The Thar desert of Rajasthan with its sweltering weather and varying temperatures could never imagine a girls school in its vicinity.
But neither did any of the local communities of this desert state.
Who would dare to build such a dream?
If not the desert then there were many other reasons such as female infanticide, child marriages, or lower literacy rates, that would prove a major hurdle.
These hurdles were way more unforgiving than the Thar desert itself.
However, this dream of building a girls school did become a reality when Michael Daube founder of CITTA took the initiative to build it.
Here’s How…
But before this school could see the light of the day there were many challenges and questions that arose.
How should a school be built in the middle of the desert?
What about the limitations such as community conservatives, geography, and socio-economic restraints?
How should one go about bringing this project to fruition?
How should the parents be convinced to have them enroll their daughters in this school?
The community isn’t particularly keen on educating girls let alone bearing the financial expenses of educating a girl child.
These gripping questions took a decade for Michael Daube to figure out the solution.
And he did.
He introduced the school with an affordable fee structure, mid-day meals, bus transport, a library, and a computer lab which would encourage the girls family to afford this well-deserved education.
And, for the architectural design, he brought in Diana Kellogg of Diana Kellogg Architects who was equally confounded by these challenging architectural questions.
But no matter, she studied cultural history and the vibrant traditional architectural background of Rajasthan. She figured out how to merge sustainability with geography, history, and traditions.
The climate and the weather of The Thar desert didn’t become a barrier to Diana’s designs instead they became a resource. The rich, colourful architectural history of Rajasthan guided Diana and became an insightful inspiration for her designs.
She merged the local elements and designed the school in such an unconventional way that it’s stunning and absolutely functional all around. Local craftsmen build this school with local sandstone. This school isn’t a regular monotonous building but rather an open oval-shaped structure.
Now…
Imagine a school that looks so much fun that the thought of a tough subject wouldn’t be scary. Where sunburns wouldn’t harm a girl child as much as a community’s restraint towards girls' education. Where a girl can feel hopeful about her future, where she can step towards the journey of literacy and friendships.
The earthiness of this design feels authentic to the spirit of Thar. Where sandy air wouldn’t be an obstruction or become an excuse for a conservative group of people to revolt against girls' education. The oval shape though spacious feels liberal in nature and yet protective at the same time. It symbolizes infinity, strength, and women's empowerment.
Design can make so much of a difference when done right.
3 crucial factors when taken into consideration- geography, sustainability, and economy, can be an absolute game changer. Seeing a school so thoughtfully designed and built is an encouragement to architects, designers, the local community, and hopefully the education system.
Schools don’t have to be boring and designing schools shouldn’t be restricted to strict lines.
Today this school stands gloriously welcoming girls.
P.S. If you’d like to show your support or know more about CITTA then head over to CITTA, GYAN CENTRE.
