​It is now mid-August, actually the 19th August, and the rainy season here in Varanasi is fast coming to an end. Instead of rain, it's another bright and sunny day as the Just One team travels to the Shiva Ji Mission school in Laxmanpur, on the outskirts of Varanasi.
 
 On opening the big metal gates that form the main entrance to the school, the Just One team almost step into the open-air classroom just inside the gate. This makeshift ‘classroom’ sits in an open space just beside the entrance gate. The open space is bounded by the school office building behind it, and corrugated iron sheets jut out from the office roof to keep the sun and rain off the students. Regardless of their ‘open-air’ classroom, they are joyous greet us each time we enter the gate, and every one of the students has a huge, welcoming smile on their face. A few also disturb their studies to wave vigorously at us as we enter the school grounds.

​This week’s Just One program at the Shiva Ji Mission School, Laxmanpur, Varanasi was moved from Saturday to the following Tuesday -  Tuesday 15th of August. This is a very special and much celebrated day in India. It is Independence Day for India, and the Shiva Ji Mission School is joining with every school, government office and business in India to announce and celebrate India’s independence and the country’s unique spirit.
 
In addition to celebrating India Independence Day, the Shiva Ji Mission School is taking this opportunity to acknowledge and participate in a number of other occasions. So the Just One team is also participating in a belated birthday celebration for Sai Maa and thank you to Just One, the recent recognition on the school principal and his wife by the Uttar Pradesh State government for their social services, and the Varanasi Lion’s Club ‘Plant a Tree’ program which will see a number of trees planted on the school grounds.

It's unusually warm and humid today, Saturday 5th August, as the Just One team drive towards Shiva Ji Mission school in Laxmanpur, Varanasi for a fruit distribution. When we arrive today everything is quiet. All the students have returned to the classrooms except for the youngest ones. These 3 and 4 year olds now have the small play area to themselves and are using this time to full advantage. They are an amazing sight as they dance and twirl and laugh and play, completely oblivious to everything else, including our arrival at the school.

​There are several large monkeys paying very close attention to the activities at the Shiva Ji Mission School on this 29th July morning. They are remaining very close, uncomfortably close, to the student areas and are extremely attentive to every move in the school yard. The reason? Several large crates of very large, very yellow, perfectly ripe bananas have been delivered to the school for today’s Just One program. It seems these monkeys feel that maybe they should be included in this morning’s Just One fruit distribution as well. And if they are not going to be included, then perhaps there might be a chance to take matters into their own hands and grab some delicious and tempting bananas while no-one is looking..

This morning, 22nd July, is bright and warm as the Just One team make their way to the Shiva Ji Mission school at Laxmanpur, Varanasi.  This week we again arrive at the school during the children’s play time and it is so delightful to enter and have all the children gather round. They are all so joyous and free, and some acknowledge our arrival with traditional Indian gestures of respect.
 
Once the children return to their classrooms and have settled into their lessons, the headmaster, Nanku, signals to the Just One team and the older students to begin distributing today’s fruit.  Today Just One are offering fresh, local mangoes which are currently in season and very delicious. 

As the Just One team walk into the Shiva Ji Mission School on this 15th July, we are joyously and raucously greeted by the students playing in the yard during their play time. Today there are more children in attendance than the previous week, but there are still only about 250 students in total. Many of the older children won't return to school until later as they must perform their duties with their families during the summer months.
 
Today we are serving a full, hearty cooked meal to the children. Just One are offering a dish of mixed vegetables in a delicious curry along with poori (fried flat bread) and kheer (a sweet milk and rice based dessert containing raisins and nuts).

The Shiva Ji Mission School in Laxmanpur, Varanasi follows the standard Uttar Pradesh state school terms, which means that on July 1st 2017 the new school term, and beginning of the school year, began. This was a Saturday so Nanku, the principal, expected attendance to be lower than normal. Given his assessment, the Just One team returned to support the nutritional intake of the Shiva Ji Mission School the following week, Saturday July 8th.

The school year is fast coming to a close, and the students are becoming more and more excited each week we come.   The discipline that the school has nurtured in the students is still present and the students and teachers continue their lessons as they do throughout the year.   And still there is the buzz of excitement, the low volume gay chatter of children ready for the holidays, and later we experience the delight of these children, eyes shining, mouths laughing, and stomachs full, as they rush out the gate when the final bell rings.

Today is Saturday 6th of May and again it is very hot in Varanasi. May is one of the hottest months in the year in Varanasi with an average temperature of 43C/110F – and it often feels much higher because of the humidity. When the Just One team arrive at the Shiva Ji Mission School we immediately notice it is surprisingly cooler in the classrooms.  Then we see that each room has its single fan switched to maximum – giving the children somewhat more comfort to focus on their studies

​Today, 29th April the Just One team are distributing mandarins to the approximately 300 students of Shiva Ji Mission School. Each student receives 2 mandarins, and there are huge grins all round. The students here love both the treat of receiving the fruit, and the attention they receive during the Just One teams’ visits.  
 
The school is now almost full for the next year, with all the rooms except for the outdoor classroom now in use. Even half of the principal’s office is now reconfigured to be classroom and office combined. Looking around, there are still many students without uniforms (compulsory for all students in government recognised schools in India) and many looking unfamiliar in their surroundings, but this will have changed by the time the new school year begins in July.