From bare walls to colour and life - our second school completed.
We”ve been off the radar for a while due to lack of internet and electricity at times in Nepal over the last week, and because I’ve been too immersed to sit at the computer!
From my last blog we had spent our first day seeing the completed school at Kodari - our first funded school.
The following 4 days have been spent getting up early for breakfast, loading on the back of a jeep, followed by a very bumpy and steep off road ride for 45 minutes high up to Sinduchour where we are here to help complete the second funded school and hand it over to the community.
On arrival it was great to see the children, teachers and local community waiting to greet the arrival of the two jeeps and a formal welcome followed from the children in the form of flowered garlands, teachers in the form of welcome speeches, and community officials in the form of thanks. We then returned the warm welcome of thanks to the community and proceeded to hand over the sports equipment and teaching materials to the school children.
The main building stood completed, with 5 classrooms already built and we were here to help finish it off by painting the structure and adding our own bit of colour and design.
In addition to this, time was spend with the teachers understanding the education system and future needs of the school. With English being an important part of the education systems in Nepal and the teachers having very little understanding, one of the trustees, Andrew, started by using the materials he bought for the children, on some lessons for the adults!
Over the next 4 days we proceeded to play games, paint the school inside and out and enjoy the interaction with the local community that went from a shy uncertain community to a complete vibrancy of life and fun as we got to know them.
The final day was one I will always remember. ~To see not only the school transformed from a bland building to that of pride and enjoyment for the community, but to also see the effect we have had on the people that live there, for them to see that they have the support from friends from the other side of the world, and to see the pure joy in them, was truly humbling and emotional.
We ended by adding the plaque to the school, dancing in celebration with the children and adults, and then proceeded to drive back down the hill led by a procession of very, very grateful people.
My first visit in September was to identify and commit the charity to helping the community. This trip was the to complete the build, hand over the school and extend our long term support. We have replaced what was lost due to the earthquake, but really we have just started our long term connection and support with this community and will now return home planning on the best long term support and education for the children living there. As I told the children and adults, a family connection between the UK Nepal Appeal and the school has started that with our colleagues help on the ground, ‘ The Mandala organisation’, will grow over the next few years.
To all those here it was an amazing experience and a privilege to be a part of making a very real difference to the people that most need it. The reason we started the charity was to support real people and real projects that needed financial assistance, but putting g our effort directly into those communities. For those that have joined me on this trip and have witnessed the direct effects that your fund raising and donations has had, I’m sure will remember this for a long time, and be a testament to the generosity of so many of you.
But its not over - tomorrows blog will be about the 3rd school I visited and have agreed to rebuild and support, as well as a visit to our first funded home, Mr. Bahadur, now 102 years old.
Nameste for now!
Ant