Government High School Afzalgunj is located in Puranapul locality of Hyderabad, south of the the River Musi and not too far from the High Court for the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (as declared by fresh signage outside the Court, following the creation of India’s newest state). Purana Pul means “old bridge” in Hindi and Urdu. The locality is in the older part of the city and the bridge you cross to reach it was the first to be built in Hyderabad city, back in 1578.

The school itself is tucked away in a small residential colony.  To reach it, you pass under an arch and past a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. Initially, I confused the sound of temple bells with the school bell, that’s how close it is. I’ve been told that the community surrounding the school is economically-deprived; teachers often refer to it as a slum. Like children in all the schools we work in, many of the students face challenges in their lives and must work hard both in school and outside of it. GHS Afzalgunj is a small school and one truly gets the sense of family when you spend time within its walls. It is clear that the teachers care deeply for their students and the students love their school. No surprise then, that for their first project, the 9th class students were eager to highlight their school in this photo essay about different aspects of their school lives.