Creating environments where children are motivated to learn - repairing school buildings and preparing desks first -

FIDR engages in improvements of learning environments for children as a part of the Community Development Project in Nepal.

Residents in our project locations, Olukhumbu and Okhaldunga districts, have strong passion to work on community developments by themselves and are active in children's education. But, government measures and foreign aid cannot be delivered properly to both districts far away from the capital, especially to remote mountain villages. Therefore, particularly in many of public schools, there are challenges of old school buildings, lack of teaching equipment and materials as well as one-way teaching methods.

This project started with repairing school buildings and creating equipment such as desks and chairs so that children can learn passionately and proactively in comfortable surroundings. Based on the situation in each area, the residents and local craftsmen have been working for the project.

Many school buildings with peeled paint and bare concrete have been beautifully repainted with cream-colored walls as well as brown and blue windows and doors.

Each desk, chair and bookshelf have been made by timbers and flawlessly painted by orange-brown color. Children and teachers will use these in the classrooms.

FIDR identified that 36 out of the 70 public schools in the project locations require a substantial need for support. We will complete work on 9 of those schools this fiscal year.

Going forward, we will continue the repair work of school buildings and the equipment at the remaining schools and will address lesson improvements, after-school activities, etc.

Do not miss the change in agricultural production in the dry season!

In February 2022, a community development project started in Nepal. In order to create an environment for children to grow up healthily, FIDR addresses the agricultural productivity improvement to make a stable income, as well as sanitary and education improvement in the mountainous area of eastern Nepal, Solukhumbu, and Okhaldhunga districts. Making water ponds is one of the activities for agriculture.

Why does FIDR promote making water ponds?
Due to the water shortage in the inland area, an adequate amount of harvest is only during the rainy season (June-Sept). Therefore, storing the spring water of the mountain and rainwater in the “farm pond�? solves the water shortage for agriculture in the dry season, so that the residents can cultivate crops and sell them throughout the year. Furthermore, having year-round work means they can make a steady income throughout the year, and the return of young people that are far away from home to find a job is expected to invigorate the local community.

The residents take the lead in making farm ponds. They first build groups made of 5-10 families. FIDR guides them in making farm ponds and provides some materials (plastic sheets and pipes only). The rest of the materials is prepared by the citizens, and the groups work together from digging the ground to ting up the pipes, the plastic sheets, and the fences. As of July 2022, 30 farm ponds have been completed.

A good message comes from raised from the group as soon as they completed a pond. One of the farmers with his eyes shining said that, “a big local market opens every Thursday. Once it becomes the dry season, we draw the water from farm ponds and then harvest the cabbage, garlic, onion, red pepper, cauliflower, and so on, and sell them there so that we can use that money for the kids' education.�?

A combined effort among residents is the indispensable way to solve the common issues in the region besides the water shortage. Likewise, making a farm pond with mutual cooperation is the first step to improving their lives.

Community Development Project has started in Nepal!

While domestic movement was severely restricted due to the spread of COVID-19 in Nepal, FIDR conducted a research and plan-making for a new project in Solukhumbu and Okhaldunga districts located in inland in the east of Nepal. In February 2022, we obtained an approval from Government of Nepal for carrying out the project.
With the objective to solve the problems of the communities such as gdifficulty to obtain safe waterh, glow agricultural productivity and lack of irrigation waterh, gdilapidated school buildings and lack of teaching materials/teaching toolsh, this project will carry out activities in various fields.
In the first stage of the project, along with the construction of water reserve tanks and activity to improve peoplefs hygiene behavior, we also promote to construct water ponds that created great successes in the preceding project. Further, we will continue improving school environment for children to learn in a safe manner through carrying out repairs of village school facilities. We look forward to seeing how these communities will undergo great changes through the project period of 4 and a half years.