Singing competitions are usually out of the realm of possibility for most children living in poverty stricken villages in eastern India.

But, thanks to the generosity of Bermudians, three economically disadvantaged Indian students had their chance to shine, taking home top prizes at a prestigious Indian school singing competition.

The students attend the Kirwin James International School in Shekharwa District of Bodhgaya, Bihar, India. The school is newly built by the Kirwin International Relief Foundation (KIRF India), started by Bermudian Diane Kirwin and her son Mark.

The James refers to Bermudian Colin James, who has also been involved in the school's founding.

The school opened on October 2, Indian civil rights leader Mahatma Gandi's birthday, and now has 136 students.

"They were only able to take part in the competition because they were students at our school," said Mrs. Kirwin. "Three of our students won third prize, which is amazing because some of them have never been out of their village. They have never seen an audience or a stage."

KIRF India's mission is to help people help themselves by promoting health, education and sustainable development among the acutely poor in this region.

Mrs. Kirwin is Bermudian, but lives in Mt. Shasta, California, and spends four months out of the year in India.

She is a graduate of the Bermuda High School for Girls, and has a Masters degree in Social Work, and also holds Licensed Clinical Social Worker II and Chemical Addictions Counsellor III qualifications.

She was in Bermuda recently for a visit, and to update her many Bermudian donors on KIRF India's progress.

Mrs. Kirwin was particularly pleased that Kirwin James School now has four acres of land including space for the children to play and do sports.

"It makes a huge difference to have land of your own, as opposed to them playing in the village centre," she said. "The school is in a rural area.

"It is safer, and there is less interruption from people in the village wanting the children to take care of their younger siblings."

She said the children have been in school now for several weeks and are starting to settle in.

"Now they line up in the morning to go to class," she said. "They sometimes walk very far to come to school. They come from very humble backgrounds, with mud floors in their houses. They are so happy to go to school."

The caste system was officially outlawed in India several decades ago, but the people in these poor villages are often still known as "the untouchables". They generally live in the most primitive conditions, without sanitation, heating, electricity or running water. Without the help of organisations like KIRF many children in these villages would be denied an education.

Mrs. Kirwin has made it her mission to visit the families of students at the school.

"So far, I have visited about ninety of the children, and I have more to do when I go back in the winter," she said. "After I visit their homes they look at me differently. I am not a stranger anymore."

One of the lessons the school aims to teach the children is hygiene and cleanliness. Mrs. Kirwin said she recently snapped a picture of a child washing dishes in sewage water.

"The Rotary Club is giving us some funds for wells for that village," she said.

Students at the Kirwin James School now have a globe in their school, and are learning geography. One of the first places they learned to pick out on the globe was Bermuda.

"They are learning English, Hindi, math and reading and writing," said Mrs. Kirwin. "They also have social studies and a class called moral science which teaches goodness and kindness."

She said the region is arid, and was recently declared a drought area by the Indian government, which is why fresh water projects are very important.

"We would like to try and get some water at the other end of the property, for the cow herd that is on the property," said Mrs. Kirwin. "Everything is so hot and dry right now. When we have celebrations at the school, the local cow herder brings his cattle with him. He ties them up outside in the field and comes in to eat."

She said KIRF has several aims for the coming year.

"We want to finish the school," said Mrs. Kirwin. "They are going to try to put toilets in this year. Having no toilets is not unusual for Indian schools, but it is terrible for Bermuda. We would like to open a health clinic. When it gets going we would like to go into other areas and carry out community health work. It is really about continuing on and expanding as we can. We don't want to go too fast."

The Kirwin James School is one in a string of charitable efforts by Mrs. Kirwin and her son, Mark who is an advisor of KIRF India.

They have been working in this part of India for several years. Mrs. Kirwin got the idea to help people in the area while backpacking across India.

"A friend suggested that I visit Bodhgaya, as it is a spiritual place with a lot of history," said Mrs. Kirwin. " I later found out that Bodhgaya is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists, as important as Jerusalem is for Christians. The Lord Buddha gained enlightenment under the Bodi Tree in Bodhgaya and there is an historic temple there.

"While in Bodhgaya I went several times with a doctor who works for the most poor. I saw the children waiting for hours to see him and they were in the hot sun with nothing to do. I realised that some sturdy toys would really be of help and for several years took special toys for this clinic."

She decided to help further when she visited a school being held in a cowshed.

"I managed to gain enough funds from my Christmas Card list and from one Royal Gazette article to build a small school which is now run by a Swiss group.

"I began by accident as I was just retired and certainly not looking for work. The project has grown and progressed over the years, basically helping one child at a time with health and with small schools."

Early on, Mrs. Kirwin concentrated most of her efforts by helping another charity Privilege Sharing.

But her son Mark, decided it was time to start their own charity, KIRF India, in 2004, after he miraculously missed being killed in the Tsunami in 2004 during a vacation in Thailand.

In addition to its educational and health work, KIRF India also helps people in disaster areas. They have helped people in the 2004 Tsunami region, people in Tanzania and also Americans ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Last year they helped people in Burma after the country was struck by a deadly cyclone in May.

Mrs. Kirwin said she was happy that her son was involved.

"I am 74 years old now," said Mrs. Kirwin, "It means that the work can continue after I am gone. It is still about sharing privileges with others and helping people help themselves."

She said the KIRF Foundation is currently focusing its efforts on the Shekharwa District, because it is an area that needs assistance.

The Kirwin James School has been visited by several Bermudians including Cathy Stovell, The Royal Gazette health correspondent. Mrs. Stovell took pens for the village children.

To make a donation, mail cheques to KIRF INDIA, c/o Mr. & Mrs. Walter Cook, 'Hillgrove", 58 Ord Road, Paget PG03. It will be deposited in the Bank of Bermuda Account.

For American donors, KIRF INDIA is a Registered Indian Charitable Trust with a Governing board of Trustees.

Their Federal EIN# is 33-0767921 and you can donate via the IHCenter website: www.ihcenter.org/groups/KIRF_INDIA.html or mail directly to KIRF INDIA c/o International Humanities Center P.O. Box 923, Malibu, CA 90265 USA.

For more information, go to their website at www.kirfindia.org or email Mrs. Kirwin at dikirwin@yahoo.com .