 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Help us set an example, and spread education through the remote communities of Nepal.
Shree
Karnadhar School has emerged from humble beginnings, and in a country where
investment in education is inadequate, it has developed often against the
odds. Village Development Committees manage much of the local finances,
some of which go to schools. However, in rural agricultural regions cash
turnover is low, it has often had to generate finance by selling land and
saving by other means. Shree Karnadhar School is an essential to numerous
remote communities, who without it would have no access to education at
all. A number of the dedicated staff, who themselves are former pupils,
work without pay to the detriment of their family life, in an attempt to
keep open the window of opportunity that was afforded to them. The authorities
have the power to take teachers from schools to be placed elsewhere, and
Shree Karnadhar School has suffered from this.
The Village Development Committee (VDC) is made up of local people who give their time generously, many of whom, like some of the teachers, are "old" students. They should get a yearly budget but the Government is withholding this at present for "security" so apart from the income from students and donations their funding this year comes from the sale of 800 cubic feet of timber from local forests. The Government deduct 40% from the sale if it is outwith the immediate area so it had to be sold locally and the local furniture makers knew they could get it for a fraction of its true worth! The sale of a small piece of land has also contributed a little to the school fund.
However, the school has continued its quest to serve the area and improve as it does so. It has not achieved all it has achieved alone: thanks to generous fundraising activities by interested parties: for the first time in decades the school has a water-tight roof, plaster floors and classroom doors. An embryo library has also been established. Ambitions remain to bring to the school the advantages of facilities enjoyed in more urban locations. A charitable fund has been set up, and donations, however small, will always be welcomed. Teaching materials are few and far between, and a use can be found for any unwanted literature. (Contact Us for further information)
For the students preparing for the all-important
School Leavers Certificate a science laboratory with basic equipment is
essential as the curriculum contains a large portion of practical experiments.
Until now they have only been able to cover this subject in theory and do
very well to obtain pass marks in spite of being disadvantaged.
The embryo library needs to be expanded,
books are scarce and those that are bought in are devoured by students and
staff alike.
Office facilities for the staff are very
basic and because the era of the computer is aeons away, there is no electricity
as yet, all records are kept in files and need to be stored. Therefore office
furniture is a necessary requirement.
Staff are provided for with a new toilet,
but the 350 students are not catered for, so this is another project for
the future. Clean drinking water is only available in small quantities but
could be brought from another source if there is finance for pipes and tanks.
The school is situated on a ridge and the compound is not defined by a wall or fence, therefore people (often noisy), animals and even motorbikes travel through disturbing students' classes. The objective of the Development Committee is to create a wall that will perform two functions, one to keep the uninvited out and two to keep students in once the register has been taken. Parents send their offspring off to school in good faith but they are tempted into a day fishing instead of a day studying. Nothing changes in this world!
The Assistant headmaster is anxious to create a programme of education for the parents for whom there was no opportunity or incentive when they were young. They are shy of coming into the school and he feels if there were the staff and finance to outreach the remote areas it would help develop and encourage youngsters to attend regularly.
The gratitude expressed by all those associated
with Karnadhar is overwhelming, they feel incredibly fortunate and are truly
sincere in their thanks to all those who have shown an interest. A warm
welcome awaits anyone who might some day pay them a visit.
Many Nepalis argue that education is the best way to drag their country out of poverty. Development at grass-roots level is not only most achievable, but most beneficial to the country in the long term. Play a valuable part in Shree Karnadhar School's mission to help bring about this development, and to inspire others around to do the same.