When we first started out in rural Nepal, it was in response to the devastation caused by the earthquakes in 2015. It was around this time we first met Sita. She was bright and outgoing, and suffering. She’d broken her arm and it hadn’t healed properly. In addition to providing educational support, we endeavored to reset her arm.

She impressed us right away with her perseverance and resilience. After several surgeries and physical therapy, Sita recovered and was able to stay in school and help her single mother with her siblings. 

Sita has always been an excellent student and we happily awarded her a Peak Scholarship when she applied. Sita is currently settling into her new life in Kathmandu. She is attending nursing school so she can help people, inspired by her own medical journey.

 

To help support Sita, her nursing dreams and other students like her, donate today!

The post Update on Sita – Now in Nursing School! appeared first on HCC Nepal.

The visit to the local municipality and Uttargaya Public English School on December 28 2023, allowed HCC Nepal to strengthen its connection with the local community. The monitoring activities conducted by the team will contribute to the ongoing improvement of our educational support programs. Furthermore, the distribution of winter supplies reflects our commitment to addressing the holistic needs of the students we serve.

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For the last seven years, Himalayan Children’s Charities has been supporting students and families in rural Nepal. What began as educational support for children orphaned by the 2015 earthquakes, has evolved into dynamic outreach programs that include wifi towers, computer labs, anti-human trafficking awareness, menstrual hygiene classes and food support for a neglected and marginalized segment of the Nepali population. We have cultivated a network of humanitarians, local government and school officials who alert us to dire need in these areas and communities. It was through this network that we learned of the critical need for food in Benighat, Dhading at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. This community, which is composed of mostly Chepang and Magar families, suffers from widespread poverty, food insecurity, lack of running water and sanitation. The five schools we are supporting to improve opportunities need everything from books to toilets; and even then, they are limited to grade 5 by geography. The nearest upper level school is two hours away. 

In January 2021, after this introduction to the Benighat community, HCC graduate and HCC-Nepal executive director, Mun Maya Rawal read an article in a local paper about mounting suicide rates in rural areas of Nepal. The article sighted a family from the Magar community in Benighat who had lost their mother to suicide and their father was suffering from a debilitating alcohol addiction. The children were fending for themselves, and the eldest daughter, only 12, has been caring for her younger siblings, ages 10, 8, and 3 year old twins for the last year. These 5 children were living in squalor, surviving on the one meal a day provided by the school.

Right away, HCC was able to provide warm clothing, school supplies and much needed food support for the children. And in May of 2022 we received permission from the father to move the children. To ensure their safety and care, we enrolled them in an English-Medium boarding school in Dhading Besi, that we have been working with since 2016. In this new environment, we are already seeing the children prosper. Not having adult care for over a year left the children malnourished; they had head lice and their basic hygiene had suffered. 

As residents of the hostel school, they have their own beds, 3 meals a day and the personal care all children deserve. This is a wonderful change of circumstance for these 5 children that have been through so much and lived in such dire conditions. There are 295 more children in Benighat that are also in need of help. Poverty and circumstance makes them vulnerable to early drop out, child labor, child marriage, and human trafficking. They need clean water, basic hygiene and food support. By investing in their education and well-being, we are investing in the next generation of Nepal.

If you want to help support our outreach in Benighat, and beyond, donate today!

The post One Child at a Time appeared first on HCC Nepal.

Mun Maya and Laxmi traveled to Dhading to deliver backpacks with supplies and warm track suits for the children supported by HCC.

They meet with each student individually to insure they are keeping up with their studies.

Many of the students have some surviving family, but without support they wouldn’t be able to stay in school. Children in remote districts, like Dhading, are especially vulnerable to early marriage and human trafficking. 

Your support makes this work possible! Donate today to help us continue to provide education and bright futures for these students!

The post First Dhading Trip of the Year appeared first on HCC Nepal.

After beginning with a series of fun icebreakers and games, students were given a more structured storytelling exercise. In pairs, students were given a story prompt and had to stand in front of the group and improvise speaking for a minute an a half. One student would begin the story for 45 seconds while the next student would finish the story in 45 seconds. Although it was a tricky exercise at first, students enjoyed themselves and by the completion of the exercise, felt much more relaxed speaking in front of a group. Students attempted again, this time given an unlimited amount of time to complete the story, only being able to hand off the storytelling to their partner when prompted. The second time, speaking off the cuff came more naturally to students, allowing them to get used to speaking publicly without prompts.

Students also had the opportunity to practice formal speech and debate by debating the question: should children under the age of 10 have access to social media? The students were split into two groups and by virtue of a coin toss, one group debated the pro side with the other the con side. Each side was given 5 minutes to prepare 3 main arguments before coming together to present their arguments and given time to give rebuttal arguments to the opposing arguments. Through the exercise, students addressed issues of cyberbullying, educational resources, and distractions offered by social media.

These games allowed students to have fun with their peers while also practicing essential public speaking skills, social skills, logic and confidence in themselves. Learning can take place in a variety of spaces outside of the classroom, and Khushi Ghar is another space for learning in the company of friends.

The post Khushi Ghar Helps Students Boost Speaking Skills appeared first on HCC Nepal.

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