Government Social Works Council Inspection
Dear Supporters and Friends
The successful completion of phase 1 of this project, 40 schools, has been due to the active involvement of parents and their communities working with school staff and our implementation partners. Phase 2 has now started and we expect the co-operation and lessons learned will only get better. In the first phase of the project 11120 students, teachers and school staff have benefitted from this involvement. In addition, 66 disabled students received specialist support and help to cope with their requirements. The WASH component benefitted over 8000 students from 25 schools.
Parent involvement has been essential for the success of the first phase and the knowledge learned will ensure the project reaches a successful conclusion. The key objectives learned from the first phase are:
- Connect girl students with their parents to help manage the menstruation period, WASH practices and other hygiene issues helping to spread knowledge to the wider family and community.
- Engage parents in girls hygiene and WASH activities.
- Involve parents in the maintenance and support of sanitary pits, WASH basins and the water supply.
- Engage parents in decision making including the design and management of construction works.
The following testimonial identifies the help and support the project has given to a disabled student (names have been changed).
How the safer wheel-chair ramp was identified/ monitored in disabled school
My name is Ganesh. I am 62 years old. I am from Baglung Municipality-3. I am also the former people's representatives (ward chairperson of Baglung) too. My grand-son Arnab is a child with intellectual disability and hence I enrolled him to Upallachur Bishesh Shiksha School, Baglung (school for intellectual disabled children).
When I repeatedly visited the school, my grand-son including other students used to be thrown down from the steps whenever need to go to toilets. Many times, my grand-son slipped down from the way of so-called ramp. I requested many times to Head Master to make safe walking path to the students but he was also helpless.
One teachers-parents meeting was organized by the Head Master of the school, we decided to request Nepal Trust through DIRDC, Baglung to make safe wheel-chair ramp to pass from up-stair to down-stairs for using toilets and other needs. We then requested to make safer ramp. When the ramp was started to be build, I including other SMC members visited once a day to monitor the construction work whether the bars are properly connected or not.
Now, the wheel-chair ramp is maintained with proper metal bars so that my grand-son including other children are very safe position. DIRDC supported to our school not only for the wheel chair ramp it has supported to enhance the toilet upgrading/repairing/upgrading, supporting for improved water supply in school, and constructing the very impressive WASH basin fit according to the height of the students/teachers with the financial support from NDF/Nepal Trust/WILDE GANZEN/ STICHTING NEPAL.
At the end, I am very much grateful to DIRDC, Baglung, and NDF/Nepal Trust/WILDE GANZEN/ STICHTING NEPAL for supporting my child's school in the areas related to the disabled children.
Ganesh
(Parent of Disabled Student)
Upallachur Bishesh Shikshya School, Baglung
The above story is one small example of how this project is helping girls and boys to lead an active life in modern times and understand the importance of working together and to also understand how and why the body works the way it does.
Thank you for your help and support. I hope you can continue to support us and please ask your friends to contribute. We have another two phases of the project still to be completed and we do need your financial help. Many thanks and our best wishes.
Namaste
New toilets
Building new incinerator
Suntalachaur School, SWC Inspection