I received an email from Tejendra Magar who is a teacher and community leader in Khani Gaun. He told me about the school he started in this remote district. This is not a HEF project, but I wanted to share his story. He tells a compelling story of how one person can make a difference. He is looking for volunteers to teach in the school and he can be reached at: tejendramagar
Khani Gaun is most remote village -5 of Adhikarichaur village Development Committee (VDC) Baglung district of Nepal, inhabitant of an ethnic group (Magar). Their primary profession is agriculture and livestock, there is not a school and children are not in access of education. They go to school in another village at the age of 9, 10 and during the rainy season, they cannot go to school because of landslide and flood. There are 45 household and total number of below 10 years’ children are 49 (boys 28, girls 31). They play with dust; some children go to look after livestock instead of school. Community people are backward in terms of socio-economic, not access in the government schemes and benefits due to lack of awareness and illiteracy.
II. Community Involvement
With an initiation of Tejendra Budha Magar, and involvement of community people started a preprimary school building construction in this village, it was very challenging because it took almost a year and people had to go for house work and need to contribute for building construction. In between due to rainy season and people should look after their livestock so we postponed some months and resumed again. There were 45 households and contributed 155 days per house and land was contributed by ex-Indian army Jhag Bahadur Budha Magar, it was amazing labor contribution and highly appreciated by government personnel too. It was officially opened on 1 Jestha 2073 or 14 May 2016.
III. Outcome or progress
33 students have already enrolled and some children are coming from another village too, People are very excited to send their children at this school. Started early child development (ECD) class, nursery and LKG. Using English medium curriculum (English, Math, Nepali, drawing, sports) endorsed by curriculum development center (CDC) Government of Nepal.
This is an impact of education, Mr. Tejendra, who only pass university education from this village and he also went to school at age of 9. He had no way for higher education and left the village during Maoist insurgency in Nepal, struggled a lot for study in capital city. In meant time, he accepted Jesus Christ as personal savior and rejected from his family, he studied his university education by the support from Church. Now he is working with United mission to Nepal as a cluster team leader and initiated to stablish school in his village by understanding importance of education.
IV. Sustainability
Short term: Presently, paying to three teachers’ salary by the support of a church and Tejendra Budha Magar family (Husband and wife by allocating tithe).
Long term: already got the permission from district education office and processing for permanent registration, will be handed over to government in the future for the sustainability and has to take ownership by Government. Technical support will be regular as per my expertise and resource availability.
In the future looking for: Empower the local community as follows
- Tap the local resources: community forest, Herbs, different plants, fruits.
- Entrepreneur: small cottage industry, Allo: knead handicraft, Dhatelo: for oil, woodfactory, potentiality of Japanese trout fish and local fishpond.
- Livestock: hybrid birth by artificial insemination
- Agriculture: introducing with improved seed and soil testing, if it is possibledistribute soil health card.
- Education: establish good foundation by different teaching methods to children andfocus for technical and vocational education in higher level by providing scholarship or linkage with resources like government schemes. Mobilization of volunteers for learning and sharing on basis of their capability from around globe.
Leave a Reply