“The Lions answered our prayers,” says Neeta, her voice filled with gratitude. Her daughter can now complete her education at the Lions Girls High School in Thangadh, in the Surendranagar District of Gujarat.
The story began in 1992 when the Thangadh Lions Club of District 3232-J established the school with LCIF support on a 10,700-square-foot parcel of land donated by the government. For years, the school served as a vital centre for learning until the devastating earthquake of 2001 rendered the building unsafe. The students were relocated to a co-educational facility, but the move presented an unforeseen challenge. In the conservative community, many parents withdrew their daughters, reluctant to have them study alongside boys, which created a significant educational gap for girls in Thangadh.
Neither the municipality nor the club had sufficient resources to rebuild until 2022, when Sahabuddin Rathod, a respected scholar, teacher and philosopher and a Padma Shri recipient, approached the Lions with a vision to revive the school. Lions Prakash Lakhtariya and Nitin Shah, along with their fellow club members, embraced this opportunity and secured LCIF funding.
Renovations began on August 5, 2023, to transform the campus into a modern educational facility. The new 1,200-square-meter complex includes ten classrooms, administrative offices, an assembly hall, and modern sanitation facilities. LCIF covered 75% of the Rs.72.20 lakh project cost.
“The community’s support has been extraordinary,” notes Trust Chairperson Suresh Trivedi. “The Lions Clubs of Morbi Nazarbaug and Wankaner Devdaya, along with other donors, contributed Rs.10.50 lakhs for furnishings and equipment. The C.U. Shah Foundation’s generous Rs.3 lakh donation further strengthened our mission.”
On September 28, 2024 PID Aruna Oswal inaugurated the renovated campus in the presence of District Governor Bharat Bavishi, MP Parshottam Rupala, and Sahabuddin Rathore.
“We’ve invested everything into this project,” shares Club President Akbar Minapara. “It’s an investment in our community’s future.”