The primary project of Community Growth is Gamru Village School. Gamru Village is located below the town of McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile. The school opened in April 2004 in response to the needs of the community and is affiliated with the Himachal Pradesh Board of Education.  The school is providing free high-quality education to 120 Indian and Tibetan children who have serious barriers to education and a low standard of living.

The Principal Activities of Gamru Village School include:

• Providing full scholarships to all 120 children, this includes school fees, meals, uniforms, books and stationary, etc.

• Teaching the Indian Curriculum in an innovative manner with regular extra-curricular classes including environmental conservation, first-aid and health education, arts and crafts, horticulture and agriculture, music and physical education, and vocational skills.

• Maximizing the participation of girls in education and encouraging them to join non-traditional activities such as vocational training, sports and leadership development.

• Providing a day care centre that serves the dual purpose of (a) ensuring that infants have a safe and nurturing environment and acquire early learning skills; and (b) ensuring older children do not miss out on their education by having to look after their younger siblings.

• Sanitation facilities, teeth brushing and hygiene awareness education.    

• By establishing an Adult Education program that provides illiterate villagers with classes in literacy, basic mathematics and English, with classes scheduled at times that suit them. This not only equips adults with important skills, but also improves parental participation in their children’s education.

• With the help of the Volunteers Program, Gamru Village School is able to run a large extra- curricular activities program and improve on local teaching methods with western innovative methods.

• Providing a lunchtime feeding program to schoolchildren, ensuring the children receive at least one healthy and filling meal a day. This program boosts concentration and nutritional levels.

• Community Growth installed a water filter in Gamru Village in October 2004 and established a health and hygiene program in order to educate the community on the importance of using clean water to combat the regular outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the community. Currently 5000 to 6000 liters of safe clean drinking water is collected on a daily basis.

• Community Growth opened a small first aid room in the school in November 2004 The need for medical care in the village is very necessary. The minimum of medical supplies are at hand – bandages, Dettol, flue tablets and other simple medical supplies. There is not enough funding or donated supplies to suffice all the students let alone the community. Without the knowledge of the parents and the lack of income these children are left to heal for themselves. The first aid room provides them with the care they need with the help and supervision from our community liaison officer. Students are referred to the hospital in extreme cases. With the supervision of Community Growth and there parents.

• With the help and coordination of Rotary Club Dharamsala, Community Growth helps the needs of the parents and villagers by providing a clothing program to the poorest. During the winter months temperatures reach as low as minus 5 and without fuel for heating, insulation or enough income to purchase clothes, survival is very hard in the tough climate of the Himalayas.

• With the help and coordination of Rotary Club Dharamsala, Gamru Village School arranges   four different Medical camps throughout the year for the entire community. Eye camps, Dental camps, Polio and tetanus medical camps are annually held in the school buildings providing 1000’s of needy locals with free and vital treatment.