
We build alternative schools to provide progressive, exciting education in order to create real, sustainable futures for children, and adults, in poor parts of the world.
But for us building schools is only the beginning. We are readdressing the worth of traditional aproaches to education in developing countries, looking to develop a curriculum that is useful and meaningful in the context of each school. To be honest, we don't even really build schools - we give communities the opportunity to build a school if they want. After all, it's only going to succeed with their full backing.
Educate for Life is an active exploration of the relationship between ourselves, our world and our ideology. It is about the self-development of control and balance, understanding that we are deeply connected to the world around us and therefore an integral part of the challenges we face and solutions being found.
We are part of a process of discovering new ways of being that are based on non-violence, equity, swaraj (self-rule) and connection to the natural world that we are a part of. This process involves challenging our sense of self and world view, facing contradictions in our own lives and the institutions that serve us and taking active choices to minimise disparities between our ideals, ourselves and the world today.
Educate for Life was founded by two students, Ed and Ash, who met at UCL, London, England. In fact, Ash is still a med. student there (how many years has it been?!), and Ed works (visa pending...) at another informal education school in India. Educate for Life is a demonstration to us, and anyone who is interested, that charity, like education, cannot exist as an isolated entity in life but must be a real part of it, and that the principles of generocity, care and equality that it is built on are best if reflected in all aspect of a life.