Church of South India Diocese of Madurai and Ramnad

The Lucy Perry Noble School is a Preschool through 11th grade school that is supported by Global Ministries, its partners and donors. The school provides education to 1,800 girls in Madurai, one of India’s southern cities. Most of the girls are Dalits, the poorest and most excluded caste in India, often called the “untouchables.” Many of these Dalit children come from families living at a large nearby leprosy colony where their relatives struggle to overcome the physical and social challenges of leprosy. Some students are orphans, living in the dormitory of the school. The number of girls attending the Lucy Perry Noble School is growing on an annual basis.

The school’s motto is: “Love that Leads Life Upwards.” The school is grounded in a belief that the country’s poorest children can be empowered through education. This is particularly important for girls because they face tremendous gender disparities. The United Nation reports that 24 percent of girls in India are sent to work instead of school. As a result, girls are under educated, a problem that leads to women earning 38 percent of what men earn. For girls of the Dalit caste, a lack of education perpetuates a life of poverty and oppression. By attending the Lucy Perry Noble School, girls receive the education needed to break this vicious cycle.

In addition to academics, the school provides employment training services. Trained and skilled weavers teach tailoring, embroidery, and rug making to the students. These are skills they can use after graduation to earn a living wage and support themselves and a family. This program has been very successful at preparing students to transition into adulthood and self-sufficiency.

Despite its commitment to the ministry of quality education and the Gospel, the Lucy Perry Noble School is a 110-year old building in dilapidating condition. Through support from Global Ministries and its partners, the Church of South India and the Church of North India, the school has been able to build the dormitory for student housing and four new classrooms. With this expansion came the ability to add two more grade levels. While the school has made significant progress on renovations and expansions, significant work must be done to prepare the school for years to come. Critical projects include:

Demolishing the dilapidated main building so that a new building can be immediately constructed. This building will house six classrooms and administrative offices.
Creating a fully-equipped modern library and an audio-visual room.
Creating a Preschool classroom with equipment and materials.
Renovating the Nicholson building.

As a result of these renovations, the Lucy Perry Noble School can continue its mission of educating the country’s poorest and most underprivileged girls, while enhancing its academic programs with updated library and audio-visual resources. Support for this work will ensure the school’s ability to educate these girls so they can transcend a life of poverty.

India faces many challenges, most of them grounded in the extreme poverty that faces the Dalit (15 percent) and Shudras (44 percent) castes. Global Ministries and the Lucy Perry Noble School know that overcoming these challenges will take short and long-term solutions including education, job training, and trust in God. The work of the Lucy Perry Noble School is one such solution that is making a difference in this effort.