For decades, Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) has supported the efforts of the Jesuit Province of Darjeeling to provide quality education to poor and marginalized children.

Projects supported by CJI have ranged from scholarships for poor students in Jesuit-run schools, to school repairs.

CJI is currently supporting the construction of new toilets at Loyola Primary School in Uttar Salbari and at Infant Jesus Primary School in Sittong.  The construction of new toilets at both schools aims to provide students with a clean, hygienic environment, that will enhance their learning, health, and safety.

Loyola Primary School is located in a remote rural area, 700 km north of Kolkata. It is one of the schools hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with over 200 students dropping out of school because their parents have lost their jobs.

The Sittong Mission was started by Fr Ben Bruno, SJ, a Canadian Jesuit who used to visit the villages and distribute medicines to the poor and sick.

CJI is also funding the repair and renovation of classroom floors and other facilities at St. Peter’s Primary School, and the reconstruction of toilets at St. Peter’s High School, Gayaganga. These improvements will help create a more conducive atmosphere for the students at the schools. St. Peter’s was founded by the Jesuits in 1933 as a primary school for children from tribal communities and tea workers in central India. As a government-supported school, tuition is kept affordable and students are provided with books, uniforms, and a midday meal.

The project is being implemented with the support of the St. Joseph’s School community in North Point, Darjeeling.

For more information about the province, visit the Darjeeling Jesuits' website: http://www.darjeelingjesuits.org