Maranatha Dedicates Boys’ Dorm at Adventist School in Northern India

Maranatha Volunteers International recently participated in the dedication of a new boys’ dormitory at the Pola Adventist School, a boarding educational institution in Pola, Jharkhand, India. Due to ongoing restrictions and pandemic-related challenges, leaders from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern India followed the ceremony via Zoom videoconferencing.

Northern India Union Section president Vijay Pal Singh thanked Maranatha for the lives changed and the improvements at the school. “The transformation on the campus is hard to believe,” Singh said.

For decades, Pola Adventist School has faithfully served up to 150 students, but there was never room to expand due to a lack of space. So far, Maranatha’s in-country crew at Pola, a small village one hour from the city of Ranchi, has constructed two classrooms and the boys’ dorm, which includes a dean’s apartment, bathroom, and showers. Soon, work will begin on a new girls’ dorm and a cafeteria, Maranatha leaders reported.

“Previously, students lived in a much smaller space, without room to store their belongings. Instead, personal items were kept outside in trunks,” leaders reported. “Now, students will have adequate living space and storage.”

The school installed a temporary partition so the girls can also stay in the new dorm until theirs is complete. Church leaders said they are excited for the future because of Maranatha’s contributions. They recently reported that enrollment at the school has already increased by 50 students at the start of the school year, even with sparse attendance due to concerns over the current coronavirus omicron variant. According to local leaders, a significant increase is expected once all of the students return, since the school currently keeps a waiting list of more than 100 students.

Recently, Maranatha, a lay-led supporting ministry of the Adventist Church, reported that it began constructing churches in the Indian state of Manipur in eastern India. Also in eastern India, Maranatha is constructing a large school building in Falakata, West Bengal. Leaders recently reported that the structure is up, with windows and some of the brick walls completed. In the west, the ministry has recently poured the foundation for a school in Lasalgaon, Maharashtra.

Maranatha has had a continuous presence in India since 1998. It has established an office in the country while building places of worship and education throughout the region. In 2019, Maranatha started drilling water wells in areas in need of clean water. Maranatha has constructed more than 2,400 structures in India.

The original version of this story was posted by Maranatha Volunteers International.