Fife School requests link with school at Purano Duwar

Welcome at Purano Duwar

Elsewhere in this blog, we have reported on work by Community Action Nepal (CAN) to support the village school at Purano Duwar. Both groups visited the Shree Jaya Devi secondary school during the trek and received a similarly warm welcome to the one we had received the previous day at Chiti Tilahar. During our visits, we presented gifts of children’s clothes and school materials.

The school has 340 students up to ninth grade and there are hopes to be able to cater for students up to 12th grade in future. Presently older students who want to continue in education have to leave the village. There are 12 teachers. It was clear to us that the school is in a much better physical state than the school at Chiti Tilahar. Nevertheless, head teacher Mr Dil Bahadur Dulal identified several needs in his appeal to CAN for further support, including an improved hostel for boarders, a proper playground, science apparatus, computers  and sport equipment. They would like three additional secondary-stage teachers and want to establish a child care centre and health post. We learned that a group of scout leaders from Yorkshire has plans to help the village community to construct a new hostel during 2010.

Boys' sleeping area in the existing hostel

The girls and boys of the ninth grade made a separate appeal for funds to allow them to make a field study visit to western Nepal.

In the visit we can get knowledge about their culture and arts. Also we can get the knowledge about the structure of geography. We must take the exam for these subject matters. Because of poverty we cannot go to visit.

If anyone would like to help these students financially, please contact CAN directly.

A very special presentation was made by Heather Hatten, one of our adult supporters. Heather had brought a book which was the work of children at Kennoway Primary School in Fife. The children have followed Heather’s preparations with interest and hope to make a link with students at Shree Jaya Devi school. 

Heather making the presentation from Kennoway School

Heather takes up the story.

We arrived at the mountain village school in Purana Duwar to be greeted by hundreds of school children, all eager to bestow us all with marigold garlands and assorted flower petals. They all had such beautiful smiles and were so obviously delighted to have us there. One of our young people summed that moment up as: ’like being film stars in Hollywood on the red carpet’ – and so right she was. It felt totally humbling. We were treated to song and dance as never seen before….fantastic. We gave gifts of clothing and many other things…but a pledge to do much more also.

I compiled a book from the classes of Kennoway Primary School, containing examples of work, photos of children at work, and a letter from Primary 1. Jeff  Frew (our trek leader) asked if I would present this to a pupil and it was with great pleasure I did so. I wore the ‘Nessie’ [Loch Ness monster] hat a colleague had provided for the occasion. What a glorious pair we looked! Mahesh (our trek guide) translated into Nepali the contents of the book and also an invitation from the children at Kennoway for students at Shree Jaya Devi to write back using the addressed envelopes supplied. I hope we hear from them soon.

Exterior of existing hostel