Belagavi Flood Relief Initiative – 2019

Restoring Hope Through Education

In August 2019, large parts of Northern Karnataka were severely affected by unprecedented floods caused by continuous and heavy rainfall. Belagavi district was among the worst hit. Rivers overflowed, villages were submerged, and normal life came to a standstill for days.

One of the most affected sectors was education.

Impact on Schools and Children

Hundreds of government schools across flood-affected villages were submerged in 5 to 10 feet of water for more than a week. As a result:

• School buildings and classrooms suffered structural damage
• Furniture, blackboards, and learning spaces were destroyed
• Academic records, library books, computers, TVs, projectors, and teaching aids were completely lost
• Many schools were left unsafe or unfit for immediate use

For children in these rural areas, schools are more than just buildings — they are spaces of learning, safety, and hope. The floods disrupted not only infrastructure but also the confidence and continuity of education for thousands of students.

Government Response & the Ground Reality

The Government responded swiftly and worked on a war footing to restore essential services and damaged schools. However, given the scale of destruction, the task was enormous.

• The government’s first priority was rehabilitation of affected families, including housing and livelihoods
• Schools were proposed to receive ₹2 lakhs per school for repairs
• Considering the extent of damage, this support was not sufficient to fully restore school infrastructure and learning resources

GT Foundation’s Intervention

Recognising this critical gap, GT Foundation reached out to flood-affected villages in Belagavi district with a focused mission — to support children and protect their right to education.

We connected closely with:

• Village leaders
• School authorities
• Local communities

This helped us assess the real impact on schools and children, and understand what support was most urgently required.

While many individuals and organisations generously supported families with groceries and household essentials, we observed that children had lost their school belongings entirely. With damaged schools and no basic learning materials, returning to education became extremely difficult for them.

Our Support to School Children

GT Foundation chose to extend direct support to children by providing school essentials, including:

• School bags
• Notebooks and textbooks
• Pens, pencils, and stationery kits

This may seem like a small gesture, but for a child who lost everything in the floods, it became a source of motivation, dignity, and encouragement to return to school and continue learning.

Our Belief

At GT Foundation, we firmly believe:

“Social work is not charity — it is our responsibility.”
“Education is the key to the future.”