Daily Life at the Baale
Daily life at the Baale Mane is a continuous buzz of activity. Those who visit the home never fail to comment on the warmth and positive feeling engendered by the Baale and the welcoming and friendly nature of the girls and staff.
During school term the girls wake up at 5am to prepare for the day, beginning with a session of yoga led by one of the older girls. The meditation, breathing and chanting during yoga helps the girls focus their minds in preparation for a hard day’s work at school.
The girls attend four different schools near the home. Gopalapura Primary School, Gollahali High School, Siddganga Matt High School and Vivekannada English medium school. Gopalapura students walk the short distance to the neighbouring village while the others must catch the bus. Once the girls complete 10th Standard (equivalent to the GCSE year in the UK) the girls will move on to PUC (Pre-University College) for two years. Currently at Baale there are eight girls attending St Theresa’s College in 1st PUC for which they must also catch the bus to attend.
After the girls return from school they waste no time in starting their homework for the day. Colourful mats are drawn out on to the paved courtyard and groups of girls sit working diligently, with the occasional burst of discussion intermixed with shrieks of excitement from the younger girls playing around them.
In the evening the home is vibrant with the sights and sounds of the girls laughing and playing. After dinner the girls will come and say their goodnights to Mary and talk at full pace about the day’s happenings.
On Sundays the girls receive extra tuition classes in Maths and English. In the near future we hope to be able to equip our training room with a fully functioning library, computers and internet access to provide the girls with the resources they need to optimise their academic attainment.
During school and public holidays the girls are able to spend time doing many extra-curricular activities. The girls love to dance and, as a troupe, have won many trophies in local competitions and are sometimes requested to dance at events in the city. They have also become accomplished actresses, and have put on a number of street plays, often depicting some of the personal cruelties that they have individually endured.
Art is also highly encouraged at the Baale and when the materials are available the girls have produced some stunning murals on the walls of the home as well as glass paintings. Mehindi is hugely popular too and all of them practice creating their own designs on each other’s hands. Some of the older girls are extremely talented in Mehindi and raised some money during Joy of Giving Week this year by hosting a stall at the HP offices in the city!
The girls live simply at a cost that is remarkably low. The benign climate, which is warm with only moderate seasonal changes helps to keep the costs low as there is no need for heating,ves and vegetables are grown for consumption at the Baale throughout the year. There is also a solar powered water heating system. However, there is still a need to improve and sustain the quality of care we are able to provide the girls.
