Just a few weeks ago, Bengaluru’s Government Kannada Model Primary School was in sorry shape: crumbling walls, leaky water and sewage pipes, and the open field across a dirt road being used as a garbage dump. The stench was so bad that teachers kept the windows closed, even on the hottest days.
Today the building in the Challaghatta neighborhood has been completely transformed, with patched walls and a new coat of paint in a cheerful shade of orange. The garbage dump is gone, and the water and sewer pipes have been repaired.
The school’s new paint job is courtesy of more than 50 volunteers from India’s WeWork Bengaluru, who turned out to brighten up the drab structure. They added a whimsical mural along the bottom of the walls depicting a lush landscape.
WeWork staffers joined forces with the Ugly Indian, a group of motivated community activists that has been working tirelessly to transform derelict areas around the city. So far the Ugly Indian has revamped more than 58 spots in eastern Bangaluru.
“While we focus on building the local community, we are also mindful of not neglecting the wider community,” says Karan Virwani, general manager at WeWork India. “As people and community are the lifeblood of WeWork, we look forward to leaving behind a legacy by supporting better infrastructure for a generation of school children.”
The result of all the hard work? Kids were delighted with the new look of their school, and teachers could finally open the windows to let in a breeze.
“Giving back to the community is something that I hold close to my heart,” says Ryan Bennett, co-general manager at WeWork India. “Such give-back programs create meaningful impact where school children deserve to have a healthy environment for their education and well-being.”