As 2017 drew to a close, we were finally able to get out to Makawanapur to officially hand over the 3 new Wishner5 classroom buildings that were completed during the fall.
Up before the birds for the long and twisty drive south, we witnessed the sunrise over Kathmandu and the majestic Himalayan range.
Four and half hours later and an awful lot of hairpin bends, we finally arrived at Shree Churiyamai Secondary School to be welcomed by the teachers, students and School Management Committee.
The new building in its cheery pink and green paint, stood proud amongst the older buildings (some of which are still condemned after failed retrofitting) and remaining temporary learning centres.
Initially intended to be used by classes 1 & 2, the new classrooms are actually being used by 35 class 11 students, a new grade that was introduced in April 2017. In order to attract students to study at this very competitive level, it was deemed necessary to give them the best facilities.
From Churiyamai School, we climbed up a beautiful wooded ridge along a newly created dirt track to a small village, home to the second school, Shree Saraswoti Basic School, to another warm welcome and lots of excited children.
Once again a beautiful new classroom building stood proud in the school grounds, this time home to 35 children in classes 1 & 2.
We were given a tour of each class and many of the children sang and danced for us, to show their appreciation.
It wasn’t only the children who showed how grateful they were, the teachers, School Management Committee and Parent Teacher Association representatives also showed their appreciation, by presenting us with garlands, kuttas, a certificate of appreciation and placing tikkas or traditional blessings on our heads.
After a final photo session with everyone outside the new classrooms, we headed back down the hill to Hetauda Bazaar for a quick and very delicious daal bhat lunch and then on to the final school, Shree Biswa Jyoti Basic School.
If we thought the second school was tucked out of the way, Shree Biswa Jyoti was a whole other story. A good hours drive from Hetuada, we crossed dry river beds, drove along jungle dirt tracks and finally, right at the end of the road we found the school.
The kids were studying hard when we arrived, but given it was almost home time, they finished their lessons and joined in the celebration of the official handover.
Given the remote location and difficult road access to this school, it was amazing to see such wonderful new classrooms and also the pride in the head teacher’s and School Management Committee’s members faces at what they had achieved. This school services not only remote, but poor and marginalised communities but the level of commitment by all involved with the school was obvious to see.
After a final round of speeches and thank yous; garlands, katas and tikkas we took our final group photo before the kids were released for the day and ran off home happy to be free.
We were then treated to a much welcomed, if interesting cup of tea (made with both sugar and Himalayan black salt!), before we started our long journey home as the sun was setting.
As a small gift for everyone’s hard work and commitment to getting their new classrooms built in a timely and cost effective manner, regardless of the monsoon rains, we presented each school with some sports equipment – a cricket set, badminton racquets and shuttle cocks, a new net, two footballs and two volley balls. At each school the gifts were received with cheers of joy from the kids and much thanks from the Head Teachers.
A Himalayan thank you to everyone involved with this project. To Hari Bhusal, who coordinated this project on our behalf. Ravindran Kumal, Save the Date Programme Coordinator at Restless Development for working closely with the schools and helping them get all the necessary documents and financial reports to us. The head teachers and School Management Committee members, but most of all, the Wishner Family, collectively know as the Wishner5 and all their supporters for funding these new classroom buildings. You have touched the lives of many and have created an amazing legacy for years to come.