude of children towards studies as well.

In the recent (June 2015) board examinations, every student who took the exam passed, with 21 out of 393 students securing A+ (above 92 per cent) in all subjects - a 400 per cent increase in A+ grades since 2012.

It is a result that brings smiles on the faces of Faizal and Shabana. 'It just goes to prove that if provided with the right atmosphere, children can truly blossom,' says Shabana.

The ambience at the school is truly one of positivity, with eager students proud of the changes the foundation has brought about in their lives.

'I remember returning to school after a two-month summer break to see huge cranes, earth movers and hundreds of workers busy finishing what appeared to be an ultra-modern structure,' says Bindu S, a chemistry teacher. 'It was just unbelievable. In a little more than three months, the work was done and our school looked brand-new and world-class.

'Earlier I considered teaching in this school as just a job. But now, with so many facilities and such a splendid environment, teaching has become my passion.'

During a visit to the city, Academy and Grammy awards winner AR Rahman was so impressed by the changes that he offered to set up a music school where students will be trained free of cost by musicians from his famous orchestra, Sunshine. The school is scheduled to come up in a year; it will have all the facilities for budding musicians to record their work.

The overhaul was not easy though. 'The changes had to be brought about from the basic level,' says Dr Joseph Sebastian, head of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. He is based in the school to ensure that the momentum of transformation does not lag.

'One of the first things we did when we began the process was to get a couple of designers to fashion a smart uniform for the students. Junking the traditional khaki-skirt-and-white-blouse uniform, the students were provided with two sets of a fresh uniform, which included a dark blue skirt and blazer with a bright red tie.

'Studies prove that a smart uniform can earn respect and boost self-confidence and self-esteem in students.'

Sandra Sooraj, 15, a student of grade 10, agrees. 'Our new uniform is really smart and I feel so proud to be wearing it, because we get a lot more respect from people when they realise that we are from this school. It reflects the modern building and amenities.'

But uniforms are not the only thing that are making students happy. 'I'm also happy to use computers and perform chemistry and physics experiments in the state-of-the-art labs,' says Sandra. 'I just feel so happy to be here.'

Sreelakshmi M, a 15-year-old student of grade 10, feels privileged to study in the school. 'When I'm at home or with my cousins, I can't stop talking about the fabulous amenities we have. I'm also proud because my grades have improved vastly since all these changes have given me the opportunity to learn better.'

Another major change has been in the quality of meals provided to students. 'In keeping with the government's free midday meal scheme, earlier the kids were given a serving of rice and lentils,' says Jaloosh. 'It was a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet and limited to one serving.' However, once the foundation adopted the school, a nutritionist was employed to study the requirements of the children and the menu modified to include a well-balanced meal that is nutritious and sumptuous, with generous servings and ideally suited to girls.

'I just love the freshly made vadas [lentil doughnuts] that my canteen serves,' says Alexiba.

Recognising that training teachers and bringing them up to date with modern teaching methods were crucial to take the school to the next level, the foundation enlisted the help of experts from a regional institute of management studies, and organised a series of workshops at hugely subsidised rates.

The motivational levels of the teachers have improved phenomenally since the school was refurbished.

Subha P, who has been teaching at the school for the past 20 years, says the best features are the landscaped gardens and bright, airy classrooms. 'There are clean washrooms with running water and doors, something we wanted for years. Earlier it used to be extremely embarrassing to use the washrooms.

'The changes have resulted in a very positive ambience in school. Not surprisingly, we now have a waiting list of students seeking admission here - something that was unheard of until two years ago.'

Says Omkar Nathan, a teacher of Malayalam: 'It's truly a pleasure to teach in such an ambience. It is something like I have never seen in any government school in the state.'

All the efforts have begun to pay off. The transformation in the built environment, and improvements in teaching methods and enhanced capacity have resulted in the school winning awards. It was ranked the fourth-best government school in India among more than 1.3 million institutions in the country by the highly respected Education World, an education portal, and was one of 12 finalists globally for the Unilever Global Development Award.

'The value of the upgrade is best measured in the jump in morale and academic performance of the students,' says Jaloosh. 'The community's perception of the government school has also registered a marked improvement.'

Faizal is proud of the changes at the school. 'The transformation has received tremendous feedback from everywhere - community, students, teachers, government and even business houses,' he says. 'The success, impact and reach have been phenomenal, with several state governments approaching the Foundation and KEF Holdings to use offsite construction technology to upgrade other education centres around the country.'

He is also pleased that the Government of Kerala 'has asked us to work with them to upgrade 100 more government schools to international standards similar to the Nadakkavu model.

'KEF Holdings' initiative has also been nominated by Business In The Community, one of Prince Charles's charities, in its annual shortlist for the Responsible Business Awards.'

Faizal explains that the model developed and implemented in the Nadakkavu school can be replicated not only in India but globally. 'At KEF Holdings, we aim to create value for unprivileged children rather than engage in the clichéd passive cheque-writing CSR activity,' he says.

'I believe we can upgrade most, if not all, of the government schools using this model.'

The school's transformation has inspired a number of other corporate groups, elected people representatives and individuals. For instance, Quilon Radio Services, a large store that deals in audio and video equipment, is offering support to improve the conditions of a school in Kottayam, Kerala. It is also in talks with KEF Holdings to share knowledge and know-how.

The state government and the foundation are now ready to roll out Mission 100 - upgrading 100 more government schools in Kerala - which is projected to benefit 250,000 students from the poorest sections of society. 'Once Mission 100 is flagged off by the end of this year, we along with Prism will embark on a fundraiser to collect Rs5 billion to upgrade schools in Kerala.

'We are working to raise awareness among the UAE's vast Indian population from Kerala, so they can also contribute,' says Faizal.

As the school bell rings to signal the end of the academic day, Alexiba and her friends pick up their bags and head to the locker room to change into their football shorts and tees.

'We really don't want to leave school,' she says as she heads off to the playground. 'We try to spend as much time as we can here. I know there are hundreds of kids waiting to get admission here.'