Sherpa School (Educational Trust)

HISTORY

In the winter of 1995, Mr. Ang Tsering Lama, head of the senior family of Bapti Bandhar in Eastern Nepal, requested Mr Dorje Namgyal Lama, Principal the Buddha Academy Boarding School (BABS) to visit his village. It was Mr. Namgyal’s 5th year at BABS and his skill in running and expanding the home and school so impressive that it was hoped he would have ideas as to how the children in this area could be helped as well.

In Dorje Namgyal’s own words: “This one week’s travel enabled me to understand the lives of the poor people – especially the children – in the hills. I was sad to see the dreadful living conditions of the poor children who, in many villages, had no opportunity to go to school. Many of them looked undernourished and hungry. One little boy of not more than 10 years old wanted to carry my bag for 5 hours for 10 rupees! (125 Rupees = 1 GBP).

The few children who do go to school join a nearby government school when they are about 10 years or older, going directly into Class I without any pre-schooling. As a result, most of the children drop out even before reaching class 5. The only solution to this problem was to set up a kindergarten for children from 4/5 years old.

Sherpa School Eastern Nepal On my return I made a plan for a kindergarten for 30 children with 2 teachers and a cook and offered to help Mr. Ang Tsering find donors.”

AND NOW

The little kindergarten which began in Ang Tsering Lama’s house grew from having 25 children into what is now The Sherpa School with 223 children of whom 54 are orphans or disabled boarders. Classes have now extended to Class V and teaching is begun by using the Montessori method. There are new school buildings and hostels, 22 staff including teachers, cooks, hostel ‘mothers’ and cleaners. Mr. Ang Tsering’s family are closely involved, he as Chairman/Director, his wife Ang Kandi handling the secular activities and Ang Nuri his Deputy Director. All work closely with the headmaster and hostel staff.

Sherpa School Eastern Nepal It is little wonder that the poor people of the area are desperate to send their children here for we provide free education, meals, uniforms, shoes, stationary and medicine. The good lunch they are given often the only healthy meal of the day. The education they receive is of such high quality that those who go on to the government school leave our Grade V and go straight into Grade VII. We have a waiting list of 500 who are either destitute, homeless or orphans and it is heartbreaking to have to send them away. But the children we do take, happy both in their work and their play, are a joy to see. However, until we have found sponsors for the children we have already taken in, we cannot afford to accept more. (See Sponsorship Application Form.)

Our aim is to upgrade the school to Class 8, and to grow to be able to take 400 children. In the words of Mr. Ang Tsering Lama “It is our dream to make each destitute, orphan child independent and be able to stand on their own two feet for the rest of his life. We want their life to be fruitful for themselves, their community and indeed for the nation.”

PROGRESS

From the original 25 children we now have 223

In 1997 we bought a Hilux Toyota pick-up to enable us to bring provisions to the
school and take children to hospital, deal with community emergencies etc

In 2009 we completed building our new Girl’s Hostel for 54 girls
This also accommodates our sewing part of the Vocational Training scheme

In 2009 we also completed building our new Dining/All purpose Hall
This also accommodates the carpentry section of the Vocational Training scheme

Several new sponsors found

FUTURE PROJECTS

The building of a second school building to take in a further three grades (approximately another 75 children). This is bought about by the government saying that all schools now must go from Kindergarten to Grade 8, or from Grade 9 to University level. At the moment we go from Nursery to Grade 5 and are bursting at the seams in any case.

In order to conform with the new government edict we therefore need this new building which will cost £72,000. If we don't do this by the end of 2012 we will face crippling fines (which we won't be able to pay) or the school will be closed down. This is unthinkable. So Please help us to raise the money.

We also still need more sponsors.

Day children £150/175 Euros a year.
Boarders £300/450 Euros a year.