---
title: "Silicon Valley engineers rebuild 150+ rural Indian schools after floods"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/silicon-valley-engineers-rebuild-india-schools-weuk2
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Society
published: 2026-09-01T05:30:31.257Z
modified: 2026-09-01T07:30:05.275Z
language: en-IN
---

# Silicon Valley engineers rebuild 150+ rural Indian schools after floods

A group of Indian engineers in Silicon Valley started a nonprofit that rebuilt more than 150 government schools across 11 Indian states after flood damage, beginning with a $3,000 fundraiser. One notable project was Melavanki School in Karnataka, which expanded from a damaged facility to a multi-roo

## Key takeaways

- OSAAT rebuilt 150+ government schools across 11 Indian states through volunteer work and donor funding.
- The initiative began with a $3,000 fundraiser sparked by a flood-damaged school in coastal Karnataka.
- Melavanki School in Karnataka expanded significantly after OSAAT's intervention, adding classrooms, toilets, and learning resources.

## What Happened

The Better India reports that a volunteer-driven nonprofit, One School At A Time (OSAAT), founded by Indian engineers in Silicon Valley, rebuilt more than 150 government schools across 11 Indian states after flood-related damage. The initiative began after monsoon floods destroyed a coastal Karnataka school in Karkala, leaving students seated outdoors. The founders launched with a modest $3,000 fundraiser built around a single music performance and did not charge families or pay volunteers. In Melavanki, a Karnataka school led by headmaster Iranna Kadakol saw initial growth from two rooms, one teacher and 19 students to six rooms and about 500 students by 2019. After floods again damaged Melavanki, OSAAT rebuilt eight rooms, added separate toilets for boys and girls, along with desks, library books, green boards and sports equipment, and later added four more classrooms as enrollment rose.

OSAAT’s leadership connects their mission to experiences in government schooling; Kadakol notes his own background in government schools and the belief in quality, free education for all. The organization operates on a volunteer basis, never charging families and not compensating volunteers for their work.

## Why It Matters

The initiative demonstrates a sustained model of rebuilding and expanding educational facilities in rural areas without imposing costs on families or relying on paid staff, aiming to improve classroom conditions and access to learning. The Melavanki example shows a measurable shift from under-resourced facilities to multi-room campuses that support hundreds of students, including infrastructure like separate toilets and libraries that accompany academic spaces.

## Background

The story traces back to a 25-year-old impulse among Silicon Valley engineers to contribute to their homeland, sparked by a collapsed school in coastal Karnataka following monsoon rains. From a small initial fundraiser, OSAAT grew into a broader effort to reconstruct rural government schools using volunteer labor and donor funds, focusing on scalable, long-term improvements rather than short-term fixes.

## Key Facts

- OSAAT is a volunteer-run non-profit that has rebuilt more than 150 government schools across 11 Indian states.
- The initial fundraising effort started with about $3,000 raised through a single musical performance.
- Melavanki School in Karnataka expanded from two rooms, one teacher and 19 students to six rooms and about 500 students by 2019.
- After floods damaged Melavanki, OSAAT rebuilt eight rooms, added separate toilets for boys and girls, desks, green boards, library books and sports equipment, and later added four more classrooms.
- OSAAT does not charge families and does not pay volunteers.

## What Happens Next

The article describes ongoing enrollment growth at Melavanki and ongoing work by OSAAT to rebuild and enhance rural schools, but does not specify additional scheduled projects or timelines beyond the described past actions and their stated impact.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/silicon-valley-engineers-rebuild-india-schools-weuk2
Reported from: Multiple Sources