Like many schools with a rich history, Dr Graham’s Homes has a thriving alumni society. It’s called the Global OGB Association - or GO, for short. (“OGB” stands for Old Girls and Boys, in case you were wondering!)

But GO doesn’t just exist to organise reunions and newsletters. Like our charity, its members also work to support the school and the children in a number of key ways. And it has achieved some exciting things in the last 12 months or so.

We got on the line with two of GO’s organisers - Chair Anirban Bhattacharyya (“AB”) and Secretary Dawn Van Steensel - to tell us more about how the society works, and what they’re up to next.

Hello to you both! Thanks for chatting with us here on the blog.

You’re welcome. It’s good to be here!

You’re both proud OGBs yourselves - when did you go to the Homes?

We are indeed. Dawn was a student at DGH from 1963 to 1972, while AB studied there from 1982 to 1990. I [AB] was introduced to the Homes through my uncle. He’d been taught by Bernard Brooks, the old Principal - an absolute legend in DGH history.

What drew you to GO?

Well, first it was because we wanted to give something back. It’s hard to explain the deep connection you feel with the Homes when you’ve grown up there. Not to sound too fluffy and philosophical, but it’s almost spiritual. Secondly, we wanted to respond to an appeal that Rev John Webster [DGHUK’s Honorary Vice President] laid down in 2013 at an international conference. He called on the alumni to get together and support the school - to safeguard the Homes for future generations. That was a real challenge to us.

How did you respond?

The traditional response of any alumni society is to meet up, cut a cake, reminisce - and then forget about it for the next 364 days. But we at GO decided that we wanted to change that. We said, OK, the time for talk is over. It’s time for action! So our main purpose since 2014 has been to help the Homes. We do that by raising funds to improve and preserve DGH’s heritage through renovation and restoration, sponsoring projects and equipment, ensuring the children have a nurturing environment, and improving on the infrastructure. We work closely with the school’s Board of Management and with the DGHUK and the International Committees.

What sorts of issues does DGH face?

Being over 120 years old, some of the structures have aged and eroded. So one key role we play is to organise renovation and restoration projects. We not only raise funds but also bring in OGB volunteers during the holidays to help with manual labour. And we use the school’s workshop staff to do the professional work. Because we aren’t relying on outsider vendors, labourers or contractors, we can stretch every rupee, pound, and dollar to the max. The goal is to create a nurturing environment for the kids to grow up in, like we did - and to help more students enrol at DGH.

What renovations have you completed recently?

From 2021-23 we launched and completed the GO Adopt a Classroom Project. For the first time since these classrooms were built, they were being completely overhauled and renovated. We spruced up 12 junior classrooms in the Queen Mary block and 10 in the middle school. This not only included new roofs, new furniture, windows and paint but also ripping up rotten floorboards and replacing them. We even discovered sweet wrappers under them from the 1960s!

What else have you tackled?

Since 2013-14, we have repaired and renovated multiple cottages on both the girls’ and boys’ side to ensure the kids have a proper and safe environment to grow up in. Another project was the Crozier Club. That building recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, but it hadn’t been upgraded since time immemorial. So GO raised funds to build a professional audiovisual room for the children. We built a whole new roof. We replaced the weak wooden floorboards with tiles. We bought new furniture. And then a projector and an audio system with a modern electronic lectern. It’s now a great space for presentations, training sessions and conferences.

And what’s up next?

Our next project is renovating Heathland, one of the boys’ cottages. Then we’ll be raising funds to repair the gym and the art class. But we don’t just do renovations. We’re also starting to ask OGBs to come back to the school to offer their knowledge and skills. For instance, last year we ran three days of career counselling. We have plans to introduce Japanese language classes. These are things that can support and grow the kids before they leave school and enter the real world of work.

You’re working on a major new campaign drive too, is that right?

Yes. We’re currently planning something called the GO Sponsor A Child Project. It’s a work in progress, but the idea is to attract a new generation of sponsors - particularly here in the subcontinent. Money has got tighter in places like the UK, Canada, Australia, NZ and Ireland, and that’s a potential problem for the future. So we want to call more people, especially OGBs, to start sponsoring needy children at the Homes. In doing that, we won’t just enable more boarders to fill up the cottages - the raison d’etre of the school - it will also help to make DGH profitable and self-sustaining, which in turn will help the school to live on. We OGBs have to give back.

What are your hopes for DGH over the next few years?

DGH is our mother, our father, the only family many of us have ever had. I think this is the right time for a big push - for all of us to come together and help. I hope we can help to build up the school over the coming years. Ultimately, we want to protect and build on the legacy of our founders, Dr John and Mrs Katherine Graham, which is about extending love, care and empathy to children in need - to give every child the second chance for a better life.

TO REGISTER AS AN OGB: WWW.DGHOGBS.COM

Watch this space for more details on GO’s upcoming campaigns for DGH. We’ll be sharing more information about the GO Sponsor A Child Project over the next few months.

AB has just released a new semi-memoir that recounts his time at DGH during the 86 GNLF agitation. You can read more about it in this recent news article: Alumnus Anirban Bhattacharyya sets new book in Kalimpong

GO at a glance

• GO is independent and recognised as an NGO by the Indian government
• It’s the school’s officially registered alumni association
• It’s run entirely by former pupils of Dr Graham’s Homes
• It’s entirely self-funded by donations from OGBs and friends of DGH
• GO has been working on renovation projects at DGH since 2015

You can find out more about GO on their official website.