Hari and Kamaal our local staff headed off at 6am last Sunday morning on Hari’s motorbike to make the long, windy, journey to Sindhuli to hand over schools #7 and #8.
By 11am they were in Sitalpati, 115km from Kathmandu where they met up with Navaraj from our local Sindhuli partner the Collective Concern Society. A further 12km along a dusty, bumpy, twisty road they finally arrived at the school to be met by smiling faces and the children all in a line offering flowers as a welcome.
The end of year exams and had finished just the day before and despite the school being closed for the holidays before the start of the new academic year later this month, all the teachers, school management committee members and most of the students and their parents turned up for the hand over ceremony, such was their gratitude. They had all made a huge effort to make the handover ceremony extra special, making welcome banners and also one that showed the progress of the build.
After two hours of speeches (everyone wanted to say how grateful they were!) they were finally able to wrap up the program and head off for some lunch before going to Shree Jana Jyoti Lower Secondary school, 5km away to perform the handover of their new classrooms.
A Himalayan thank you to everyone involved with this project. To Hari Bhusal, who coordinated this project on our behalf. Navaraj Pahadi of Collective Concern Society, Nepal for working closely with the school and helping them get all the necessary documents and financial reports to us. The School Management Committee members, teachers and parents, but most of all the Wishner Family, collectively know as the Wishner5 and all their supporters for funding this new classroom building. You have touched the lives of many and have created an amazing legacy for years to come.