After a week of rest, planning sessions and meetings the Himalayan Quests team is off once again, this time to fulfill the promise of returning to the first village in Rasuwa we supported with relief supplies, and to help them rebuild their primary school which was flattened in the April earthquake.
The team of 8, including a doctor packed up their van with solar lights, teaching and medical supplies and left early this morning.
The villagers have been busy reclaiming wood and other useful materials from the ruins of their village to help with the build and to supplement the 88 sheets of corrugated tin, in 3 different sizes that we ordered to be collected locally.
Although only a small rural government school, currently educating 45 children in classes’ nursery to class 3, Shree Lowgil Prabi Primary School is the only close-by education facility for the little ones in the community. Without this school they would be forced to walk 2 hours each way to school and back home or just wouldn’t attend school.
This will not be a permanent building, but a long term temporary learning centre designed to last for up to 5 years +, while the government finalises the regulations and standards on the rebuild of permanent school structures and finds the funding to enable them to support the community for the permanent rebuild programme.
Once this temporary school is built, and subject to the availability of teachers, the villagers are planning to add an extra two grades to its intake, making it a full primary school, taking kids up to class 5.
Prior to the earthquake there were 3 fulltime teachers. Since the disaster 2 have left to return to their own villages and families, leaving just 1. Given that this new temporary school is being built in coordination with the District Education Office, the community is confident that with the school back up and running, the teachers will return and things will gradually return to normal.
As part of the school rebuild package, the team, supported by the locals, will also build toilets and a hand washing station, while our doctor runs a simple health clinic and runs workshops on the importance of health and hygiene and best practice for the whole community.
