Category: Blog

A group of students from SIS Canada in South Korea, accompanied by their Principal Marc Daneault visited Thangpalkot earlier this month. As part of their Spring trip to Nepal, the student raised funds to assist COMMITTED on our quest to build and refurnish the libraries destroyed by the April 25, 2015, earthquake.They were able to raise US$2000 towards it. With US$500 they bought books and library accessories from a publishing house based in Kathmandu for Kumveshwori Primary School in Gunsa. The group handed us the rest of the funds to help us continue our library-related work in the area.(Incidentally, this isn’t the first time they have contributed funds to COMMITTED.)The group went to Thangpalkot on April 8, accompanied by our Education Program Director, Dorje Gurung, and after spending a night in the village, they continued on with their trekking program.While in Thangpalkot, the group had an International Friendly Football Match with the local students the afternoon they arrived. The following morning, they handed over the books to Kumveshwori Primary School officials.

SIS Canada students and Principal ready to hit the road to Thangpalkot.

Football action late afternoon of April 8 on the newly renovated footfall field next to Saat Kanya Primary School. (SIS Canada students are in red.)

SIS Canada student formally hands over the books to a Kumveshwori School official in the library COMMITTED recently built.

The books (in boxes) and library accessory (book sleeves to hang and display books on a wall).

Group photos after the handover ceremony.

COMMITED is very grateful to SIS Canada students and Marc, their Principal, for all their efforts raising funds for our library projects and for visiting us. We hope that this is just the first of many more trips to come! We very much look forward to continued collaboration and support.

Be sure to return for updates on how the rest of the funds are being used.

The construction of libraries in Gunsa, Baruwa, Bhotang and Bhotenamlang VDCs in Sindhupalchok district is currently underway. The libraries are being built through the Establishing Accountability and Transparency Mechanism in School Governance Project funded by Give-2-Asia. The libraries will be built in the following five schools in each VDC:

1. Chandika Secondary School, Baruwa VDC
2. Kumbeshwory Primary School, Gunsa VDC
3. Bhotang Devi Secondary School, Bhotang VDC
4. Kshetrapaleshwory Higher Secondary School, Bhotenamlang VDC
5. Thangpaldhap Higher Secondary School, Thangpaldhap VDC

All the above four schools suffered major destruction during the earthquake and require new libraries. In the future, the libraries will not only serve as a reading room for the children but the monthly Village Education Committee (VEC) meetings will also take place in them. The truss and civil work is currently going on in Kshetrapaleshwory School, Bhotenamlang and Bhotang Devi School, Bhotang.

On the other hand, in Chandika School, Baruwa and Kumbeshwory School, Gunsa the truss and civil work has already been completed. The iron frames for the structure and the tin roofs are now being set up in these two schools as can be seen from the images below. Construction is yet to begin for the library in Thangpaldhap Higher Secondary School in Thangpaldhap VDC. We have set a target to complete the construction of these 5 libraries by the end of July as long as the monsoon does not delay our process.

Last week, a team from COMMITTED attended the Education Cluster meeting the District Headquarter, Chautara. The meeting was held at the District Education Office. All NGO’s and INGO’s involved in post-earthquake reconstruction in the district of Sindhupalchok were represented.The purpose was to present — to the district officials — details of post-earthquake education-related work NGO’s and INGO’s were conducting in the district.
Reproduced below are some of the important details presented at the three-hour gathering. Click on any image for the original and a slide show.
(NPR and US$ exchange rate is approximately NPR 100.00 = US$1.00. So, just drop the last two digits and you’ll get an approximate value in US dollars.)

For a glimpse into a Temporary Learning Center (TLC), click here. The blog post contains an embedded video of Raithane School TLC.

For more on the Star Reader and Writer program, click here. For some photos of the winter jacket distribution, click here. For more on the work that was carried out on the fishery, click here.

(You can read up on the reconstruction of Taltuleshwori here, here, here and here. For a video of the almost complete school, click here; it’s embedded in the blog post. For some photos, click here.

For some photos of the reconstruction of Chilaune School click here and here. For a video, click here; it’s embedded in the blog post.)

Be sure to let us know what you think about our work etc. by commenting below!

Fourteen year old Khendo Lama and fifteen year old Lambuti Lama are two very talented athletes who come from Bhotang VDC, Sindhupalchok. The two come from a family of 4 sisters and a brother. Both of them currently study in class nine in Shree Chilaune Secondary School, Thangpalkot VDC. These two talented sisters have been winning a number of accolades in athletics since the last three years. Following is a brief outline of their achievements:

Miss Khendo Lama

• Awarded the Gold medal in the 1500m Marathon in the President’s Cup organized by Sindhupalchok District, 2070 B.S.
• Awarded the Gold medal in the 1500m & 5000m Marathon in the President’s Cup organized by Sindhupalchok District, 2071 B.S.
• Awarded the Gold medal in the 1500m Marathon in the President’s Cup organized by Sindhupalchok District, 2072 B.S.
• Awarded the Silver medal in the Helambu Festival Marathon, Sindhupalchok District, 2071 B.S

Miss Lambuti Lama

• Awarded the Gold medal in the 800m Marathon in the President’s Cup organized by Sindhupalchok District, 2071 B.S.
• Awarded the Gold medal in the 800m Marathon in the President’s Cup organized by Sindhupalchok District, 2072 B.S.
• Awarded the Bronze medal in the Helambu Festival Marathon, Sindhupalchok District, 2071 B.S.

The two Champions with the support of their school teacher Mr. Babu Lal Tamang try their best to participate in more such events as much as possible. They also participated in the Nagarkot Tourism Development Marathon held this year. Also, Lambuti and Khendo participated in the recent 5 Kilometer Fun Run organized by Women Lead, Higher Ground and a number of other organizations on the occasion of International Women’s day, 2016. Khendo and Lambuti stood 3rd and 4th respectively in this 5K Run among a total of 500 participants which included women from all ages and even expats. The two girls received attractive prizes along with their certificates. We are very proud of these two girls and truly admire them for their enthusiasm and spirit. We wish them the very best for their future endeavors.

The powerful 7.8 Richter scale earthquake that struck Nepal
on April 25th, 2015 and its recurrent aftershocks severely damaged Shree Raithane
Secondary School in Thangpalkot VDC, Sindhupalchok district. Of the 18 total school rooms of
Raithane School, 11 have been completely destroyed. The remaining 7 are also
partially damaged. After the devastation met by schools because of the
earthquake, the District Education Office Sindhupalchok assigned COMMITTED as
one of its partners to help rebuild schools in Thangpalkot VDC.

The earthquake ravaged Shree Raithane School

The classrooms that were reduced to rubble

Debris clearance

Due to the earthquake, classes were disrupted for over a
month. Working together with the Nepal Army, the School Management Committee, school
teachers, and local residents COMMITTED established Temporary Learning Centers
(TLC) on school grounds. Classes have been running in the TLCs since May 31. The
school had been torn down to rubble and needs to be built from scratch. With
the support of the funds given by Western Union we have completed the debris
clearance and land stabilization activities which is crucial before rebuilding
the school.

The collapsed weak
structures were dismantled, the debris was cleared up by employing workers and
the scattered stones of the rubble were used to make gabion boxes.  These gabion boxes have been used to level up the slopes near
where the school stood. Since the land was slanting a little, these boxes have
helped in stabilizing the land before construction of a new structure takes
place there.

Workers making the Gabion Boxes

Land stabilization

Sadly, we still have not been able to raise enough funds yet to rebuild
the school and are looking for contributions. Please support us and help us rebuild
Raithane Secondary School by pouring in contributions by going to this link http://cminepal.org/how.php#secFour

The TLC of Raithane Secondary School