Letters bind pen friends from Bundi, California

Students at a government school here share a unique bond with children in a California school, narrating their stories and experiences in letters, keeping alive the tradition of pen friendship in this age of technology.
As they touch each other's lives despite the distance, the students from the school in the US have sent a donation of over Rs 3 lakh to help their friends in Barundan of Bundi.
The students from the two countries have been continuing their friendship through letters for the past three years.
"It all started three years ago when David Dickson, an elementary teacher at the California school, visited Bundi. David suggested starting pen friendship between the students of the two schools," Shobha Kanwar, a teacher of Government Senior Secondary School, Barundan, said today.

A few months later, David sent letters from students of his school and letter writing between two students each of the schools has began since then, she said.
The Indian students send their friends in the US pictures of the school and write stories about their village life and the festivals celebrated here, while the students from California write about their excursions, school events and Christmas celebration, she said.

Students from California write letters to their Indian friends in English which Kanwar translates into Hindi. The students from India write the letters in Hindi which an NRI teacher there translates into English.

Principal of the government school Nidhi Pathak said the donation amount is used for buying laptops, slider, uniforms, school bags and shoes. A water cooler has also been installed in the school.
"We want our students to join in voice chatting with their friends in California but internet facility is not available in the village," the principal said.