Improve education for Nepali girls and minorities

We’ve completed our annual evaluation of our school in Ramche, Nepal, and its second academic year, which concluded in March. We’re very happy with the results:

• All 55 of our first- and second-grade students passed the government’s final exam. (There is no exam for our kindergarten students).

• 62% of our second-grade students earned an A+ or an A. 85% of our first-grade students earned an A or a B.

• Student attendance was 93% between January and March

• Our teachers have decided to teach all subjects (except Nepali) in English to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills.

• Our students already speak 3 languages: their mother tongue, Tamang; Nepali; and English. Students have greatly improved their speaking skills in Nepali and English in the past year.

• Sarah, our volunteer from Austria for 4 months, was a big help at the school. She introduced extracurricular activities like sports, picnics and Garbage Police, which encouraged students to clean up their village.

• She also led Apple Day. Many of our students tasted the fruit for the very first time in their lives.

• Sarah talks about her experience volunteering with Santi School on a video on YouTube. (Link below).

If you would like to volunteer, or know someone who would, please let us know! We're always looking for English speakers to work with our children.

As always, thanks for your support.

Links:

• Sarah talks about life in Ramche and teaching at our school
• More about Sarah's Apple Day at our school

For our second construction project, we chose to conduct substantial renovations to a two-story school about a 90-minute walk from Ramche (the site of our first school). At the Mahakali Lower Secondary School, we replaced a leaky roof and broken plaster, fixed the toilets, and installed new furniture. The most encouraging part of the project was the contributions by the local community. Not only did workers donate labor worth one-third of the total project cost, but the rusty zinc sheets that comprised the previous roof were sold to raise money as well.

We've just learned that the Nepali government has committed vital financial support for our school in Ramche.

This is an important step for us on the road to sustainability because it means that the government will pay for one teacher's salary annually.

Last year, the government pledged additional support, although a more modest amount, to help pay for books and supplies at the school.

These decisions by the government prove that they believe in our school and want to see it succeed.

Currently, there are three teachers at our school, and we have applied for their salaries to be paid by the government as well.

In addition, we have begun our second construction project: renovating Mahakali Lower Secondary School, which teaches more than 150 students from the Tamang ethnic minority in a two-story building about a 90 minute walk from Ramche (the site of our first school).

The Mahakali school was built in 1995 and needs new toilets and furniture as well as repairs to a leaky roof, balcony and broken plaster. The villagers have agreed to donate their labor. A photo of a damaged classroom is included with this update.

Our project coordinator, Lila Jung Gurung, has conducted an evaluation of our first academic year:

• All 25 of our first-grade students passed the government’s final exam in March • Student attendance reached 91% between January and March • Teachers have requested we add a 4th teacher since we added a Grade 2 class • Parents are satisfied with their children’s reading, writing and speaking skills

GOVERNMENT OFFERS FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The government in Nepal has awarded our school with an annual stipend, based on our enrollment, of about $1,200 -- about the cost of one teacher salary for a year. This support signals the government’s intention to fully fund all of our teachers’ salaries next year.

Thanks to all of you for helping to make it possible!

WATCH OUR INAUGURATION CEREMONY ON YOUTUBE Here's a look at the festivities last December: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeDr2mM1_os

OUR FIRST SCHOOL YEAR COMPLETED The Shree Santi Primary School has passed another milestone: the end of our first school year. The 74 students in our two kindergarten classes and one first grade class were evaluated two weeks ago before progressing to the next grade.

The academic year in Nepal runs from April to March. Classes will resume at the end of April, when we will add a second grade class. During the break, our teachers will receive specialized early childhood education teaching instruction in Kathmandu.

Thanks to all of our supporters. Don't forget to leave a comment!

Links:

• Watch Our Inauguration Ceremony on YouTube