At Childreach International we do a lot of work in school improvement programmes, providing access to education to countless numbers of children. Providing the opportunity to learn in a safe, positive environment is key to our belief in unlocking a child's potential.

Working with our project partner Helping Society Nepal, we recently helped renovate and improve Roshi Higher Secondary School in the Kavre district of Nepal. Despite being close to the Nepali capital Kathmandu, the educational standards in the Kavre district are significantly below the national average, with a human development index of only 0.4%. This is sadly reflected in the district's education system, where there is a considerable lack of teachers and a low attendance rate amongst students. Female literacy rates stand at a mere 52%.

To begin to address these problems, an entirely new school building was constructed with four spacious, well ventilated classrooms. These new rooms also benefit from having sufficient sunlight, contributing to a more positive and healthy space for children to learn in. Now able to learn in classrooms safe from the threat of collapse, and also resistant against earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, the children not only now feel safe, but are also excited by the way in which their whole learning has changed for the better.

A community effort

The local community also played its part in the transformation of Roshi Secondary School, and came together in one instance to tarmac a previously inaccessible road to allow a bulldozer to move in and demolish the old buildings. Thus the school was connected to the nearest road; an unanticipated, but most welcomed consequence of the project. When the dry season came and disrupted the supply of water to the building site, the community once again got involved and helped carry water up from a nearby well, located some 30 metres down the hill from the school.

Inauguration Day

The project complete, the new classrooms will directly benefit 111 students aged from 5 - 15 years, and the renovated school was officially inaugurated on February 14 2011, in a ceremony led by local MP Mr. Surya Man Dong and attended by Childreach Nepal, the District Education Office, the local Village Development Committee, as well as individuals from the community and many of the school children themselves.

The event began at 1pm with an opening speech by secondary level English teacher Keshav Raj Chauhan, followed by singing and dancing from the grade 9 students. Childreach Nepal board member Dr. Anjana Dangol then spoke about the goals and objectives of Childreach Nepal before wishing the students and staff of Roshi a prosperous future.

A wonderful day was rounded off by a concluding speech from MP Surya Man Dong, who proceeded to donate NPR 1,000,000 to the school to cover the costs of new computers for the students, who are now able to learn in a safe, positive environment.