Penthakata School - Stiftung Usthi

CONTEXT

The fishing village of Penthakata began as an informal settlement on the outskirts of the coastal town of Puri in the state of Odisha. Migrants from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh settled here. To this day, the children of Penthakata face discrimination due to their origins, language and social status. Many families live in poverty. For a long time, children did not attend school, but instead spent their time on the streets or working on fishing boats. Since the opening of Penthakata School in 1992, Usthi has been actively promoting access to education in this rapidly growing settlement.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION

Usthi worked closely with the local residents to establish Penthakata School. A residents’ committee continues to serve as an advisory board, playing a key strategic role in the school’s development. Today, the school provides education for around 400 children from the settlement, from nursery level through to 10th grade.

Lessons are conducted in English, but in addition to general school subjects, children also learn the national language Hindi, the local language Oriya and their mother tongue Telugu. Penthakata School offers a safe environment where children can play and learn without worries alongside their peers.

Usthi places particular emphasis on supporting girls’ attendance at school.

The school provides clean drinking water and a hot meal.

The teachers place great importance on cultural activities.

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My school education enabled me to make the most of my future.

Sankar Rao, a former student of Penthakata School

Education opens doors: Sankar Rao’s journey to becoming a hotel manager

Sankar Rao grew up in the Penthakata settlement in Puri, where he attended Penthakata School. After finishing school, he pursued further education at a college and successfully completed a hotel management course in Bangalore. He gained valuable professional experience working in high-end hotels and later undertook additional training in Mumbai to become a team leader. Today, Sankar Rao has returned to Puri, a popular tourist destination that offers promising career opportunities. As a former student of Penthakata School, he now manages a well-known hotel restaurant and is able to support his family through his income.

Sankar Rao auf der Terrasse des Hotels, in dem er als Chef de Service arbeitete

The establishment of Penthakata School was made possible by a generous donation from the foundation Swissair Aid for Children, which continues to support the project to this day.