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Part IV. Rise and Glory
boys. A parcel of land of 5 1/2 acres with a house located on the corner of Mapaka Road and Second Avenue in Parklands area of Nairobi was purchased. The building was renovated and opened on April 24, 1946. There was need for more space as more students from upcountry were coming to Nairobi for secondary school education. A decision to build a new building for the boarding house was made. The foundation stone of the new building was laid on November 26, 1961 and the new boarding house was opened on February 17, 1963. As the number of Oshwals living in rural areas without secondary schools went down in the nineteen-seventies, the boarders were moved into the renovated old boarding house and the present building was converted into a Jain Primary School. However, once again, in the nineteen-nineties the demand for accommodation by Oshwal students went up and a new building has been built adjacent to the existing building. The new Oshwal Boys' Boarding House was opened on May 16, 1993. The new facilities are very modern and they include a swimming pool, which took two years to finish and was officially opened on May 1, 1995.
Nairobi Girls Hostel: More and more attention was being paid towards girls' education. A plan to build a hostel for girls from upcountry was made. The proposal to build a hostel for girls was first put forward in 1947 A.D., when it got a mixed reception. After much discussion a resolution was passed to build a hostel for girls. But nothing happened until 1956 A.D. In 1957 A.D. the resolution was put into action. A building was rented in 1958 A.D. and the hostel was opened with 17 boarders. Soon it became too small to handle the applicants and an independent building was built. The dream came true on January 1, 1960. The foundation stone was laid for the building on land located on Second Avenue Parklands. January 5, 1961 will be remembered as a milestone for girls' education in the Oshwal community. The hostel was officially opened on January 16, 1961.
