School – The Aandhimul Project

December 31, 2019

Review of the decade!

We have wanted to thank to all our donors and write statistics of what was achieved so far. Beyond graphs and numbers I want to simplify it and recently I received this photo which made me super proud. Here you see the Elders who worked with me and Choice Nepal to create so needed safe drinking water pipeline in 2011, only this time the Elders become the teachers and theirs son’s their students. They were able to request local funding for the needed material themselves.

The primary school where most of our efforts was focused have also a teacher from their community. Kisor Bhujel was our student when we first came to the village. The teachers also received a positive feedback and are being recognised for their continues improvements. The school has more women teachers and they work as one team, still making lunch for all the children which is being sponsored. Thanks to you!

We realised very early that important part in education is a nutrition and hungry kids just can’t learn. By providing free lunch we attracted more students to become regular students, by providing materials, training and workshops we made class a fun place to be.

The school has brand new creative class 1 from Children of the Mountain and our teachers are receiving weekly support from our project manager. He has been invaluable in making connections, bringing people to hospitals in emergencies and bringing villagers to any free health camps provided by the Government hospitals and private organisations. He has earned trust of the locals who are very shy.

The village soon will also have health assistant as Urmila Bhujel is the first to achieve such qualification. Back in 2015 she came to school crying that she will have to stop the school and that all she wanted to do is to continue her studies, with her dad’s failing health she was being pushed to work at home, making nanglos. Without the direct support and help over the years which means everything from pencils to school fees and exam fees, this would not be possible. Choosing the profession in health – she will be able to support and give back to the community.

Lastly this project would not be possible without people who have no qualification in rural development yet, what they all have is a deep empathy, love, stubbornness to not give up because no man is an island and Education is the way.

It was not an easy ride but I am so grateful that we all made it possible and although it takes a long time to see real impact. I feel they have the tools to make the change themselves now. Thank you for supporting us and please still do!

Happy New year to all !

Teacher training from Ella Piya on how to read stories.

New creative class provided by Childern of the mountain charity.

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Growing fast and completing secondary Education

10 years ago when we arrived to this village, we saw children with bare feet, cold and hungry. This year we are looking over some of the impacts, firstly we have never imagined that we would still be running and supporting this project, thanks to all of you who have been supporting us. This time an image of Niru Bhujel who is studying at grade 11. Some seeds we have planted are growing well and we congratulate our primary students who are continuing in Secondary Education: Manita, Jeevan, Niru, Amrit and Saroj.

November 16, 2017November 16, 2017

Room to read in the school

Our project manager Bikram observed, government teacher, Rexsona’s class – who has recently participated in training via Room to Read. Nine children were present in the class. He found she was using a new method of teaching and reading Nepali words. And he noticed children were reading Nepali words correctly that were written on the whiteboard. He said it is the positive impact of the training provided by ROOM TO READ.

August 8, 2017October 20, 2017

Summer holidays over and school reopens

School reopened on 6 August after summer vacation. Yesterday i visited school. All the teachers were present in school. Room To Read has provided following materials for our school –

For library

1. teacher table 1
2. teacher chair 1
3. white board 1
4. notice board 1
5. low hight table 5
6. doormat 1
7. cushion 25
8. colourful book rack 2
9. colourful inclined book rack 1
10. books 216 types 1623 pieces
11. PVC foam 27 meters

For class one

1. colourful inclined display rack 1
2. low hight table 2
3. stationay rack 1
4. Yeti carpet 18 meters
5. 1o mm PVC foam 27 meters
6. white board 1
7. cushion 20 pieces

A colourful inclined display rack for class two and three.

Yesterday all the teachers were busy in the library. They were putting level stickers in the books. There are books of five levels. I also joined with them. Now class one looks perfect.

Kind regards,

Bikram Piya

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016

Nursery building preparations have begun

The end of school year exams are over and the school is planning to publish the results on 10th April.

Project teachers Pampha and Kamala took part in one day training at Seto Gurans nursery in Bandipur on 24th March. That training was focused on preparing materials. Sister Miriam was the trainer.

One of our long term supporters and donaters is in Bandipur, Christina from Germany. She gave Bikram US$200 to spend for our school. Thank you Christina!

Bikram will buy things for the school after consultation with project staff members and SMC.

On 26th March four Rotarians including Dr. Madan Kumar Piya (senior chest and cancer physician ) originally from Bandipur visited the school. School family and villagers welcomed them. They promised to help our school in the future like making a new school building.

As of 28th March, they have started to build the new nursery building. Bikram has bought construction materials like cement, steel bars, bricks, sand, stone, metal frame for windows and doors.

Bikram and the teachers also repaired their educational materials in preparation for the new school year. Bikram was also involved in checking the answers, marking the students end of year exams.

It was also noted that the climate is becoming warmer day by day 🙂

March 18, 2016April 4, 2016

School update

The school exams are going to start from 20 March and will last to 27 March. The results will be published on 9th April. Admission campaign will start from 14 April and lasts to 28 April.

In the current fiscal year Bandipur municipality provided NRP 21,000.00 to the Aandhimul school and with that money the school bought 5 wooden chairs that costs NRP 13000.00. Rest money is in school’s account.

Mr Santosh Shrestha, a person originally from Bandipur and now living in Chitwan, came to the school with his friends of the Lions Club of Bageshowri, Chitwan and donated 70 pieces of school bags and 25 pieces of maths kits. Bikram and the school will distribute these things in the beginning of the new academic session/school year (mid April 2016).

It was discussed with the headteacher, chairman of SMC and project staff members separately at whether some money from the school ( that which was given by District Education Office (DEO) NRP 250,000.00 ) can be spent on project teacher salary. Final decision to be confirmed. This we hope will help to contribute to the wages the projects provide.

In Bandipur Bikram and some others are going to start renovation work of a house ( a house rented by Rotary club to establish a cafe and lodge) from 14th April. They are planning to finish it within one year of starting. Once up and running, the profit will be split between five local schools, one of which is Aandhimul’s. With Bikram being a part of this project he will try his best to help our school and make it a success.

There was an article published in “KANTIPUR” the Nepal national daily on 12 March 2016 about our school. The theme of the news was “poor students’ neglected school”. It shows media also showing there interest in the school and how things can change like what is happening now.

KANTIPUR is widely read in Nepal. This news drew the attention of District Education Office and Ministry of Education too.

Below is a picture of Kumar the site manager and valued member of the project, busy at work.

March 16, 2016

New nursery school building update

On 6th March Bikram, our project manager, took an engineer, Suman Shrestha, who prepared the new nursery building drawing to the Aadnhiuml school and had a meeting with nursery building construction committee (the school committee have already formed a five member nursery building construction committee as follows: Bikram Piya, coordinator; Rajaram Prajapati, NGO member; Harischandra Bhujel, SMC chairperson; Rameshwor Lamechhane, Headteacher; and Gyan Bahadur Bhujel, founder chair person of SMC as members).

They have chosen a new location and the location is between the present nursery classroom and the bamboo classroom. As previously mentioned, it is not practical to construct the nursery building where the demolished youth club building is located.

The engineer marked the area to make the foundations. They also appointed Bir Bahadur Gurung as the construction contractor. He is making a school in Thumka (a nearby village) too.

So the work will start after 2 weeks. They will still build to the the existing drawing and there will be no compromise in the quality.

Bikram will take the engineer time and time again throughout the project and will send pictures once the work starts.

March 14, 2016March 16, 2016

School’s 28th anniversary and parents day

On the 3rd March the Aandhimul school celebrated its 28th anniversary and also parents day. The parents participation was remarkable. Our project manager Bikram says it shows their concerns and commitment towards school.

On this Occassion Ram Bahadur Gurung, candidate for the constituent assemble election 2023 was the chief guest. Resource person from the District Education Office, Durga Bahadur Ale; Surya Bahadur Bhujel, president of Bhujel social welfare committee and Bikram, our project manager were special guests. Headteachers from neighbouring schools, former teachers of the school and social workers were invited. The schools teacher Nirmala Poudel gave a welcome speech. As a member of the Bhujel community Kisan (an ex-project teacher) addressed the gathering. He spoke that Aandhimul Project has played a crucial role in the development of school as well as community. Headteacher, Rameshower, presented an annual programme of the school.

On the basis of attendance, Nira Bhujel and Manoj Bhujel received prize as most regular girl and boy in school. Teacher Sarita Shrestha rewarded as most motivated teacher. Ward civil society forum representative Dhruba Lamichhane informed that the Bandipur Municipality has allocated some budget to our school for this fiscal year 2072/2073 (2016/2017).

Then the school management committee chairperson Harischandra Bhujel offered a token of love to the resource person. It was a bamboo photo frame with Goddess Saraswoti. In addition, past chairperson of the SMC, Resham Bhujel, was honoured for his contribution to the school.

Addressing the gathering Bikram spoke on behalf of the Aandhimul Project. He explained the projects help for the earthquake victims, providing salary to 3 teachers, school caretaker, litter officer, khaja (school lunch) and school materials monthly. He conveyed the message of hello and thank you from project members to the community and also about the financial aid to help build the new nursery building.

Every speaker after Bikram praised the projects attempts in their speech and expressed their thanks to the project members. Resource person, Durga Bahadur Ale, told that they are so impressed from the school’s progress, that the District Education Office has decided to provide two lakhs and fifty thousand rupees (NRP 2,50,000.00) to our school in this year. This money can be used according to SMC decisions.

March 1, 2016

Teacher training and immunisations

On 26 and 27 February project teachers, Pampha and Kamala Gurung went to Seto Gurans Nursery in Bandipur to take part in a two day workshop.

In school teachers and students themselves have been dubbing the classrooms. This is a traditional method of repairing the clay floors and walls of houses and buildings, with the use of water to soften the surfaces.

On 28 February two project teachers, Pampha and Sarita and some mothers, took their kids for immunisations of rubella, polio and measles. Bikram and the teachers took 14 children from school and some other mothers took their children themselves. After the immunisations Bikram treated the children with some biscuits.

kids going to immunization certre

On 3rd March the school will be having its anniversary day, with lots of celebrations. We are really looking forward to seeing the pictures!

February 18, 2016

In the classrooms

Bikram visited the school yesterday and observed classes being taught by all the teachers.

Kamala was teaching maths in class 2 by using cards ( number, words and picture ) which she prepared during teacher training in Bandipur.

Sarita was teaching English in class 3. The topic was ” Animal Habitats “. Bikram found that she was having trouble to pronounce some words appropriately like shade, cylindrical, wind, hares, hive and kennel. So after she had taught the class, Bikram and Sarita sat in the office and Bikram helped her to pronounce correctly. He also advised her to use the English dictionary they have in school to help her to pronounce words correctly.

In class 1 Rexsona Dhakal was teaching maths. The students were learning numbers. Bikram asked the students if they could spell numbers 1 to 10 in English and then he wrote the on the whiteboard next to the Nepali.

Bikram also met with Ram Maya Bhujel, our new litter officer, and discussed and showed her about her duty. And below is a nice picture of the children enjoying play time.