More than a year since it first opened its doors to teach children, we were finally able to travel to Nepal for the official opening ceremony of the ResourceBank UWS school in Meringden, Nepal. ResourceBank Chief Executive, Richard Pearson, went to Nepal with his family and he takes up the story:
In 2020 we decided to mark our 25th birthday by funding the building of a school in Nepal. We worked with United World Schools (UWS) who helped us select a location and then facilitated the building of the school. Interestingly, we found out during our visit that the charity was able to build our school at one tenth of the cost of a government-built facility.
£30,000, goes a long way in Nepal!
Covid and natural disasters in Nepal had delayed the building but our visit coincided with the official opening of the school, and we experienced the trip of a lifetime.
Logistics
It’s a long way!! A 12-hour flight to Katmandu, a domestic flight to a small regional airport (Tumlingtar) and then…. 12 hours more in a very bumpy Land Rover into the mountains on unmade roads, riverbeds and tracks most people would find difficult to walk on!
We were heading for one of the remotest villages in Nepal, Meringden, situated in the very Northeast of Nepal at 3000 metres.
We stayed with one of the village elders in a very clean house constructed with mud bricks (incidentally, much nicer than the hotel the night before) and were treated like royalty. We arrived in the dark, exhausted, to a reception committee and were ‘forced’ to drink Millet beer and
meet all the village elders amongst a crowd of inquisitive onlookers. After translated pleasantries we were finally shown to our family bedroom in a delightful mud-built house with surprisingly comfortable (to me but no other family member) sleeping mats
How did the kids welcome you?
We awoke to a beautiful day in the Himalayas, and after a delightful breakfast of yak cheese and potato we were taken on a tour of the village; all subsistence farmers with multi generation households and all delightful happy people who were thrilled to see us and invite us into their homes.
The welcome was humbling, and it is hard to describe the gratitude we received, the photos tell a better story. The opening ceremony for the school lasted 4 hours and 1 hour of that consisted of villagers queuing up to present garlands and paint our faces (an honour I understand!) Sarah, James, Lulu and I could not have been made more welcome.
What did you do?
We were reminded before visiting the school that we would be the first Europeans people most of them had met so to expect some shyness. Any barriers were soon broken down and while at the school we were able to visit each of the 6-year groups, 80 pupils in total, participate in lessons, answer questions about ourselves and the UK, give them gifts we brought with us; chocolate, cricket bats, recorders, sports kit and much more.
James and Lulu were asked to teach the younger children how to wash their hands properly and it was delightful to see the pupils eagerly watching and participating in something we just take for granted.
Following a whole school assembly on the adjacent field I was able to introduce them to the sport of rugby and led some light-hearted training and leave them with some odd shaped balls which they assured me they will treasure!
How does the school compare to UK schools?
We were expecting a small school with a few rooms, what we found was a large school comfortably housing 80 pupils with 6 classrooms and an office. It was well built, clean, well- organised by an excellent Head and situated in the most idyllic location. It far surpassed our expectations in so many ways. The school is a multipurpose building hosting cultural events, acting as a pop-up medical facility and creating a social hub to the village and surrounding community.
What impressed you the most?
Not just the school itself but equally the pride the villagers took in the school and the gratitude they showed. Firstly, we had built them a lovely school, secondly, we had visited it (no mean feat) and thirdly we had taken our children to see it – this meant a lot to them. We were all touched by their outpouring of happiness and pride, and we have promised we will go back one day.
What have you learned from the visit?
The world is full of good causes requiring funding and I am not suggesting this surpasses all others, but it does feel like we have made a real difference to a small part of Nepal.
Young children will get a ‘childhood’ in this village, they will understand there are broader opportunities available to them, if they want them, some of them will go on to secondary education and a few will go further. The village now has a focal point, a building it is incredibly proud of, women have a sense of purpose and value they may not have felt before. There will be so many benefits to this community and to the children within it.
Sometimes if it feels right – it is right, and in this case, I think we, ResourceBank, have done something we can be very proud of.
I hope this short extract from a long story will have been interesting to most of you, will have inspired a few and will encourage one or two of you to support this charity
– I promise you it will be worth it. If you would like to know more about the charity and the work it does please get in contact with me and I will be delighted to tell you more.
