In December 2015, Chennai, India experienced devastating flooding. The Dover Foundation contributed to the United Way of Chennai to help support those affected by the natural disaster. (More information regarding the donation can be found here).
The contribution from the Dover Foundation was allocated to two specific projects. The first project involved repairing the Panchayat Union Middle School. The water rose 7 feet and was stagnant for more than a week. The refurbishing involved repairing all of the cracks and color washing the walls. Ceramic tiles were added to floors and every room was freshly painted. With a better school environment, clean water and better sanitation, attendance will increase and consequently, so will the test scores.
Renovating classrooms
The refurbished school
The second project was repairing 125 houses in the Kuthambakkam village, Thiruvallur District and Tamilnadu, India. The project included repairing roof slabs, plastering interior and exterior walls, adding LED lighting and rain water harvesting. This greatly improved the safety of the homes and developed better techniques for conservation of water and energy. The following photographs display an example of the repairs.
Before:
After:
Relief efforts will continue for the Chennai area. To donate to the United Way of Chennai, visit www.unitedwaychennai.org/give.