[BANGALORE] On the tightly packed roads of Bangalore in Karnataka, India, it’s not uncommon to see a string of colourful buses, ferrying children to schools across the city on weekday mornings.

One of these buses is on its way to Government Kannada and English Medium Higher Primary School (GKEMHPS), which has just received a makeover.

Nearly one-eighth of Bangalore’s schoolchildren – mostly from lower-income families – attend government schools such as GKEMHPS, Karnataka daily Deccan Herald reported in August. But these are often poorly funded with few facilities, said headmistress T Nethravathi. Her school – a three-storey building with a large front yard and cool, spacious classrooms – thus stands out among the rest, in large part thanks to CapitaLand Group.

Top of the class

GKEMHPS is one of three schools in India that the group has helped develop through its CapitaLand Hope School Programme (CHSP). Through this initiative, it provides financial and technical assistance for the construction and enhancement of schools in underserved communities.

“I often get asked by passers-by if this is a corporate office,” said Nethravathi. “If they’re parents, once they find out it’s a school, they immediately ask to enrol their children.”

There are about a hundred students in GKEMHPS now, she said, though that number is expected to grow to 800 after the school introduces its English-language curriculum in the next school year, which starts in June 2024.

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In addition to spaces for learning, such as a computer lab and science lab, GKEMHPS is among the few government schools with modern toilets on site. “In other government schools, the nearest toilets can be half a kilometre away,” said the headmistress, adding that this is a particular inconvenience for female students.

A better learning environment has led to improved performance among students at GKEMHPS. “The school now shows up in online searches for the best schools in the area, so I’ve gotten more enquiries from parents about admissions,” said Nethravathi.

Keeping it going

But even with the school up and running, CapitaLand’s work there is not quite over yet.

Sanjeev Dasgupta, chief executive officer of CapitaLand Investment India, said: “Our commitment to improving access to learning among underserved children extends beyond enhancing their school facilities, to providing them with continual support.”

On Oct 27, more than 70 volunteers from CapitaLand arrived at GKEMHPS for the group’s first international volunteer expedition (IVE) since 2019.

Over the course of a weekend, the team – comprising staff from six countries including Singapore, Vietnam and the UK – helped expand the school library, painted murals around the campus and overhauled the landscaping of its front yard.

“At CapitaLand, we are committed to doing good and building resilience in the communities where we operate,” said Tan Seng Chai, who is executive director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation – the group’s philanthropic arm – and also senior executive director of CapitaLand Investment. “Through our long-running IVE programme… we hope to strengthen our employees’ sense of purpose by providing them with an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the communities we support.”

Speaking on the decision to hold this year’s IVE in Bangalore, Tan said: “In the past few years, we have been supporting India in many community development projects… It is timely (for us to) visit GKEMHPS… (as the) IVE returns after a three-year hiatus.”

Among the volunteers hard at work over the weekend was Kelvin Tan, vice-president for project development and design at CapitaLand Development Singapore. He and his group planted more than 200 shrubs and flowers around the front yard; they also helped add a sandpit to the playground.

Having joined in the group’s Singapore-based volunteering activities, and having worked in India for a previous role, this year’s IVE was a natural fit for Tan. Drawing from his experience, he said it was important to uplift others in need. “People need… support from volunteers and organisers, to help them move up and on.”

Smiles all around

As students arrived at GKEMHPS after the weekend’s upgrades, volunteers received them for a day of specially planned classes. These included the Little Architect Programme, developed by CapitaLand, to explain the ins and outs of the profession.

Throughout the day, students were enthralled in particular by the mural of planets and rocket ships in the stairwell; others cheered while they ran around the front yard and playground. It was clear the volunteers’ efforts had not gone unnoticed.

So when the time for goodbyes came, the CapitaLand team knew they had done enough – for now.

Ultimately, for CapitaLand, uplifting children takes more than a village – it is a global affair.

“We take immense pride in welcoming staff volunteers from all around the world to India,” said Dasgupta, “(to showcase) the potential of collective action and the positive change we can achieve when we come together.”

The writer was a guest of CapitaLand