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Hari Hari, the Engineer...and is it Raining Rupees?


Hari is our government engineer who approves plans for new government buildings, including our school. Here is he, really working hard, with the government team and our Naandi Foundation project manager, Mr. Bhartee (white shirt, seated). Mr. Bhartee will oversee the construction of the Rainbow School's new, permanent school building.

Hari is a fan of the Naandi Foundation's school construction because Naandi is everywhere in Hyderabad! They are building 300 schools around the city of Hyderabad with funding from the Dell Foundation. Since Hari is so impressed with the Naandi team, he told us about a Central Government pot of money that may be available to help make ends meet for the construction budget. Woo hoo! He's going to apply for the funds (only government people can apply) this week.

And with a huge grin, I report that the engineers were FUN, yet very professional. They made sure Mr. Bhartee were looked after while waiting for Hari, the tea was just fantastic, and everyone was friendly and wanted to talk about the school. It was the best visit to a bureaucrats office yet!

Hari came to visit the site the next day, he walked all around Mastan Nagar with Mr. Bhartee and I. Then we all tasted the school lunch (so many chilis, the kids love them). Here they are in action!

It was raining rupees all week. Just this Saturday, our local politician (see the blog entry "Politics') who is named Mr. Reddy - like everyone else in Hyderabad - said during the routine meeting of the school principals of this area (called a mandal) that he has some rupees! They were given to him by the Central Government specifically for school facilities construction. We signed up to apply for that moolah in a New Delhi minute. Usha Madam and I went to meet him on Friday, but he was out so I will go solo on Tuesday. Usha Madam was pulled out for an extensive period of "political poll work" which means she is registering voters and organizing voting stations. This is for the local elections. Poor Usha Madam!

Back to the engineers, with luck, we'll have the plans approved in a few days. A structural drawing/sketch up of the three-story building is under construction. I am doing it so it is a pretty bad sketch up so far!

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