|
Higher Secondary School Establishment at Sri Raithane School, Thangpalkot VDC, Sindhupalchowk —Sri Raithane School is located in the rural parts of Sindhupalchowk. The school currently has grades from 1-10 and the nearest location for the children attending Raithane is approximately 2 hours of walk or a three hours’ treacherous bus ride to the nearest Melamchi town, the road to which, during monsoon is closed. As a result many children discontinue school after grade 10. We are striving to establish grades 11 and 12 at Sri Raithane with the construction of two classrooms, a library, a science lab, and a 10 unit computer lab (e-library). .
Social Business for Education (SBE) Program — COMMITTED is initiating a Social Business Program which not only seeks to establish businesses for financially strapped families but also provide educational opportunities to the children of these households. Such a comprehensive approach will ensure that the household income is uplifted and the children are allowed complete their school. Our goal is to ensure that financial constraint is not a reason for children to drop out of school. We believe that education is a basic right of all children and that illiteracy as a result of financial constraints should not be a reason for a child to falter in life. Read more.
The program seeks to implement two parallel programs. 1. A scholarship program for children from financially struggling families; and 2. An income generating self-sustainable social business for the families that benefit from the scholarship program. The need based scholarship program and the income generation assistance is not a simple giveaway but tied to four conditions, which are the following:
- The children will continue to attend school until graduation;
- The children will never be subject to household chores during study time at school and at home;
- The families will gift back a portion of their income within two years;
- Families needing WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) improvement will apportion a certain percentage of their income towards WASH related improvements. The families that do not need WASH improvements at the household level will collectively apportion a certain income towards a community WASH project.
As a pilot project, the SBE program is being initiated at Sri Raithane School of Thangpalkot VDC, Sindhupalchowk District. The preliminary survey work to identify the needy students and households as well as formation of the SBE monitoring committee completed in March 2011, the project commenced in May 2011. This pilot project seeks to attend to ten of the neediest students attending the school until graduation and if proven worthy, the number of students, thus households, will be increased to 15-20 in addition to the 10 supported during the pilot project (2011-2015). In total, lives of 60 people would be positively impacted by the SBE program. Based on the skills possessed by the beneficiary household as well as the social and economic opportunities available at Thangpalkot VDC, animal husbandry has been selected as a means to help the families improve their household income. The management committee, comprised of the school management committee, COMMITTED staff, Save the Children’s local NGO staff, and two members of the beneficiary households, will strictly monitor education attainment of the children as well as the households’ diligence towards improving their household income. In addition, the conditions tied to the assistance will ensure project success. View pictures relevant to the picture.
Computer Literacy Project at Shanti Nikunj Higher Secondary School —With funds made available by the Western Union Foundation, we have initiated a computer literacy project for underprivileged children attending Shanti Nikunj. Through the project we built a computer lab for the school’s use as well as designed and helped conduct an informal computer course for the community to attain sustainability. This project is the second of its kind we implemented owing to the success realized with the Kanya Mandir School Computer Literacy Project. The lab now has 20 computer stations. We are currently working on ways to make inexpensive computers available for the families of the children from these schools by collaborating with finance related companies and other related businesses. We believe making them available at home will assist the children and their families to hone on their computer skills. The project not only helps them become literates in the modern society but also make them competitive in the job market, thereby improving their chances of breaking the cycle of poverty not just for themselves but also for their immediate families. View pictures relevant to the picture.
Mother Theresa Orphanage — Our volunteer Margy Hannon, traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal between January and April 2008 to volunteer at the Mother Theresa orphanage . She says “The trip was nothing short of a truly profound experience – one that I wish many more people around the world would be able to experience”. Upon returning to the states, she felt that the least she could do to continue helping these people was to promote a fundraising project. Within one month’s time, she raised nearly $2,500 and gathered nearly 100 lbs. of clothing, vitamins, books, and school supplies in support of the 24 poverty-stricken children. With a small grant received from the United Parcel Service’s (UPS) Charitable Giving Fund she successfully sent the collected items of need to the orphanage. To view her days at the orphanage, please follow the links below:
Sri Raithane Secondary School Project — Sri Raithane Secondary is a school bordering Tibet struggling to provide quality education in the absence of basic infrastructure such as classromm lighting, window panes, doors etc. COMMITTED was approached by the school management to provide assistance to make an immediate positive impact on the lives of the students comprised of primarily the Tamang Community. Read more...
Kanya Mandir School Science Lab, Library, and Infirmary Project — With funds made available by the Western Union for the second year in a row, we renovated the science lab and library for Kanya Mandir School. Previously the science lab was being used only to demonstrate cause and effect lessons in science. With the renovation including gas lines and water, students now have hands on experience on science lessons. See pictures here.
The library previously located in a room infested with termite and a leaky roof was relocated to a renovated lower level and new furniture. Renowned Nepali author and honorary member Samrat Upadhyay recently organized an interaction session with the students. See pictures of new library here.
We are currently building an infirmary facility for the school so that the students and teachers have a place to rest and receive general treatment. The project is currently being implemented.
Kanya Mandir Health and Sanitation Project — Funds were made available by Rotary International to renovate existing toilets, build new toilets, and provide a drinking water supply system for Kanya Mandir School. The Project was recently completed with a grand inauguration ceremony attended by the President of the local Rotary Club of Kathmandu. See pictures here.
Kanya Mandir Rehabilitation Project — We are currently assisting Kanya Mandir School, an all girls' higher secondary school located in Nheokha Tole, Kathmandu District in its rehabilitation. Community Members Interested and the school's management committee are working together to revive the school's glorious history.
Ropeway Victims Family Education — We received a special request to help Sobina (age 10) and Suresh Ghale (age 13), children of Bhim Bahadur Ghale who died in an accident while operating a ropeway system in Bishaltar, Dhading District. The request was to provide financial assistance to support the education of Sobina and Suresh, as the mother, Amrita, was left with no other option but to pull the children out of school due to lack of financial support. See attached request image. |
