Winter weather in Kolkata is pleasant. It is cool, humid and dusty. It’s hard to envision the dry neighborhoods completely flooded, but that’s exactly what happened last July. During the monsoon season, it rains almost every day. In a few weeks, the water begins to accumulate around the low points in the city. 2015 brought the worst flooding Kolkata had seen in over a decade. In some schools and neighborhoods, water stood three to four feet deep. Many schools were forced to close until the water receded and countless individuals could not work.
GNCEM schools are strategically placed in neighborhoods where entire communities can benefit from their services. The schools are often built in relatively small communities so the the school grows with the population. For many families, the schools offer education and a space of worship on Sundays. During the 2015 monsoon season, the schools also offered sustenance and hope.
The schools that were still in operation became centers of food aid distribution for families. Teachers arrived each morning, selflessly helping smaller students through the water until they were all safely in their classrooms.
Korean Food For the Hungry provided much of this aid, supplying food and supplies. GNCEM distributed aid to over 1,000 families during the monsoon season, many whose children attend GNCEM schools.
