Nepal, Day 2 - Sightseeing Day, the Khokana school visit

We finally arrived at the Peace Garden Secondary School in Khokana, just south of Kathmandu, after picking up Mike, our interface with the school. Mike has worked and lived here for 25 years and runs a few local companies; or 'sweatshops', as he jokingly calls them. Even though I've only known Mike for an hour or so, knowing his involvement in this school and others, I'd say sweatshops is far from reality.

He says that the state schools don't have the resources to provide a decent education and many of them face staff shortages. This school charges about five pounds per month, which doesn't sound like much, but it's a big chunk out of the earnings of a poor Nepalese family.

The school itself was badly damaged during the Earthquakes and the main building was unusable until it had significant repairs. In the few days immediately after the quakes new classrooms were build outside the main school area so the kids could still attend school, these were made from corrugated iron using donated money from the Birkdale School in the UK. The classrooms were full with the younger kids still eager to learn with waving hands and cheery smiles.

In the now repaired main building of four floors we visited some of the classes. The teachers didn't mind us saying hello, taking photos and asking a few questions. The classes I visited were learning trigonometry and science. I asked if they wanted to be scientists and most of them shouted yes. I asked one girl why and she said she wanted to make Nepal a better place - what better answer could she give! I said it was a brilliant reply, and that those who did not want to be scientists could still make Nepal a better place by being a good leader and helping people (perhaps I could have said managing the roads would be a good start!) I went on to say that I came from London, which they all knew about, and said I worked in Brussels. The puzzled looks on their faces suggested I needed to say more and it turned out they had at least heard of Belgium and the European Union.

They get lots of their information via the Internet, which they have access to at home. It surprised me to learn that about that; so even though they come from poor families, the Internet is seen as a very important source to learn from.

Their eagerness to learn was impressive, packed in 20 in each small classroom, the teacher moving between three different classes teaching the same material. While the teacher was away, the kids behaved perfectly, doing the work that had been set for them during his presence. The Headmaster said that a few of the really bright ones go on to be doctors, engineers, etc, studying overseas after graduating from this school and doing their high school diplomas somewhere else in Nepal.

What impressed me most about the kids was that they all want to 'be' and they see education as the path to get there. School kids in the developed world could learn much from their attitude.

We walked around the village after leaving the school and the evidence of the quakes is even more apparent than in the Capital. Piles of bricks - all that remains of some houses - lie at the sides of the streets, often in between other buildings left standing, usually these were made with reinforced concrete structures. I call it a village, but it's unusual (for me at least) to see four or five storey blocks there. Some look very unstable and top heavy, but ironically these survived, while the older, lower brick houses collapsed. This is a village close to Nepal and it's clear to see the aid money is struggling to get even this far. Families have been given about 130 dollars by the government to rebuild their houses; with bricks at 10 cents a pop, that won't go very far. I can't imagine how villages in remote areas are coping.

We've heard stories about how much of the aid promised to Nepal is stuck in Kathmandu and sadly that the sales of large prestigious four wheel drive vehicles increased dramatically around the same time.  I hope for the sake of the people in Nepal that these will be used for relief work, not just to chauffeur around dignitaries, VIPs and tourists. No hard evidence of misdirected aid, but the rumours suggest it's happening.

Before getting back on our coach we give Mike something for the schools he works with. Here in Nepal, a little (or not so little in some cases) goes a long way. Some of the group are coming back next year, so they'll get a chance to see what's been done with the money.

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