Due to its old facilities, especially the girls' dorm with asbestos sheets, the E. D. Thomas Memorial Higher Secondary School faces challenges, and a portion of the 13th Sabbath Offering will be used to renovate the dorm for a safer and more comfortable environment for the students.
Welcome to India. If we go to the southern state of Tamil Mandu, we find the city of Thanjavur. For the past 70 years, the E. D. Thomas Memorial Higher Secondary School has been teaching, training, and introducing students and teachers to Christ. Most of our church leaders in this region received training from this school.
The 2,350 students come from a variety of family backgrounds and religions, all longing to get a good education.
“Most of the children, they're coming from a very poor backgrounds. But it is our duty to give moral support to the children building their character; that is our motto—no one leaves this school without education, without God’s spiritual power. And so that is our duty.”
Surrounded by other schools, this school offers unique values that attract parents.
“There are so many schools around here, but parents bring their children here, parents bring them here just because we are teaching discipline and about God.”
Due to its age, this school faces serious problems with its facilities.
The girls’ hostel is not secure because the building is very old. The government very strictly ordered, do not have the asbestos sheets in the roof because it will affect the children. The government very strictly ordered to demolish the oldest building, especially the one with asbestos sheets.
Mirnalini is one of the students staying in the girls’ dorm. Coming to this school was a challenging experience because she needed to travel far from home. Even though she didn’t come from an Adventist background, she made good friends in the dorm, learned about God, and excelled in class. She still admits there is room for improvement.
“We need some improvement, because the hostel doesn't have concrete floors. It has asbestos ceiling. In summer time we are feeling so hot, we have to change this. And the dorm is not enough for us. We need some more rooms and some facilities there.”
This quarter, a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offering will help renovate the girls’ dorm at E. D. Thomas Memorial Higher Secondary School, providing the students with a safer place to stay. Please pray for the students and teachers at this school. Pray that this school can effectively represent Christ despite their current situation.
“Thank you for supporting the 13th Sabbath Offering for this school.”
