Geegh Nursery School

Mary noticed that many small children were coming along to the classrooms with the older children and disrupting the classes.

If they did not come with the older children they would be left to wander around by themselves or the older children would have to stay home and take care of them.

Many of the little ones were given a cup of rice water and set outside and the door of the locked house as parents went off to do their daily coolie work. Madanapalle has been known as a “famine prone area”. In years past and for the last seven years, rain has failed to come to Madanapalle and there are no crops or work for the poor people to do.

Dec. 17, 1957, Miss Mary Geegh, while serving as a Reformed Church in America missionary, started the nursery school in memory of her mother Annie Geegh.

While serving as Headmistress at the C.S.I.R.D. Girls High School, Mary decided to send one of the teachers outside to gather the little children together under the Banyan Tree to sing Bible verses and prayer songs. The challenge that came to Mary during prayer time was “Lovest thou Me? Feed my lambs.” John 21:15. One hundred children ages 1 ½ – 5 years old came daily to learn about Jesus.

Geegh School Today

Today, 240 children attend the preschool and they are from the poorest families in Madanapalle and surrounding villages, some traveling 5 km to go to school. The children are fed two meals per day which is usually the only food they receive and educated in both English and Telegu. Due to weakening conditions of the old school building and lack of space, a new school was constructed and dedicated to the Glory of God in October 2000. This was made possible through donations provided by residents of Holland, Michigan. The children now have classrooms with a roof over their heads and a large enough facility to accommodate all of the school children.

The school relies upon support through Mission Partners International, Inc. a non-profit organization based in Holland, MI. Each child can receive an education and two nutritious meals for $35 per month per child through a sponsorship type program. Sponsor a child for $35 per month