By Joanna Bega | Chief Executive
Many thousands of schools were affected by the earthquake in April 2015. Some completely lost their buildings whilst others sustained such serious structural damage that they were immediately condemned. Straight after the earthquake we were able to provide temporary structures so that learning could continue. However in the longer term it has enabled us to "build back better." This means funding earthquake proof classrooms and putting in toilets and taps where none existed previously.
The schools that we are supporting are in the Makwanpur district of Nepal. The terrain is extremely challenging meaning that getting government approval and organising construction work has been extremely slow.
In September 2016 I went to see reconstruction work at the "nearest and most easily accessible school I could visit". To see the school I travelled seven hours from Kathmandu to a town called Hetauda. From there we took a 4x4 vehicle for a further three hours. After that the road came to an end and we had to travel the final half an hour on foot, which involved taking off our socks and shoes and wading across a river!
It is this remoteness that has contributed to the delays but I am delighted to report, thanks to the generous donations of the Global Giving community, that the reconstruction programme is now in full swing.
In September I visited the Saraswati Primary school, who are receiving two new classrooms. At the moment they have three classes of children in one classroom (nearly 150 children in total) which is making learning almost impossible. The new earthquake proof classrooms will transform their learning.
I also visited the Praja Lower Secondary school, who received a new water source. This means new taps, drinking water, and hygenic toilets. The principal reported an increase of 30% in school attendance - which is fantastic! (Imagine trying to run a Secondary school without water).
It is a little known fact that the best way to prevent children from being trafficked is to keep them safe in school - and so practical improvements to schools in vulnerable areas can make a massive difference. Not only are children staying safe, they are also receiving a better quality of education.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed - your donations have made a very practical difference to extremely vulnerable children in remote areas of Nepal. But we need to keep fundraising as schools like Praja Secondary are also desperate for a new classroom. The work continues.....
By Caroline Emlyn Jones | Fundraiser
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