Education Project

Build Nation Through Education:

Namaste,

My name is Anurag Thapa, nickname “Deepak,” and I am the founder of Pashminas Nepal. I deeply value education, as it plays a crucial role in a nation’s growth. Understanding its importance, I aimed to improve the education sector in rural areas for children.

Pashminas Nepal launched a project called “Build Nation Through Education” to meet the educational needs of underprivileged children in rural areas. This initiative began with a school named “Shree Janachetana Adharbhut School” in Bardia. Thanks to the generous support of Pashminas Nepal’s customers, we managed to donate a desktop computer set along with a UPS to the school.

The school is located in Barbardiya – 2, Bardia District, Bheri Zone, which is in Province No. 5 of mid-western Nepal. This village has a population of 705 males and 862 females, with 98% being Tharu, an indigenous tribe, and the remaining 2% being Dalit, a lower caste. The Tharu people are a unique ethnic group with their own language, religion, and culture, shaped by centuries of relative isolation in Nepal’s lowlands. On the other hand, Dalits, considered a backward caste, face discrimination, which I personally oppose. Most villagers rely solely on agriculture for their livelihood, with nearly 99% engaged in farming.

During my visit, I met amazing people, students, and teachers, and experienced the beauty of the place. However, the area was very underdeveloped, lacking local transportation—bicycles and a few motorbikes were the only options, forcing people to walk. The village had no health posts and only one ambulance serving multiple villages. People lived in huts and faced the constant threat of wild animal attacks.

I discovered that there are only three schools in the area, all run by the villagers and not the government. It’s disappointing to see that teachers’ salaries were funded by students’ families until just a few months ago. Moreover, there are no private schools where all subjects are taught in English. Out of the three schools, I chose this one because of its challenging circumstances. The school offers education up to grade 8, with a total of 300 students and a staff of 6 male teachers, 5 female teachers, and 1 Principal. While talking to the students, I learned that only 6 out of 300 had ever seen a computer. It’s hard to believe in the 21st century! Although the Nepali course includes a computer subject, there’s no practical learning since the school doesn’t even have one computer. This made it a meaningful opportunity for me to provide them with at least one computer set.

The village is so remote that there is no internet access, no proper drinking water resources, and people rely on unfiltered water. Most of the villagers depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Children attend school in the morning but are required to help their parents in the evening, whether it’s gathering wood for cooking or taking livestock like goats, buffaloes, or cows to graze in the forest. The children have very limited options for their future, such as working abroad, moving to the city for jobs, or continuing to work in farming.

The village was recently replaced by the municipality, but considering the situation, the Village Development Committee is hardly worth mentioning. The government had promised a computer to the school one and a half years ago, but there has been no follow-up since. Pashminas Nepal stepped in to provide a computer to the school. Since becoming a municipality, the government has begun paying teachers’ salaries, though they had worked unpaid for many years. This school was established in 2004.

Compared to cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, it feels like living in a paradise here. In those places, there are no cafes or restaurants, and you have to walk half an hour just to get from one shop to another. The local market is held only once a week, and if anyone needs to buy something extra, they have to travel 50 to 70 kilometers. I was shocked to witness this in that village, as it reminded me of my own experiences from nearly 35 years ago in my village. I had never been to the western part of Nepal before.

The key highlights of this village came from the ward chairman, Khusi Ram Chaudhari, who insisted that villagers educate their children and even withheld approval of official documents for families if necessary. This is why I admire him and was pleased to meet the school principal, Sumitra Gyawali, along with the teachers and other important individuals.

We are planning to open a computer lab at the school for children, providing a few sets of computers to ensure they gain valuable knowledge for a brighter future. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, our goal was delayed, but we remain hopeful that we can achieve it in the coming years. Join us in this education project to give all children equal opportunities to build a bright future through education. Your contribution will help provide the tools these children need to thrive and reach their full potential.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me in this project—my valued customers from around the world, my friend Kshetra Chaudhari, who took me to his village and that school, giving me the chance to help, and a heartfelt thank you to my dear friends Steve and Jan Filipiak from the US, whose support made it possible for me to become the founder of Pashminas Nepal.