Build Dormitories so 48 Students Can Go to School

Life in the rugged western region of Nepal – some 500 miles from Kathmandu – is a constant struggle for survival. People lack adequate food, safe driving water, decent schools and primary health care. Travel is difficult. There are few roads and those that exist are in poor condition.

The most striking problem I observed while visiting the area was the high number of students who drop out of school. They are not quitting because they do not want an education, but because of the long journeys they are forced to take to get to class. Villages tend to be small – typically around 10 households in each. Since it is impossible to build a school in each village, they are constructed more or less at equal distance from the surrounding villages. As a result, some children walk as much as eight hours a day to get to and from school, trekking along dangerous trails, through dense forests and across thundering rivers. The problem is especially acute for girls, who also risk physical assault.

We discussed the problem with local teachers, students and parents in various villages and came up with a plan to build student housing – dormitories where students could stay during the week. We chose a school that served a large population of students and selected the Gaurishankar Secondary School in Doti, which is the only high school in the area that serves 30 villages.

Local villagers donated land for the project, provided volunteer labor and managed the construction work. We built two hostels – one for girls and another for boys. The hostel was limited to students who had to walk three to eight hours a day to and from school. Teachers live with the students during the week.

During a recent visit, we were overwhelmed to see the joy and gratitude of the children – no more would they have to waste hours every day and risk their lives just to attend school. We hope this project will be the first of many that will ease the burden of students in this remote and impoverished part of Nepal.

Links:

• Nepal Youth Foundation

Education in Rural Nepal

In Nepal, there are numerous barriers to a child successfully completing secondary school.  Only 70% of children even start primary school. Many do not finish the 5^th grade. Students must struggle with both financial and practical obstacles to finishing school.

Financially, many families can’t afford the school fee, which is modest by the standards of developed countries, let alone the cost of books and uniforms. The Nepal Youth Foundation has supported hundreds of students so they can receive an education. During the reporting period, NYF supported 43 rural students (29 male, 19 female) by providing them with scholarships.

NYF’s field workers regularly check on the children and observe how the schools are functioning. They walk the mountain paths of isolated rural areas, stopping at village schools to survey the situation and discuss any problems with the headmasters and students.

The Nepal Youth Foundation supports children until they can support themselves. After they graduate from high school, the organization provides them with college scholarships or vocational training. Nearly 300 children have received life-changing opportunities since this program started.

Many students face challenges just getting to the classroom. While life is difficult everywhere in Nepal, it is especially challenging in Western Nepal, a rugged and remote region. Many villages lack roads. Children must walk for hours on dirt paths to reach school. Some must walk for over 20 miles. Aside from the rough terrain and poor footpaths, some girls do not feel safe after dark and must actually run to reach home before sundown. These challenges contribute to the high dropout rate in Nepal.

To help students attend and complete secondary school, NYF is constructing two dormitories – one for girls and another for boys. Each will provide 24 students from distant villages a place to stay so they can focus on studying, not traveling to and from school. Teachers will also live at the dormitories to ensure the children’s safety.

Links:

• Nepal Youth Foundation
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