Our Learning Centers
Building Blocks would not exist without the generous donations we have received from all corners of the Earth. We want to say thank you to all those involved, whether you’re someone who’s reading this for the first time to those who’ve donated or helped on the ground with their own hands.
Whether you’ve helped little or lots, we appreciate all of you, and thank you for your love and generosity. ♥️
James Ambat
~ Founder, Building Blocks India
Azalea
Established: 2004
Students: 102
Project +10 Students: 67
Graduates: 260
Sponsor: Boeing International
The very first Building Blocks learning centre our Founder, James Ambat, planted in an impoverished neighbourhood called Janakiram Layout, hoping it would blossom. Twenty years later Azalea has outgrown three different buildings. Starting with just five students, Azalea now has 260 proud graduates, some of whom now teach at the school. Boeing has been supporting Azalea since 2010. Crystal House, the primary school many our graduates have gotten admission into, remark often that the Building Blocks students are some of their top students
Bluebells
Established: 2010
Students: 77
Project +10 Students: 712
Graduates: 250
Sponsor: Trans Asia Shipping Services Pvt Ltd & BNI Global
“As I took my morning walk through a local slum, called Gulbarga Colony, I would see all these kids and imagined a learning centre.” Inspired by the children, we found a generous donor and secured a nearby building. Moving from one to two learning centres meant we now faced double the operational challenges! Fortune favoured us, as a connection with Business Network International (BNI) and Trans Asia Shipping Services (TASS) led to their sponsorship of Bluebells.
Carnation
Established: 2010
Students: 63
Project +10 Students: 101
Graduates: 200
Sponsor: The Kiran Anjali Project & Chaaya Charitable Trust
A group of seven friends, inspired by the story of Building Blocks, came together to build a new learning center. They founded the Chaaya foundation and harnessed their connections with US charity, Kiran Anjali Project (KAP), and were able to raise enough money to bring Carnation into the lives of those living in Ejipura. This learning centre now has the highest number of Project +10 students.
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Daisy
Established: 2010
Students: 63
Project +10 Students: 39
Graduates: 150
Sponsor: Bunty Bohra & Goldman Sacs
We began searching for a location nearby the Ambedkar Nagar slum, when a boy from the area mentioned a building near where he played cricket. This turned out to be our Daisy, and a generous donation by Ecom through an Australian benefactor secured the premises. In 2019, Goldman Sachs Gives generously took over as our Learning Center sponsor and has been supporting us ever since
Edelweiss
Established: 2010
Students: 65
Project +10 Students: 115
Graduates: 220
Sponsor: Srimathi Prasad & Swadeshi Silks
This Learning Centre was an important pivot point for Building Blocks. When our sponsor at the time, a Microsoft Professional from The Netherlands, visited and learned that breakfast at the center was often the only nutritious meal the students ate in a day. In response to this heartfelt plea, Edelweiss emerged as the pioneer, becoming the first centre where we commenced serving lunch. This initiative, born out of compassion and understanding, has since been extended to all our Learning Centres, ensuring that every child has access to the basic nutrition they require for their holistic development.
Freesia
Established: 2012
Students: 92
Project +10 Students: 26
Graduates: 200
Sponsor: Rakesh & Preethi Rawal & Anko
Through our sponsor of Edelweiss, we met the Head of The Rotary Club for the Netherlands. Inspired by what he saw, he wanted to be part of the change and began raising funds through The Rotary Club.
As with every Learning Centre, it’s one challenge to build it, and a whole different challenge to run it! We were fortunate to have a generous couple come visit and decide to sponsor the running of Edelweiss, as well as looking after the students’ health by taking care of any medical bills that the parents can unlikely afford.
Gardenia
Established: 2012
Students: 62
Project +10 Students: 18
Graduates: 150
Sponsor: Boeing International
This one was a surprise even for us! Gardenia was already a school before we took ownership. It was, in fact, part of the Catholic Church in this district, but for various reasons, they had to give up on the building. The keys and responsibilities of the school were left to a single caretaker to manage. By complete random chance, we met the caretaker, and when she heard we had setup several successful learning centers, she felt led to entrust Building Blocks with it. Though the building needed a lot of work, it was an incredible head start on setting up a learning center.
Freesia
Established: 2012
Students: 92
Project +10 Students: 26
Graduates: 200
Sponsor: Rakesh & Preethi Rawal & Anko
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Hibiscus
Established: 2018
Students: 77
Project +10 Students: 22
Graduates: 100
Sponsor: Boeing International
Hibiscus started out life as a haven for runaway children. Located near a local railway station, and owned by the Catholic Church, it slowly lost its purpose over time, as wayward kids could be tracked by parents via their smartphones. We gladly accepted the building but soon discovered, as always seems to be the case, that ‘free’ buildings are not always in the best condition. A friend of Building Blocks stepped up and paid for the entirety of renovations, turning it into a fantastic Learning Centre. Building it is one thing, maintaining it is another. A couple in the US, having learned of the challenges ahead of this new Learning Centre, stepped up and offered to be Hibiscus' benefactors.
Morning Glory
Established: 2019
Students: 88
Graduates: 55
Sponsor: Evolve Back Luxury Resorts
The owners of Evolve Back, a company known for exquisite holiday experiences, while preserving of nature and culture of the land, wanted to start a school near their Kabini resort. The reason was simple: to give back to the community that worked at their resort. One of the owner’s brothers was an architect and they asked what would make the perfect school.
We shared with them the small details, like mirrors since these are not in homes, or gardens, or chalkboards just for the kids. They built the perfect learning centre and it’s entirely funded and supported by Evolve Back.
Iris
Established: 2019
Students: 16
Sponsor: New Horizons UK
So many of these stories have been of risk and uncertainty of a Learning Centre that was saved by the generosity and love of someone willing to help. This story gave Building Blocks a chance to give back. A friend of the charity was running a school from her own apartment in Goa. She was based in the UK working as a nurse in Newcastle, and was struggling to manage everything from afar. Our Founder knew he had the systems and people that could help and offered to take over the running of Iris. It is one of the tiniest learning centres with just two classrooms, two teachers and one cook - we think it’s small and perfectly formed.