Taj Ganj Welcome School - A Brief History
The Taj Ganj Welcome School has evolved from local need (no primary schooling in the Teli Pera area) and a chance meeting between Adam Redgrove (Englishman living in Basque Spain) and Salim Ahmad (local man) and his son Naim Ahmad in 2006.
They agreed to build a school on vacant private land owned by the Ahmad family 8.5m x 10.5m in area. The land is located about 30m down a narrow laneway from the Ahmad home in Teli Pera, a short motor bike ride from the Taj Mahal (near Naim’s workplace).
Adam was able to raise funds from friends in the UK to build a brick and concrete single storey building of two front rooms, and a rear courtyard. This rear area is the teaching area, and has a cement sheet roof without gutters, and gets saturated in the wet season. It is hot in summer, and cold in winter. It has a single squat toilet, and its own water supply (early 2010).
The school struggled for funds 2007-2009. Naim’s income from his hairdresser business becoming a stop-gap for school costs, including teacher wages.
From another chance meeting in 2009, Peter Lockyer met Naim Ahmad in his hairdresser business for a shave. Naim described the school, and a water problem. Peter and Sandra Bowkett visited the school in the following days, and impressed to the point where a support NGO was established in Australia, in November 2009.
The Taj Ganj Welcome School Inc. has been set up to support the school in funds for its operation, and for planning and possible teaching support.
What about the name of the school?
“When we initially started it four years ago it was called Sant Khabeer, I think your new name is quite good at attracting more foreign interest” Adam Redgrove
They agreed to build a school on vacant private land owned by the Ahmad family 8.5m x 10.5m in area. The land is located about 30m down a narrow laneway from the Ahmad home in Teli Pera, a short motor bike ride from the Taj Mahal (near Naim’s workplace).
Adam was able to raise funds from friends in the UK to build a brick and concrete single storey building of two front rooms, and a rear courtyard. This rear area is the teaching area, and has a cement sheet roof without gutters, and gets saturated in the wet season. It is hot in summer, and cold in winter. It has a single squat toilet, and its own water supply (early 2010).
The school struggled for funds 2007-2009. Naim’s income from his hairdresser business becoming a stop-gap for school costs, including teacher wages.
From another chance meeting in 2009, Peter Lockyer met Naim Ahmad in his hairdresser business for a shave. Naim described the school, and a water problem. Peter and Sandra Bowkett visited the school in the following days, and impressed to the point where a support NGO was established in Australia, in November 2009.
The Taj Ganj Welcome School Inc. has been set up to support the school in funds for its operation, and for planning and possible teaching support.
What about the name of the school?
“When we initially started it four years ago it was called Sant Khabeer, I think your new name is quite good at attracting more foreign interest” Adam Redgrove
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