By Karlheinz Neumann | Founder and Project Leader
Preliminary remarks: I am writing this report at a time of very regrettable unrest in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. The situation is still difficult to assess, so we can say little at this time.
After successfully running three school projects in Upper Dolpo since 2016 (Saldang, Nyisal, and Lhuri), we were able to launch our fourth school project this year. Saptakoshi Primary School is located in Yarle-4, in the rural municipality of Chharkatangsong, Upper Dolpo.
Background Information
The school was founded in 1977 specifically for children from four villages: Dhu, Yarle, Thimnyar, and Punghak. Although the school was founded 47 years ago, it was not in operation for a long time until 2022. The total population of the four villages is approximately 335 people living in about 60 households.
As is common in most villages, the state only partially funds the school's operations - in this case, two teachers and some of the support staff. The additional teachers needed have been paid for by the villagers for the past two years. Because Upper Dolpo is a very poor region and people have few opportunities to earn a living, they will not be able to finance private teachers in the future. For this reason, the school was again threatened with closure.
In the long term, a total of 3-4 privately funded teachers will be needed, as the school is to be expanded to include grade 5 (currently grade 3). The goal of this expansion is to retain existing students and attract new ones by addressing problems that often lead to dropouts after grade 3. This means that children have to move to Kathmandu or neighboring villages and are separated from their families.
The school in Yarle is a year-round school, which is also not a given in Upper Dolpo.
Pre-conditions for support through HUMAN Foundation
In the summer of 2024, our partner organization DTCF in Kathmandu asked us whether we could cover these costs. We have been working together excellently on a wide variety of projects for 10 years. Therefore, our reputation in this region is very high.
After a thorough review of our financial situation, we agreed to the request. It is always important to us that we support projects long term, i.e., for at least 20 years, as it is not easy to find new sponsors. We are committed to a five-year agreement while monitoring how the school develops and will extend the agreement in case of positive results.
What happens in 2025?
Initially, we have been funding the school operations since January 2025. By a fortunate coincidence, a partner organization in Switzerland (myidol Foundation) provided us with the funds to rebuild a building in very poor condition. This will provide four new classrooms. A small part of the old building is still to be renovated.
This helps the children and villagers greatly, and we are all confident that the school will develop positively. Currently, 35 children attend the school.
We are happy that we can give the children in Upper Dolpo the opportunity for a good education, as there are simply no alternatives as long as the families in these villages are happy and want to live there.
A huge thank you to you as part of our donor community for your tremendous support.
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