Village Classroom Initiative

Why this matters in Nepal

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake and its aftershocks damaged or destroyed thousands of school buildings, with the heaviest losses in hill districts such as Gorkha, Sindhupalchok, Dhading and Nuwakot. Larger schools on main roads were generally rebuilt first with government and donor money. Small schools in scattered hill settlements, sometimes serving a few dozen children, were often lower on the list, and some waited years in temporary shelters of tin and bamboo that are cold in winter and deafening in monsoon rain.

Most have since been rebuilt, but the building was only half the problem. Teacher posts in community schools are allocated by the state, and in remote hill schools a sanctioned post can sit vacant or a teacher can transfer to a town, leaving the school to find a replacement itself. Parents who farm for a living rarely have cash to spare. A trained teacher who stays for two full years gives children a continuity that a new classroom alone cannot.

What your gift pays for

• Stipends and living costs for Fellows teaching full-time in rural government schools for two years
• Pre-placement and in-service training that prepares Fellows for crowded, under-resourced classrooms
• Books, learning materials and classroom supplies for schools where Fellows are placed
• Work with head teachers and school management committees to improve teaching across the school