PAX EARTH DELIGHTFULLY COMPLETED FOUR YEAR JOURNEY OF EDUCATING UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN NEPAL

Pax Earth marked the completion of 4-year journey of “Mission Education and Environment Project (MEEP)” formally commenced with distributing educational materials to 80 poor and deprived students of Shree Raktakali Primary School, Kot Timal village, Kavrepalanchok on June 27, 2010. The mission started at Shree Raktakali Primary School has extended to Shree Kalika Primary School, Kalikasthan village (on September 9, 2010) and Shree Seti Devi Primary School, Khardarpati village (on December 24, 2013) with more than 215 beneficiaries at present. Pax Earth could slowly and steadily expand the beneficiaries of the project and bring smiles on the face of innocent children of poor farmers who find it difficult even to afford basic stationery. This four year journey was quite delighting.

On June 20, 2014, a 13-member Pax Earth team traveled to Kanpur VDC of Kavrepalanchok and distributed educational materials to the poor and underprivileged students of Shree Raktakali Primary School, Shree Kalika Primary School and Shree Seti Devi Primary School under the MEEP. This was the first distribution of Academic Year 2014/15. More than 215 students and 15 teachers of these three schools benefited with this distribution. A full report is provided below:

Gathering and departure
At 7:30am, members and well-wishers started to gather at PEN Secretariat, Pashupati, Kathmandu. In fifteen minute, all members were gathered and loading the educational materials, a 13-member Pax Earth team led by President Sujan Koirala along with Secretary Binod P. Mainali, Treasurer Bal Gopal Shrestha, Executive Committee Member Kamala Basnet, Hon. Member Kapil Koirala, Members: Dev Raj Karki, Kapil Deuja and Rajan Dulal; Well-wishers Sujit Kumar Shrestha, Rounik Aryal, Manisha Chalise, Prabin Giri and Sital Mainali headed for project sites in Kavrepalanchok in a micro van at 7:50am. The team stopped at Bhaktapur for tea and coffee. After reaching Banepa, the team came to know that the locals have called a strike at Dhulikhel as a tipper had hit and killed a local resident the previous day. No vehicle was allowed to pass through Dhulikhel route due to the strike. It took more than an hour in finding an alternate route. In one point of a time, we were thinking of cancelling the program and returning to Kathmandu. However, after several attempts, the team could luckily find an alternate route leading the team to a little ahead of the strike place. For the first time, the team stopped at the Bhakunde for the lunch. The entire team has been divided into six distribution sub-teams each consisting two members for efficiently carrying out the distribution. President Koirala explained the roles and responsibility of each sub-team and the method of distribution on the way to the project sites.

Educational materials distribution at Shree Seti Devi Primary School
Courtesy of heavy rainfall in previous days, the muddy road was severely damaged in many places which required most of the members to get off the vehicle and in some places even compelled to push it. The sub-way that leads to Shree Seti Devi School located at Khardarpati village was quite damaged and the team members had to hike about 20 minutes carrying the educational materials. Thanks to the cool breeze for making the hike pleasant. The team could arrive in the school 12:30pm. Upon arrival, Principal Ram Lala Thakur and teachers cordially welcomed members of the Pax Earth team. The students were excitedly waiting the Pax Earth team in their respective classrooms. President Koirala and Principal Thakur had a brief conversation about the distribution and agreed not to observe any formality and conduct it inside the respective classrooms. Then, the six sub-teams, without any delay, went to the respective classrooms (from playgroup to class five) and distributed useful educational materials (including notebooks, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and crayons adequate for the next four months) to the students. The class teachers helped the distribution sub-teams in carrying out the distribution. Out of 96, 94 students were present at the distribution. The student attendance list is presented in Table 1. The team also distributed some toffees to the students. The team had collected some story and poem books for the students which they handed to Principal Thakur. The team gave a diary and a few ball point pens to five teachers as a token. The distribution team had some group photos at the school premises before the departure. As the team was getting late for moving to the next school, they could not accept the offer of school to have teas and snacks. The team moved ahead after receiving the farewell from the teachers and the students. Again, the team had to walk nearly 20 minutes to get into the micro van.

Educational materials distribution at Shree Kalika Primary School
The distribution team arrived at Shree Kalika Primary School located at Kalikasthan village at 2:00pm. Principal Ram Lal Shrestha and teachers warmly welcomed each member with a flower garland and a khadda. The team interacted with the students for a while and without observing any formality, the three distribution sub-teams distributed useful educational materials (notebooks, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and crayons) to the students of each class (from class one to class three) outside. Out of 25, 23 students were present on the occasion (see Table 1 for the student attendance list). The team also distributed some toffees to the students. The team handed a diary and a few ball point pens to the three teachers as a token.

Pax Earth honoured with a letter of appreciation
After the distribution, Shree Kalika Primary School honoured Pax Earth with a letter of appreciation for providing monetary support for fencing the school compound and thereby improving outer environment of the school. On behalf of the school, Chairman of School Management Committee Gopi Lal B.K. handed the letter of appreciation to President Koirala who was joined by Secretary Mainali, Treasurer Shrestha and Executive Committee Member Basnet in receiving it. President Koirala expressed a sincere gratitude to the Chairman of School Management Committee and school family for the appreciation and assured to try their level best in extending such support even in future. Before the departure, the team had some discussions with the Principal about the next tree plantation. The team headed for Shree Raktakali Primary School, Kot Timal after a few group snaps and receiving farewell from the students and the teachers.

Educational materials distribution at Shree Raktakali Primary School
The team arrived at Shree Raktakali Primary School located at the neighbouring Kot Timal village at 3:00pm. Principal Hira Kaji Tamang warmly welcomed each member at the entrance. The school formally welcomed and honoured each member of the team with red tika and a khadda. President Koirala and Principal Tamang had a brief conversation about the setting of the distribution and agreed not to observe any formality while distributing. The team members could interact with the students for a while. The six distribution sub-teams started distributing useful educational materials (notebooks, pencils, ball point pens, erasers, sharpeners and crayons sufficient for next four months) to the students of each class (from playgroup to class five) in the school premises. Like in previous two schools, the class teachers helped the distribution sub-teams in carrying out the distribution. Out of 94, 83 students were present on the occasion (see Table 1 for the student attendance list). The team also distributed some toffees to the students. The team gave a diary and a few ball point pens to the six teachers as a token. Chairman and a few members of School Management Committee and a few parents were present at the distribution.

After the distribution, President Koirala and Secretary Mainali had some conversation with Principal Tamang, Chairman of School Management Committee Kapur Singh Tamang and members about the next tree plantation to be organised in a month time. The team took some group snaps with the students, teachers and parents after the distribution. The members enjoyed tea and snacks offered by the school at a local hotel before the departure.

Table1:Student Attendance List

Returning to Kathmandu
At 5:30pm, the Pax Earth team left for Kathmandu after the farewell. On the way, they stopped at the home of Secretary Mainali to say hello to his parents where the members could enjoy some teas and yogurt. The team stopped at Dhulikhel for the dinner. Accomplishing the mission of the day, the team arrived at Kathmandu at 8:45pm. This time, the well-wishers and members were from four corners of Kathmandu. Thanks to the courtesy of Driver Harindra Shrestha for dropping all the members at their respective home stations despite taking more than 2 and half hours for dropping them.

The distribution in each school was efficiently carried out. The team division i.e. the distribution sub-teams could carry out the distribution smoothly and efficiently. The teachers and the students cooperated superbly. The team was bit feared of the condition of the road before heading to Kavre however they could manage to reach the destination despite the poor condition of the road. Only thing that created a little hindrance was the strike at the Dhulikhel but the team successfully managed to abandon it. The team could have a chance to enjoy an hour hike on the way to/back from Shree Devi Primary School, Khardarpati.

It is relevant to mention here, as per the mission of the organisation: “Education and Environment in Nepal and Japan,” Pax Earth has been contributing in the education of poor and underprivileged children under the MEEP in Nepal for the past four years. Under this project, Pax Earth has contributed in educating the poor and deprived students of Shree Raktakali Primary School, Shree Kalika Primary School and Shree Seti Devi Primary School all three located in Kanpur VDC of Kavrepalanchok, Nepal. Pax Earth is not only contributing in educating these poor children but also improving sanitation and personal hygiene by organising environmental workshops and providing hygienic materials. Pax Earth is equally committed to make the environment cleaner and greener by conducting tree plantations in these villages.

Pax Earth has also extended monetary support in renovating building of Shree Raktakli Primary School and thereby offering an amiable learning environment for the children and also in fencing the compound of Shree Kalika Primary School and thereby improving the outer environment of the school. In addition, Pax Earth has donated more than 250 useful books for the library of Shree Raktakali Primary School, more than 100 books for Shree Kalika Primary School and nearly 75 books for Shree Seti Devi Primary School. Pax Earth has provided sports materials to improve the physical capacity of the students too.

The attendance of all three schools has improved after our project intervention. The enrolments in Shree Raktakali Primary School and Shree Kalika Primary School have also improved. We are happy that we could offer opportunity for the poor children to literate; half of beneficiaries are girls. Moreover, Pax Earth feels immense pride to lessen the burden of poor farmers to some extent by providing educational and reading materials for their children despite the Government of Nepal is providing free education and free textbooks. The parents, teachers, villagers and members of school management committee are very happy with our supports and service towards the human kind.

To recapitulate, Pax Earth’s four year journey of educating poor and deprived children was quite delighting. Nevertheless, we could bring smiles in the face of innocent children to some extent by lessening the burden of poor farmers.

Thanksgiving
The program could not succeed without the support of a few individuals. Pax Earth would like to thank well-wishers Sujit Kumar Shrestha, Rounik Aryal, Manisha Chalise, Prabin Giri and Sital Mainali for managing time to join the distribution team and actively involving in carryout the distribution. Pax Earth is grateful to well-wishers Les Skidmore, Jane Skidmore, Sujit Kumar Shrestha, Prabin Giri and Member Peter Badal and for sponsoring some of the educational materials. Pax Earth expresses a sincere gratitude to the principals and the teachers of all three schools for their cooperation. Pax Earth highly value the role played by educational materials distribution committee coordinator Binod P. Mainali and Members Kamala Basnet and Harihar Sapkota.

Members Jamuna Siwakoti, Laxman B. Pahari and Harihar Sapkota deserve an appreciation for their help in separating and packing the educational materials the day before the distribution. Pax Earth would thank Driver Harindra Shrestha for offering a comfortable travel despite the rough and tough road and also for dropping each member of the distribution team at his/her respective home stations in the evening. Last but not the least; a big thank to each and every member of the distribution team (President Sujan Koirala, Secretary Binod P. Mainali, Treasurer Bal Gopal Shrestha, Executive Committee Member Kamala Basnet, Hon. Member Kapil Koirala, Members: Dev Raj Karki, Kapil Deuja and Rajan Dulal for successfully completing the mission of the day.

The four year journey of educating underprivileged children has been encouraging and delighting. Pax Earth is strived to continue extending support in all three schools as far as possible but the focus will certainly shift to more impact generating activities in future.

Reported by PEN Secretariat!!!