(Winter-)Schools in the remote mountains of Nepal

Preliminary Remark: The villages and the schools in Upper Dolpo are located in one of the remotest mountainous areas in the world at around 4,000 meters altitude and there is no or hardly any phone contact and Internet is not available. To get to Kathmandu from Upper Dolpo, you need to walk 7-8 days and additional 48 hours by bus. This said, we only can deliver detailed reports of the school sessions with 9-12 months delay after the school period ended. We need to give the school coordinator time to write and provide their reports once they come to Kathmandu. Thank you for your understanding.

This report about the school lessons for the year 2022 consists of three parts:

• The lessons of the winter school in Nyisal from the period 2021/2022
• The lessons of the winter school in Saldang from the period 2021/2022
• The lessons of the summer school in Lhuri from the year 2022

Winterschool Nyisal

The period of the winterschool in the “Shree Yanjer Gumba Basic School” last from December 2021 to March 2022. A total of 32 children attended the winter school. We had three teachers and one assistant to prepare the meals.

The three teachers differentiated the levels of the students according to their grades and literacy skills in all three language subjects (Nepali, Tibetan, English). Classes were held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

To assess the learning outcomes for the three-month period, the teachers conducted an assessment at the end of the winter classes. The assessment helped to compare the desired level of the students with their level of reading and writing. All students made remarkable progress. This assessment also served as the basis for the allocation to the classes of the 2022 summer school.

Winterschool Saldang

In the “Shree Shelri Drugdra Basic School” children were taught from beginning of December 2021 until mid of April 2022. Three teachers, two kitchen helpers and an assistant taught and accompanied 60 children through this period.

The winter classes focused on the literacy aspect of the three core languages: Tibetan, Nepali and English and also involving the students in various extracurricular activities (including Tibetan culture) that play an important role in the child’s development and learning process. In addition, the winter school serves as both remedial and preparatory instruction for the students during the five months. The teachers repeat the topics taught in the summer and prepare the students for summer school.

Some children stay at the school and sleep over the whole time. As in Nyisal, there was an exam at the end of school with very good results.

Summer school Lhuri

Since our school building in Lhuri will only be completed in the summer of 2023 in stage 1, the lessons in the “Tripitak Basic School” were again very limited in 2022 because there are currently no rooms available. The children had to be taught outside again.

Despite the adverse circumstances, three teachers did their best and taught more than 20 children. With the completion of eight rooms (three classrooms, dormitories for teachers and students and a small kitchen), the situation will improve fundamentally from mid-2023.

By visiting all three schools in autumn 2022, we were again able to get a good impression of how it works and the challenges.

We spent a total of 22,000 USD on school operations for all three schools in 2022. All teachers, helpers and assistants were paid for this, the food for the students and the teachers. At the school in Lhuri, all school materials, clothing and other necessary materials are paid for, including transport costs from Kathmandu.

This all can only happen wit your extraordinary support. Thank you so much.

Although we are not permanently active in the district Mugu, we did a relief project as Mugu is the neighbor district of the Dolpo.

SHELTER AND FOOD RELIEF PROJECT following devastating landslides and flash floods.
Three communities in Mughu district in western Nepal are affected.

In October 2022, in Mugu district, Chhayanath Rara commune was isolated by continuous rains lasting days. Streams and rivers have burst their banks and swept away everything on their way to the valleys.

Several people were killed, but also many animals. More than 200 houses were completely destroyed and many families were left homeless. People have lost all their belongings and crops have been destroyed. There were food shortages and health problems. The families of the victims have sought shelter under tarpaulins for the cold nights and will have to live there for many more months until their houses are rebuilt.

As with most disasters, children suffer the most, be it due to a lack of food, shelter, clothing or health problems. In addition, the winter with the snow will increase the risk of further landslides in the village. It is therefore safer for families to seek shelter under the tarpaulins in winter.
After the disaster, the Red Cross, the government and other organizations provided initial, short-term emergency aid. However, in order to get through the winter, we have provided emergency financial aid and, in cooperation with our project partner in Nepal and with the district authorities of Chhayanath Rara, to give support to 287 families in some villages.

Upon completion of the project, victims in Districts #6, 7, 8, and 11 will have access to adequate food supplies and warm shelter. We have given each affected family 30 kg of rice, 2 kg of lentils, cooking oil, soap, warm blankets and tarpaulins for emergency shelter to get through the winter.

What were the criteria according to which the families received support?

• Their home was destroyed by floods and landslides.
• Whose house is not habitable and there is a high risk of collapse.
• Who lost their food supplies, livestock, farmland, etc. due to floods or landslides.

We immediately made funds available to alleviate the highest need. Almost 300 families (number in brackets) in the villages of Jyari (120), Salim (73), Bhalai (27), Mathi Ghuera (23) and Kotila (40) were supported. We will continue to monitor the situation in order to provide further assistance in a timely manner.

We welcome donations for this project and thank you for your support.