Life remains hard for the people of Nepal, but there are glimmers of hope across the country. At PPUK we shared a only tiny, tiny part of the burden of the Earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May. But we can share a larger part in the recovery that Nepal is slowly making. So too can our friends and supporters.
#NepalEarthquake is still getting regular use on twitter. Good people out there are still fundraising. And the projects that these efforts are highlighting are starting to come to fruition. This is a cause for some joy.
Reclaiming an education
Porters’ Progress UK partners with a number of charities, having recently worked with Community Action Nepal, the dZi Foundation and The Small World. Today we’re delighted to celebrate a real step forward for two villages in the heartland of Nepal’s porter community. Through a project funded by PPUK, and implemented by The Small World, we can announce the creation of two temporary school buildings – or ‘temporary learning centres’ (TLCs).
In the village of Rampur the Lower Secondary School in Kanku, which serves 184 children, was all but ruined by the earthquake. Before constriction of the TLC, students were taking classes under tarps and their education would be affected by the rainfall. It was a similar story with the Shree Birendradoya Higher Secondary School at Mukli. A total of 272 students attend the school, but many of the classes couldn’t continue due to the extensive damage suffered to the buildings.
Rebuilding local communities
Today things are very different. Together PPUK and The Small World have created two safe learning centres, with classrooms built with bamboo and tin roofing. Each gives a place that allows parents to feel safe in sending their children to school, and give young people a sense of investment in daily learning. The TLCs are helping Nepal’s children to continue their education, while the world around them is slowly rebuilt.
Many local people have supported the construction of the TLCs, and this has helped bring them together with a shared purpose for the next generation. It has also provided employment for some whose portering roles have been lost – another piece of normality in a disrupted community. In difficult times, these things matter.
We hope to continue working with The Small World to create more of these glimmers of hope. Please help us do so by attending our events, fundraising or even offering your time to support PPUK.
Thank you