PALAKKAD: It began with a poem penned by an eighth grader in 2021 at the height of the COVID pandemic. The verses, expressing unwavering belief in brighter days ahead – quiet reflections of a young mind – resonated far and wide, eventually finding a place in the preface of the budget speech presented by then Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac.
On Tuesday, four years down the line, the poem by Sneha Kannan became the reason for a major development: the inauguration of the new school building of Government High School, Kuzhalmannam, proving yet again how sincere, heartfelt words can bring about real change.
The young poet had written the poem thinking it might appear in a children’s magazine. To her surprise, it was chosen for the budget speech. After presenting the budget, Isaac contacted Sneha. And during their conversation, she made a request: a facelift for her school, then functioning in a run-down rented building at the time.
The response was swift. The government first allocated Rs 3 crore, then another Rs 4 crore to construct new building blocks for the school. Four years later, that vision took shape in concrete and steel. On Tuesday, at Vellappara, the new building of the school was inaugurated by Speaker A N Shamseer in the presence of Sneha.
At the ceremony, her poem echoed through the new school campus once again, this time as the welcome song. “I’m overwhelmed that my poem helped my school get a new building.
I never imagined my words would go this far. I am thankful to my teachers and the government for acting swiftly,” said Sneha, currently awaiting her Plus Two examination results. She is the younger daughter of Kannan, a driver, and Rumadevi.
The high school section functioned in a building at the Kuzhalmannam block panchayat office complex, while the UP section operated in a rented structure at Kulavanmukku. Both sections will be shifted to the new building before the start of the new academic year.