It came as a shock when we learned that the Diocese of Madras was funding the school by charging tuition. This is not unusual for an Episcopal or Anglican Church school, but in Kothapallimitta it was a problem. Whereas in other Diocesan schools there were enough paying students to allow the school to carry non-paying (unable to pay) students, in Kothapallimitta the extent of poverty made it impossible for nearly every family to pay the tuition. Matters deteriorated when Hindu students (who tended to be the least poverty stricken) were for a time lured away by another school that promised they would not have to sit and learn beside Dalits. But the Rev. Thaines, Administrator of the School, never lost hope that when the new buildings were complete - impressive and beautiful - and the school was no longer held in a Christian church, the Hindus would come back. Ours was, simply, a much better school. In the interim we held a "sponsorship" campaign at St. Peter's and St. Alban's and sent about $6000 to help defray the costs of those pupils who could not pay. The cost per student for a year was, said Thaines, $120, so the sponsorships went a long way to help.

It took longer than we had hoped to get the buildings started because of problems with obstructionist  wealthy land-owners who withdrew their agreement to sell otherwise useless, unsellable land. Finally the school was built on other land, not quite so desirable because it is nearer the main, noisy road. Similar obstacles came up every time a license was required, when the water and electrical connections had to be made, or an inspection was needed. We in New Jersey learned that Thaines Raja was reluctant to use our outreach money for bribes, and ashamed to tell us that he needed to.  We told him we did not sit in judgment and had little understanding of local practices.  He began to inform us proudly when they encountered "an honest person" and didn't have to pay a bribe.

In the summer of 2006, when the school sorely needed a new bus to replace one bought with St. Peter's outreach money five years earlier, two New York City churches came to our aid: the Riverside Church and St. Thomas Fifth Avenue both gave grants that, added to a grant from the Diocese of Newark International Outreach, allowed us to match funding coming from the Diocese of Madras and purchase a large school bus.